The good news for the user is that he can easily fix all common Wi-Fi problems on his own. Most modern houses are full of electronic devices that connect wirelessly to the Internet, as well as devices that create strong electromagnetic interference, which is why Wi-Fi does not work well. To troubleshoot such wireless connections, you need to run the correct network diagnostics. To do this, use special Wi-Fi troubleshooting applications that can visualize signal problems.
Common problems and solutions
One of the main advantages of Wi-Fi is easy access to the Internet. But if the network password is too simple, anyone can connect to it. Almost infinitely, you can access networks with weak passwords or without passwords, which will cause network overload, and the user will find that the Wi-Fi is working badly.
To determine an unauthorized connection, we recommend using a free program called Wi-Fi History View. It identifies each device connected to the user network, allows you to find and delete other people's IP addresses. After removing the unauthorized connection, a new password is set for the router. If the user does not know where to find the “native” password, the RouterPasswords website can help him determine the default password set by the manufacturer.
The congestion problem arises in densely populated residential neighborhoods when too many people try to simultaneously connect on the same Wi-Fi channel. At the same time, the connection speed drops sharply, and Wi-Fi does not work well. Fix this failure by choosing a different channel for the router. If the user has a 2.4-gigahertz frequency router, then there are 11 channels for selection. The recommended channels are 1, 6 and 11, but if you can’t adjust the speed, you can try others to find a faster connection, or buy a new 5-gigahertz device.
Wi-Fi devices have different settings. AC routers are a step forward unlike the old models “B”, “G” and “N” for which Wi-Fi does not work well. Speakers have more features and offer better performance. Network routers have a maximum spectral bandwidth of approximately 8 x 160 MHz compared to the 4 x 40 MHz standard for N routers. Increased throughput allows you to transfer more data without slowing down.
In addition to protecting the network from unauthorized use of bandwidth, the type of network security used can affect the overall speed. If the network is open or uses WEP, you must immediately change the security setting of WPA, WPA2 from TKIP to WPA2 with AES.
WPA and TKIP are the ones that are not recommended. These protocols are not only outdated and insecure, they themselves can slow down the network. The best option is WPA2 with AES - a newer and more secure setting to achieve higher speeds.
Router Positioning
Many people underestimate the importance of choosing the right place for a Wi-Fi repeater. Even a slight shift in positioning can lead to a slow connection. Most people, after unpacking a new router, install it wherever they need it: on a shelf, table or even on the floor, not knowing that the height of the location is of great importance. A small distance from the floor level leads to poor operation of the device. It should be placed as high as possible to expand the broadcasting range. It also helps protect your device from potential interference.
Materials such as concrete and metal are usually the largest Wi-Fi signal blockers. They are so effective at this that they can even protect against RFID hackers. Therefore, you need to refuse to place the device in a room in which the walls are made of concrete. The farther from the Wi-Fi repeater, the weaker the signal.
The best option is to place it closer to the receiving devices. It is practical to place your router in the center of the house, Wi-Fi is broadcast 360 degrees. However, if the broadcast is weak or the house is large, you may need to increase the wavelength range. Wi-Fi amplifiers are auxiliary devices that connect to the main router and amplify its signal to cover a large transmission area.
Wireless interference and noise
There are many wireless signals around people. Wherever a person goes, they go through him all the time. These signals come from electronic devices, Wi-Fi routers, satellites, cell towers, etc. Although Wi-Fi is usually located at different frequencies, however, most of these devices can cause decent interference.
Microwaves can cause interference, which may cause poor reception of Wi-Fi. This is especially true for older routers and is due to the fact that microwave ovens operate at a frequency of 2.45 GHz, which is almost close to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi range. Therefore, there is a situation where the microwave frequency may overlap with the frequency of Wi-Fi. When this happens, the transmitted data is interfered. Most modern microwave ovens have proper protection so that the waves do not go beyond the design of the oven.
Bluetooth also operates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. A properly manufactured device has special shielding to prevent interference. To avoid frequency collisions, bluetooth applies a step-wise signal change up to 1600 times / second, while the signal changes randomly between several tens of channels. Modern Wi-Fi devices identify low-quality channels in order to successfully avoid them. But if this does not help, then it is better to move the router away from Bluetooth devices.
Before improving the work of Wi-Fi, you can experiment by turning off Bluetooth in order to establish that this particular device is the cause of problems, especially if it refers to older devices.
Oddly enough, Christmas lights can also be the culprit in slowing down Wi-Fi. The effect is caused by lamps emitting an electromagnetic field that interacts with a wireless group, which affects Wi-Fi badly. LED strips have flashing crystals built into each lamp, creating electromagnetic fields.
