Poor wifi speed. How to increase Internet speed via Wi-Fi? Speeding up wireless internet

In this article, I will try to answer a very popular question, which in most cases is difficult to even explain. People often write to me in the comments about some problem with Wi-Fi, I read the question several times, but I can’t understand anything. And to answer the question, I answer with several questions :) in order to understand what the problem is and clarify the necessary information. Let's talk today about the unstable operation of the Internet when connected via Wi-Fi.

Let's try to figure out what exactly this connection instability is, what the problem might be, and what can be done to solve problems with the wireless network.

There are times when the Internet does not work as it should. For example, you connected the Internet to your computer via a network cable. We bought and installed a wireless router, and began connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi. And they began to notice that the Internet was somehow not working right, it was constantly cutting out, the speed was low, etc.

I’ll probably now highlight problems that can be attributed to unstable operation of the wireless network. This way, it will be easier for us to navigate the problem itself and a possible solution.

• Frequent connection interruptions. For example, you connected a smartphone, and after a while it turns off by itself. Or a laptop that constantly disconnects and connects. I've seen cases where the connection was lost for a few seconds and was immediately restored. This is not always noticeable, but if you have Skype installed, its connection status is constantly changing. Or a yellow icon appears next to the connection icon. Here is another article on this issue: ““.
• Low internet connection speed, or speed spikes when connected via Wi-Fi. It may be that, for example, during the day the speed is normal, but in the evening it drops significantly (if connected via cable, the speed is always stable).
• Unstable Wi-Fi connection. This may include a large number of connection problems. For example, when a device connects to the network for the second or third time. Or, only in a certain place (for example, near the router, I already wrote about this problem ) .
• When you notice some problems, but not always. For example, the Internet works fine for several days, and then strange problems with Wi-Fi begin again. Or, as I already wrote, everything is fine in the morning, but in the afternoon the connection is unstable.

This list can be continued, but I think the essence is clear. I would just like to exclude from this list popular problems that have their own characteristics and about which separate articles have already been written:

• Error “ ” on computers, or when the connection is on mobile devices I have, but .
• Errors on mobile devices: , and " ".

Solving the problem with unstable Wi-Fi

I have some kind of universal solution. And there are no special settings with which you can adjust the stability of operation. You need to try and find a solution. I will give some tips that should help you in this difficult matter.

Reboot your router and laptop (smartphone, tablet, etc.).

This is the first thing to do. Just turn off the power from the router and turn it back on. Also, reboot the device that you are trying to connect to the network, or that is experiencing some problems.

You need to understand what the problem is.

Everything is simple here. We need to find the culprit. This could be either your router or the device itself (computer, smartphone, etc.). How to do it? Just try connecting other devices to your network (preferably those that run on the same operating system). If the problem persists, then most likely the problem is with the access point. And the problem must be looked for in it.

If another device connects and the Internet works stably, then most likely the problem is in the device itself (with which there were difficulties). I’m already confused myself :)

Make sure the Internet is working directly.

What does direct mean? This is when it is connected without a router. Network cable directly to the computer. Perhaps there are some problems on the provider's side. And you are already torturing your router and other equipment :)

Change the channel your wireless network is on.

It is necessary! If there is interference on the channel on which your Wi-Fi is operating (in the form of wireless, neighboring networks), then a variety of incomprehensible problems may arise in the operation of your Internet connection, which are even difficult to explain. Read the article about how to change the channel. This is probably the most important and effective advice.

We update the software on the router.

Afterword

If nothing works, write about your problem in the comments. Try to describe the problem in as much detail as possible. We'll figure it out together.

If you have anything to add to the article, I will be only grateful. Best wishes!

Also on the site:

Unstable Internet operation over Wi-Fi: some tips to solve the problem updated: April 23, 2014 by: admin

When buying a wireless router, we usually try to purchase the fastest and most powerful device for the money available. Having read the words Wireless 300 on the box, the user expects hurricane speeds, but in reality they get low speeds. Then the ordeal begins between the service center and the provider’s technical support, who begin to blame each other. And the reasons usually lie in the WiFi settings due to which the router slows down the speed. And this is not a matter of a mistake, no. It’s just that the entire setup of a wireless network usually comes down to setting a password for the connection; all other parameters remain at default. And despite the fact that they are optimal in principle, in some cases it takes more to increase the speed over WiFi. fine tuning. It will not take much time and does not require high technical qualifications. Here are 7 simple steps.

