How to Speed Up a Wireless LAN

Changing a few settings helps increase your wireless LAN speeds.

If your wireless LAN connection is slower than normal, then it may be time to take steps towards speeding up your connection. A number of factors can cause your wireless LAN connection to slow down. Properly configuring your wireless router for optimum efficiency helps increase network speeds. Speeding up a wireless LAN is a straightforward process that takes only minutes to complete in most cases.

Things You'll Need

• Wireless LAN router
• Wireless repeater

Instructions

1. Position your wireless router as close to the center of the home or office as possible. Avoid placing the router in corners or in closed spaces such as a closet.

2. Use an external antenna to boost your wireless LAN signal. Poor Internet speeds can stem from a weak signal, especially if the signal has to negotiate walls and other obstructions.

3. Set the router to operate at 100 percent power. This insures that you receive the best signal quality possible at all times.

4. Set the router to use only one 802.11 protocol (either B, G, or N, if available) instead of using the "mixed" mode. All of your connected devices must be set up to use the protocol you select.

5. Use a wireless repeater to improve the quality of the wireless signal. A repeater can also extend the range of the wireless signal by 100 feet or more. Many of these repeaters simply plug into the AC outlet, with minimal configuration necessary.

6. Use a speed-testing website to keep track of your wireless LAN network's speeds. These websites provide an online bandwidth meter that shows how fast your network is, with the results shown in megabits per second (Mbps).

References

• Computer World: Wi-Fi tweaks for speed freaks

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Speedtest: The Global Broadband Speed Test