A good router can make a massive departure to your net connexion speed. But if yous don't take the money to fork out on a elevation-of-the-range model, what other avenues are open to you?

Keep reading if yous want to know how to optimize router settings for speed or establish the best router configuration for faster cyberspace.

i. Automate a Reboot Schedule

Most newer routers don't need to be rebooted regularly. Only as most people know, if you've ever run into a dead cyberspace connectedness, rebooting your router is ofttimes all information technology takes to get you back up and running.

However, if you find yourself rebooting the router regularly, the DD-WRT and Lycopersicon esculentum firmware options both take timed reboot options. Set it to reboot once a day while yous're sleeping, and you'll never even notice the reanimation while the router powers off and starts back up.

two. Make Your Router Faster With a New Antenna

A unproblematic way to make a router faster is to purchase a new antenna.

The antenna on virtually consumer-grade routers is awful. An amplified aftermarket antenna is a great fix and a simple way to improve point quality (and thus meliorate speed) without needing a new device. Powered and amplified aftermarket options start at around $15 and become all the way up into the low $100s.

Plug-in range extenders are a bit more than expensive, but they act as a powered antenna and wireless repeater in ane. They can offer a significant comeback to homes with dead zones or bespeak deposition, only your mileage may vary.

However, be sure to check local wireless broadcast laws before picking up a bulky antenna. In some jurisdictions, amplifying your Wi-Fi betoken is illegal (or may be illegal over a sure threshold).

3. Disable Older Wireless Protocols

How do yous optimize router settings for speed? I of the commencement things yous can consider is turning off sometime wireless protocols.

Newer routers on the 802.11ax protocol offer capabilities far exceeding many ISPs' service offerings. While the router might exist fast, many of your devices are probably using older protocols—such as 802.11b—which slows the entire network downwardly as soon as this device connects. Ideally, you should remove any device yous see using b or one thousand protocols.

The fastest protocols, in order of fastest to slowest, are ax > air conditioning > north > g > b. Consult your router documentation to notice out how to practise this.

4. Change the Aqueduct Width

What about the best router settings to improve speed on your local network? For example, how can you make a video stream betwixt your devices more rapidly?

The all-time router configuration for local speed frequently entails changing the channel width. The wider the width, the more than older devices on older protocols will suffer from interference.

You can fifty-fifty take it 1 footstep further past reading our article on channel bonding for Wi-Fi routers.

five. Keep Your Router Updated

One of the most disregarded ways to maximize router speed is to ensure your router is always running the latest software and firmware from the manufacturer.

Sure, the updates are unremarkably security fixes, simply they're not going to suddenly brand your router blazing fast. Nevertheless, every incremental proceeds can assistance. If you lot've non updated in a while, y'all might see more than of a heave than you'd expect.

6. Experiment With Router Location

It'due south not just about finding the all-time router settings for fast internet. You also need to consider where you're placing your router in your dwelling house.

Because the router competes with every other ii.4GHz and/or 5GHz device in your expanse, subtle movements often make a world of difference. Additionally, the building material of your house might interfere with the wireless point. For example, solid physical walls are notoriously difficult for a Wi-Fi connection to pass through.

7. Optimize Your Router's Channel Settings

Allow'due south take another look at how to make a router faster by optimizing the settings.

Have you considered changing the router's channel? There are plenty of costless tools that'll scan your local airwaves for the channels with the least interference. They will so propose which channel y'all should switch to.

You need to change the channel from inside the router's settings. One time over again, you'll notice out how to do this using your device'southward documentation or online help page.

If you want to know more, check out our article on how to choice the best Wi-Fi channel for your router.

viii. Switch the Router to a Different Ring

A typical habitation is full of wireless devices. Luckily, with a dual- or tri-band router, you'll have the capability of separating them to maximize speeds.

In simple terms, you're opening another lane for network traffic. While a i-lane road will get you there, two (or 3) lanes are improve for everyone involved.

If you have a dual-band router, you could assign some to the additional (and typically less crowded) 5GHz ring instead of all your devices competing for space in the 2.4GHz band.

We've written about the best dual-band routers yous can purchase if you'd similar to know more.

9. Modify Your Network Name and Password

A lot of otherwise tech-savvy people still use the default username and password on their router. Even intermediate hackers are capable of hacking relatively secure networks with not-default passwords.

Using a strong Wi-Fi password is equally important. While you lot might practice a smashing chore of splitting your devices upwards into separate bands, updating your firmware, and switching channels during loftier traffic periods, it'southward all an exercise in futility if your neighbors are piggybacking your Wi-Fi and using it to torrent movies all day.

10. Install New Firmware

tomato router firmware

Many routers go on the settings relatively dummy-proof and so that you don't spiral anything up. While this is slap-up for nigh users, sometimes you just want to dive in and hack the settings until yous're running a router that far exceeds its price tag.

There are several open up-source firmware options for some of the most popular routers. While non every router is supported, there is no shortage of great options. They can assist yous speed upwardly a Netgear router, find the all-time settings for a TP-Link router, and make just most any brand of router run faster.

DD-WRT, OpenWRT, and Tomato plant make some of the most pop third-party firmware.

Keep in mind that installing new firmware is not an option if you stick with your Internet service provider's hardware. That's i of the reasons information technology's a good idea to replace your ISP'south router with a store-bought one.

Optimize Your Router Settings for Speed

Hopefully, this article has shown you how to maximize your router'due south speed and identify the all-time configuration for faster net.

Some of the steps might sound a fiddling complicated, but if you take the fourth dimension to acquire and sympathize the tweaks that are available to you lot, you will increase your router speed in minutes.

How to Monitor and Restrict Router Traffic: 4 Tips and Tricks

Read Next

Most The Author

Dan Toll (1604 Articles Published)

Dan joined MakeUseOf in 2014 and has been Partnerships Director since July 2020. Reach out to him for inquires nearly sponsored content, affiliate agreements, promotions, and any other forms of partnership. Yous can also find him roaming the show flooring at CES in Las Vegas every year, say hi if you lot're going. Prior to his writing career, he was a Financial Consultant.

More From Dan Price