1.Updating the router firmware

Often (especially on newly released models) software routers have flaws or errors that lead to unstable operation of the device, including problems with WiFi speed. This is why troubleshooting needs to start with its flashing.

Download from the official website of the manufacturer latest version firmware and install it on the router. There is a special menu for this in the web interface.

2. Forcefully enable 802.11n

Today's fastest wireless communication standard used in the standard 2.4 GHz band is 802.11N, theoretically allowing speeds of up to 150 Mb/s when using a single antenna and up to 300 Mb/s when using 2 antennas in MIMO mode. Therefore, the first thing to do to increase WiFi speed is to activate this standard. This is done in the general wireless network settings section:

On most router models this parameter is called “Mode”. If the list contains the option “Only 11N”, then select it. True, I’ll make a reservation right away: if you have an old laptop or an antediluvian phone that only works on 802.11G, then it will not see this network. In this case, you need to select the “802.11 B/G/N Mixed” option.

3. Change the channel width

If after changing the mode you still experience low Wi-Fi speed through the router, then try changing the channel width from 20 MHz to 40 MHz.

This is one of common reasons because of which the router slows down the speed.

4. Turn on Wi-Fi Multimedia

Almost all modern routers operating in the Wireless N300 standard support WMM or WME wireless multimedia extension technology, which provides quality of service (QOS) functions, thereby improving the quality of work and reducing the number of wireless network errors. Typically this feature is found in the advanced options:

Check the “Activate WMM” box, save the settings and reboot the device.

5. Use WPA2

Very often, the reason for the low speed of a Wi-Fi router is the incorrect choice of network security mode. The fact is that routers often have the default “WPA/WPA2-PSK” universal option, which allows two standards to work simultaneously. The whole point here lies in the fact that outdated WPA does not support speeds above 54 Mbps, that is, it begins to slow down the entire network. Therefore, to increase Internet speed via WiFi, use only the WPA2-PSK version:

6. Select a free radio channel

IN apartment buildings In large cities there are routers in almost every apartment. This cannot but affect the quality of communication due to the fact that there are few channels available for use and wireless networks begin to interfere with each other, creating interference. That is why, if your Wi-Fi speed has dropped sharply, and the network starts to work slowly and slows down, then try playing with the channels in the router settings:

Try putting the channels on the outermost ones in order. As a rule, they do it last.

7. Update your adapter driver

Another common reason for low Wi-Fi speed is a “crooked” wireless network adapter driver. Most often, when installing, the user uses either the driver that comes included on the disk, or an automatically installed one. operating system Windows. As life shows, this is often not the most successful version.

Download the latest driver from the network card manufacturer's website. Then go to the device manager, in the “Network adapters” section, find your card, right-click on it, select “Update drivers”, and then specify the path to the downloaded file.

• How to increase WiFi power and strengthen the router signal...

How to increase Wi-Fi speed?

1. Choose the right equipment!

It is difficult for an ordinary user to understand the variety of routers on the market, so he buys a router at the nearest computer store on the advice of the seller. This approach is fraught with unpleasant consequences: after all, the consultant in the store cannot know the size of your apartment, all the parameters of your network and the provider whose services you use..

A low-power router may constantly freeze under high load. And buying a router with a small coverage area will result in a lack of wireless signal in a distant room.

Before purchasing a router yourself, call RiNet technical support and consult with a specialist! You can also rent a suitable model.

2. Choose the right place for the router!

The ideal placement of a Wi-Fi router is a three-meter mast in an open field and the complete absence of any interference. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to install routers in three-room apartments in the center of Moscow. Due to interference, the actual speed and coverage area of ​​WI-FI will differ from 900 Mbit and 300 meters, carefully indicated by the manufacturer on the box with the router.