Change network settings
An IP address is a series of numbers. The number 192.168.1.1 is a common number that identifies the user connection. You need to know the IP address of the router in order to change its settings, especially for cases when Wi-Fi settings are lost.
To do this, you can use several tricks:
- Check the back of the router chassis. Most of them have a sticker or card with all the information necessary to enter the settings, including the required IP address.
- Log into the "Network Control Center" on your computer.
- Select “Wireless Network Connection”, then “Details”.
- Find "IPv4 Default Gateway" - next to this number is the desired IP.
- Connect the Ethernet cable and type the command line “ipconfig” and “Enter”.
- Find the number next to where it says "Default Gateway."
- Open any Internet browser - Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari and enter this IP address. Then the login screen should open.
- Enter the username and password for the device. It is indicated on the back of the router or in its manual, and you need to know it before resetting the Wi-Fi router settings.
Fix Point Failure
Sometimes the simplest solutions to correct poor signal transmission are in front of the user's nose. Nevertheless, they remain unclaimed.
You need to clearly understand that routers are not designed to transmit signals over long distances, so there may be active and dead zones in the house. To identify them, advanced users use the HeatMapper Wi-Fi setup program, which helps to see points in the house where Wi-Fi signals are stronger. There are many other Wi-Fi troubleshooting apps on the Internet, but not all of them are equally easy to use and functional.
Another popular Wi-Fi troubleshooting application is NetSpot, which can meet the needs of professionals on the network. The device has two alternative applications:
- Advanced Wi-Fi network scanner.
- Free open source package analyzer.
NetSpot is also a good alternative for Mac users. As soon as problem areas are identified where Wi-Fi on the phone does not work well, the user has several options available to eliminate the failure.
One option is to purchase a Wi-Fi extender that can increase the signal transmission range. Wi-Fi extenders range in price from $ 20 to $ 120, depending on the features of the model. You can buy a powerful Eero Home Wi-Fi system. It consists of a series of small routers synchronizing with each other to increase the coverage area of the shared network, but its price ranges up to $ 500. After the distribution of these mini-routers throughout the house, there will be a strong connection no matter what room the receiver is in.
Still, the choice of the majority is NetSpot. The program has a modern user interface, which simplifies the use of the application even for inexperienced users. For quick Wi-Fi network analysis, NetSpot offers its Discover mode, which allows you to quickly take a snapshot of all nearby Wi-Fi networks. Then you can see how strong the signal of each network is, how secure the networks are around, which Wi-Fi channel they broadcast, and much more.
Network Protocol Analyzers
An excellent Wi-Fi analysis application is inSSIDer, designed to identify common problems and explain why Wi-Fi does not work well. The utility conveniently displays useful information about the nearest wireless network, including which Wi-Fi channel works, how secure the networks are, and how strong their signal is.
InSSIDer can intelligently recommend real-time configuration optimizations to help fix common Wi-Fi issues. Part of the program is a convenient tool called Wi-Spy, which is a spectrum analyzer that allows you to see not Wi-Fi interference, but a common source of slowdown and connection drop. This data is especially needed by the user before improving the reception of the Wi-Fi signal.
Another widely used network protocol analyzer with advanced batch scanning capabilities is Wireshark. With it, you can analyze traffic in a wireless network at the deepest level, capturing data streams as they travel through the network, decoding raw packet data and displaying the values of various fields in the packet. However, before you enter the Wi-Fi settings through Wireshark, you need to consider that it is unnecessarily complicated for most home users. Nevertheless, this is the standard for many commercial and non-profit enterprises, government agencies and educational institutions.
If you need to learn more about Wi-Fi networks and possibly even get a job as a network administrator, exploring ways to use Wireshark can open the door to many possibilities. But if the user simply wants to independently solve the problems of an unstable network signal, then NetSpot is the best choice.
Network transfer to a new channel
A total of fourteen channels are provided for using Wi-Fi 802.11 in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. Not all channels are allowed in all countries: 11 are allowed by the FCC and are used in the so-called North American domain, and 13 are allowed in Europe. WLAN / Wi-Fi channels are located at a distance of 5 MHz from each other (with the exception of 12 MHz between the last two channels). WLAN 802.11 standards determine the bandwidth of 22 MHz, and channels with a step of 5 MHz have a nominal channel width of 20 MHz. The 20/222 MHz bandwidth and 5 MHz channel separation means that adjacent channels overlap and signals on adjacent channels interfere with each other.
