How to Get Fast Printing on WiFi
The speed of printing to a wireless printer, or to a printer connected to another computer on your wireless network, is limited by the overall data transfer speed of the Wi-Fi network. Depending on the type of wireless broadband router used, most home Wi-Fi networks offer maximum speeds between 11 Mbps (megabytes per second) and 300 Mbps. However, this is a maximum speed and actual speeds are usually lower than the maximum available speed. To speed up Wi-Fi printing, try changing the position of the network equipment and modifying your router’s wireless channel settings.
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Instructions
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Move the directional antenna on the top or side of your wireless router to optimize wireless reception on the computer or mobile device from which you’re printing the document or file. Look at the Wi-Fi signal strength bars in the right-hand notification area of your computer’s desktop taskbar, or on the status bar at the top of the mobile device, to see if manipulating the antennas boosts Wi-Fi reception.
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Relocate the wireless router to a different room in your home or workplace. Walls, doors and other solid objects can block or reduce the Wi-Fi signal, slowing down data transfer speeds. If you move the router, ensure you reposition it near an AC power outlet and within reach of the cable connecting the device to your landline phone or cable port. If you don't want to move the router to another room, ensure you place it in a position away from solid objects or other electrical equipment.
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Switch off all devices connected to your home Wi-Fi network, apart from the device from which you want to print and the wireless printer, or the network computer that hosts the printer connection. Mobile devices, smartphones and game consoles on your wireless network can sap bandwidth and reduce data transfer speeds.
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Change the wireless channel used by your router. Wireless routers use one of 11 available channels in North America, and sometimes interference from nearby wireless networks can reduce Wi-Fi signal strength and quality. Change your router to a different channel by going to the router’s administration settings page in your computer’s Web browser. The address is usually 192.168.1.1, 192.168.2.1 or 192.168.0.1. Go to the Settings or Network tab on the admin page. Click the drop-down Channel menu and select your preferred channel, between 1 and 11, from the options list. Click “Save” or “Apply” to store your settings. You’ll need to restart all laptop computers and wireless devices so they can find the new channel.
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Set your router to use just one Wi-Fi protocol; for example, G-Only or N-Only rather than mixed or auto mode. You can change this setting from the Wireless Network Mode or Network Protocol section of the router's admin page.
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Tips & Warnings
Signs of Wi-Fi co-channel interference include weak signals and signal dropouts. Before changing your router’s wireless channel, ask your neighbors what router settings they use to avoid clashing with other local networks.
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