The Wi-Fi router must be placed in a place where there is direct (as far as possible) visibility into those parts of the apartment where you plan to use Wi-Fi. Usually this is a central room or corridor. It is necessary to reduce the number of walls between the router and Wi-Fi devices as much as possible, while in the path of the signal there should be no metal structures (safe, refrigerator, iron panel door) or devices that have strong radiation (for example, a computer, a new-fangled TV, microwave). bake). It is advisable to place the router at the same level as the devices being used; the antenna should be directed vertically upward.

3. Forward - to technology! 802.11n

The 802.11n Wi-Fi standard increases data transfer speeds by up to four times compared to 802.11g devices (which have a maximum speed of 54 Mbps), but only if all devices on the network support 802.11n.

If you use an old (pre-2009) laptop to work on the network, then the speed of work with other 802.11n devices may be reduced (up to 80%). This occurs when the slower laptop is actively transmitting or receiving data. For maximum performance (or at least testing it) of an 802.11n network, it is recommended to use only clients of this standard on the network

4. Beware of Wi-Fi thieves! Security settings.

Always set a password for your wireless network. The absence of a password, in addition to a loss in speed (the Internet is shared with neighbors), can lead to an attacker gaining access to your computer. To ensure the security of your Wi-Fi, select WPA2-AES encryption in your router settings. This type of encryption is difficult to break. Using WEP or WPA/TKIP encryption can result in significant loss of throughput.

The reduction in speed is due to the fact that the high performance (over 54 Mbps) in the 802.11n standard cannot be realized if one of the legacy security methods mentioned above is used.

5. Be smarter than your neighbors! Selecting the router broadcast frequency.

The wireless signal is affected by a lot of interference. By choosing a frequency that is as free as possible from neighboring wireless networks, you can get a more stable signal and increase the overall Internet speed. Most home routers operate at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, which is divided into 11-14 channels. Please note that Wi-Fi channels overlap each other.

Almost all routers have automatic channel selection or it is pre-installed.

Firstly, it can lead to the Internet not working. Routers that go on sale in Europe have 13 channels. For example, devices for the USA have 11 channels. It follows from this that devices brought from America will not work on channel 13, which the router can select automatically.

Secondly, the router often chooses a channel that is “clogged” with neighboring networks, which negatively affects Internet speed.

If such problems occur, you should change the router channel from standard (auto) to manually selected.

6. Call for help! Using an additional access point.

When even the most powerful router does not reach the far room, an additional router is usually installed. By connecting it with a wire from the main device in Access point mode, you will increase your coverage area without losing speed. If laying a cable is not possible, the router can be configured in Wi-Fi network repeater mode (repeater), but this type of connection will reduce the final speed in the far room by at least 2 times.

7. If all else fails. Transition to 5 GHz

Not only Wi-Fi routers operate in the 2.4 GHz frequency range, but also other household appliances such as microwave ovens, radio-controlled devices and, of course, many neighboring Wi-Fi points, the number of which causes great interference and noise among themselves, moreover, this The frequency range is very narrow and has only 14 channels.

Routers that support the 5GHz frequency will help you avoid interference and significantly increase Wi-Fi speed.
We recommend Asus RT-n66u as a multifunctional, stable, productive device for organizing large home network in two ranges.

Internet speed via Wi-Fi is a topic that has always been discussed, and will be discussed on various forums, in comments, etc. Very often they ask questions like: “why is the speed via Wi-Fi lower than via cable,” “ why is the speed through the router less”, “how to increase the Internet speed via Wi-Fi”, etc. Why does this even happen, where do these questions come from? I'll explain now.

There is Internet, which is connected directly to the computer. The provider promises speeds of, for example, 100 Mbit/s. When checking, the speed may be a little lower, but something like that. We buy a router, install it, and of course check the speed, because we read somewhere that the router slows down the speed. We check from the router via cable, it seems normal, the speed has not dropped much. We check when connecting via Wi-Fi and see that the speed is two or even more times lower than when connecting via cable. For example, on Wi-Fi, out of 100 Mbit/s that the provider provides, there are only 50 Mbit/s left, 40, or even less. It is clear that this does not suit us, and we are starting to look for a solution. And in search of a solution, we go to pages like this one.