The 22 MHz channel bandwidth is supported for all standards, although the 802.11b WLAN standard can work with many speeds: 1, 2, 5.5, or 11 Mbps, and the new 802.11g standard can work at speeds up to 54 Mbps. Differences arise in the RF modulation scheme used, but the WLAN channels are identical in all applicable 802.11 standards. When using 802.11 Wi-Fi to provide WLAN solutions for offices, common public hotspots or for any WLAN applications, you need to make sure that the channel settings are correct, to provide the required performance.
After you select a new channel for the network using inSSIDer, the next step is to switch the network to a new channel. All routers and access points are different from each other, so in general terms, changing the settings of a wireless router will look like this:
- Connection via Wi-Fi or via Ethernet.
- Open the router configuration page by entering the IP address in the address bar and pressing Enter.
- Log in to the wireless device with a username and password.
- Find the wireless settings page.
- Set a new channel, usually in the drop-down menu.
- Click “Save Settings” or “Apply Settings” to save the changes.
- Reboot the router.
- Restart inSSIDer to verify that the changes have been applied.
Even with all the flaws in Wi-Fi stability, this is by far the most common way to fix network outages.
Fix network crashes on a laptop
Troubleshooting always starts with restarting the router, modem and laptop itself. An IP conflict is not uncommon, especially if a user uses several devices to access the Internet through one router, and two of them receive the same IP address, after which problems usually begin.
First try using a LAN, wired connection. If the problem only concerns the Wi-Fi connection, restart the modem and the router. Turn them off and wait a while before turning them on again. At the same time, they do not forget about the physical switch or function button (FN on the keyboard). It happens that a user has disabled the Wi-Fi button by accident.
Windows is usually ignored when problems occur. If the baud rate is still not quite high, there is an error identification that may come in handy in the subsequent setup steps. Sometimes this is a conflict of IP, radio, drivers, physical switch, SSID problems with the network. If IP conflicts with one of the other connected devices, you can always restart it. When the router restarts, it reassigns the IP and removes the problem.
DNS and SSID Recommendations
Particular attention when Wi-Fi does not work well on a laptop is given to the DNS cache, which collects domain data and can adversely affect the connection. DNS should translate the host name to IP and the host name. All collected translations are stored in the DNS cache, and congestion can affect the connection. For a number of reasons, users will also not be able to connect to networks with unusual names, which means that they must rename them to something more reasonable. Do not forget to use only standard alphanumeric characters, without emoticons and Unicode characters in the SSID name.
Experts recommend that in the event of frequent failures on the laptop, use the 2.4 GHz frequency instead of the 5 GHz band on dual-band routers. The story of the two groups is quite simple. The 5 GHz band is much better in every way. It is faster, less crowded, as most other Wi-Fi devices use 2.4 GHz; it is more stable.
However, there are two things that are better with 2.4 GHz. Firstly, its signal goes further and more easily slows through walls. Secondly, it supports older devices with older wireless standards. This is the case when the 5 GHz band for Wi-Fi does not work well on a laptop. So, if all the devices in the house are connected at a frequency of 5 GHz and work well, you need to try for a laptop to connect to the 2.4 GHz band.
Change power adapter settings
There are many power-related options that affect Wi-Fi. Some of them stop it to reduce power consumption, others completely block Wi-Fi. Power settings are especially important on laptops as they are mobile devices that depend on batteries in various scenarios. You can set a high-performance power plan or change individual settings. To prevent power settings from affecting the wireless adapter and thus not causing connection problems, perform the following steps:
- Open the "Wireless Adapter Settings", and then the power saving mode.
- Set the "Energy-saving mode", both on the battery and when connected to the "Maximum Performance" outlet.
- Confirm the changes and close the window.
- If the problem is not in the power settings, simply proceed to the next step.
System Restore in Windows 10
Perhaps the problem lies in the operating system itself, and you will need to repair or reinstall it. Before setting up Wi-Fi on a laptop, they perform recovery by sequentially performing the following operations:
- Type “Recovery” in the Windows search bar and open Recovery.
- Click "Open System Restore."
- Click "Next" in the dialog box.
- Choose your preferred recovery point - the one where Wi-Fi worked without problems.
- Click “Next” and then “Finish” to start the recovery process.
- The procedure may take some time, so you need to be patient.
- That's all, the recovery is complete.
If a user knows how to set up Wi-Fi on a laptop and applies these basic setup steps, he will surely be able to solve the problem of an unstable Internet connection. Everyone needs this because, despite the changes and technology improvements over the past two decades, poor Wi-Fi connectivity is not yet rare. And if the user learns to independently correct all common errors on the Web, it will be very useful to him.