If you want to see specific advice on the topic of increasing speed over Wi-Fi, I will write about this a little later, in a separate article. But, I want to say right away that the tips that I will write about, and which can already be found on the Internet, as a rule, do not give any results in terms of increasing speed. Although, it depends on individual cases. And in this article I just want to tell you why it happens that when connected via a router, the Internet speed is lower than, for example, via cable.

Why does my Wi-Fi router slow down?

Every router slows down the speed. Some less, some more. As a rule, this depends on the price of the router itself. The more expensive it is, the more powerful it is, and the more powerful it is, the less speed will be reduced. Now I'm talking specifically about connecting via Wi-Fi. If the cable speed through the router is lower, then, as a rule, this is not critical. But over a wireless network, there are significant losses in speed.

Many are still interested in the numbers that are indicated on the box with the router, or in the specifications. There you can see speed information. For example: up to 150 Mbit/s, or 300 Mbit/s. And here the questions arise again: “why does my router support 300 Mbit/s, but my speed is 50 Mbit/s?” So, the manufacturer indicates the maximum speed , which under normal conditions would never be obtained. The speed will always be much lower. And from the 300 Mbit/s that is written on the router, we often get speeds several times lower. But how much less the speed will be depends on the power of the router (mostly), and on a number of other factors, which I will now talk about.

Also, we must not forget that in addition to the router, we also have a Wi-Fi receiver in our network, in our laptop, tablet, smartphone, or. Which also supports different standards, and the speed at which it operates may be lower than what the router can produce. Speed ​​is always determined by the slowest device on the network. For example: the router produces a theoretical 300 Mbit/s. But the adapter that receives the signal can operate at a maximum speed of 150 Mbit/s. And we already get a limit of 150 Mbit/s, since this device is the slowest on the network. Well, I will delve further into these nuances, I just wanted to explain why the speed suffers so much when connecting via a Wi-Fi network.

What determines the speed of a Wi-Fi network, and how to get maximum speed?

As promised, I will write in more detail about ways to increase speed in a separate instruction. And now, I will list the main reasons that affect the speed of a Wi-Fi network:

• Wi-Fi router. Network standards (802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac) which it supports, what technologies it uses, and the power of the hardware itself. Typically, the more expensive the router, the higher the wireless speed.
• Router software and Wi-Fi receiver on your computer. Very often, by updating the router firmware or adapter drivers on the computer, the speed becomes faster.
• Interference. Interference can come from other neighboring Wi-Fi networks (mostly) and from household appliances.
• Wi-Fi network power. It’s not news that near the router, where the signal is maximum, the speed will be higher than in another room, where the network signal is no longer so stable.
• The number of connected devices to your network. If one device is connected to your router, then it will receive all the speed that the router can provide. If we connect another device and start downloading something on it, then the speed will be divided by 2, and so on. In addition, all connected devices create a load on the router’s hardware, which leads to a drop in speed.
• The type of internet connection your ISP uses. The fact is that if your provider uses the connection type Dynamic IP or Static IP, then the router will reduce speed less than with a PPPoE, L2TP and PPTP connection.
• Router settings. Correct setting network protection, choosing the network operating mode and channel width, as well as changing the channel, can slightly increase the speed.

How to organize a Wi-Fi network so that the loss of speed is minimal?

Regarding the Internet provider: if you have not yet connected to the Internet, and if possible, then choose a provider that uses Dynamic IP or Static IP connection technology. This will make it easier for the router, and setting up such a connection is much easier.

Selecting a router: if you want minimal loss of speed, you will have to spend money on a router. I advise you to buy a router that can operate at the frequency 5GHz(GHz), and support . The 5GHz frequency is now practically free, which means that there will not be much interference there. After all, basically, so far all Wi-Fi networks operate at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. And the new standard 802.11ac, even compared to the most popular on this moment 802.11n allows you to transmit information at speeds of as much as 6.77 Gbit/s. This is of course in theory, with special equipment.

Devices you will connect to the network: as I wrote above, the speed also depends on the network clients. It is advisable that your devices are new, supporting the modern 802.11ac standard, or at least 802.11n. If this is a computer, then update the driver of your Wi-Fi adapter. I wrote about this in.

Check your Internet speed, share the results in the comments, and tell us if your router slows down the speed too much. Best wishes!

Greetings to all blog visitors!

Many users, after setting up their Wi-Fi network, ask the same question: “why is the speed on the router indicated at 150 Mbit/s (300 Mbit/s), and the file download speed is significantly lower than 2-3 MB/ With…". This is actually true and it is not a mistake! In this article we will try to figure out why this is happening and whether there are ways to increase the speed on your home Wi-Fi network.

1. Why is the speed lower than indicated on the box with the router?

In fact, the packaging states the maximum possible theoretical speed. In real conditions, the throughput can vary greatly from the numbers on the packaging, depending on many factors: the presence of obstacles, walls; interference from other devices; distance between devices, etc.

The table below shows figures from practice. For example, a router with a speed on the package of 150 Mbit/s - in real conditions will provide a speed of information exchange between devices of no more than 5 MB/s.

2. Dependence of Wi-Fi speed on the distance of the client to the router

I think many who set up a Wi-Fi network noticed that the further the router is from the client, the lower the signal and the lower the speed. If you show approximate data from practice on a diagram, you will get the following picture (see screenshot below).

Diagram of speed in a Wi-Fi network (IEEE 802.11g) depending on the distance of the client and router (approximate data*).

A simple example: if the router is located 2-3 meters from the laptop (connection according to the IEEE 802.11g standard), then the maximum speed will be within 24 Mbit/s (see plate above). If you move the laptop to another room (a couple of walls away), the speed may decrease several times (as if the laptop were not 10, but 50 meters from the router)!

3. Wi-Fi network speed with multiple clients

It would seem that if the speed of a router is, for example, 54 Mbit/s, then it should work with all devices at that speed. Yes, if one laptop is connected to the router in “good visibility”, then the maximum speed will be within 24 Mbit/s (see plate above).

When connecting 2 devices(let's say 2 laptops) - the speed on the network when transferring information from one laptop to another will be only 12 Mbit/s. Why?

The thing is that in one unit of time the router works with one adapter (client, for example, a laptop). Those. All devices are given a radio signal that the router is currently transmitting data from this device, in the next unit the router switches to another device, etc. Those. When a second device is connected to the Wi-Fi network, the router has to switch twice as often - the speed accordingly also drops by half.

Conclusions: how to increase speed on a Wi-Fi network?

1) When purchasing, choose a router with maximum speed data transmission. It is advisable to have an external antenna (not one built into the device). For more information about the characteristics of the router, see this article:.

2) The fewer devices are connected to the Wi-Fi network, the higher the speed will be! Also, do not forget that if, for example, a phone with the IEEE 802.11g standard is connected to the network, then all other clients (say, a laptop that supports IEEE 802.11n) will adhere to the IEEE 802.11g standard when copying information from it. Those. Wi-Fi network speed will drop significantly!

3) Most networks today are protected by WPA2-PSK encryption. If you disable encryption altogether, then some router models will be able to work much faster (up to 30%, tested on personal experience). However, the Wi-Fi network in this case will not be protected!

4) Try to place the router and clients (laptop, computer, etc.) so that they are as close to each other as possible. It is highly desirable that there are no thick walls or partitions (especially load-bearing ones) between them.

6) Follow this advice at your own peril and risk! For some router models there are more advanced firmware (firmware) written by enthusiasts. Sometimes such firmware works much more efficiently than official ones. If you have enough experience, flashing the device's firmware is quick and hassle-free.

7) There are some “craftsmen” who recommend modifying the router’s antenna (supposedly the signal will be stronger). As an improvement, for example, they suggest hanging it on the antenna aluminum can from under the lemonade. The benefit from this, in my opinion, is very doubtful...

That's all, all the best to everyone!