Everything You Need to Know About a WiFi Router and How to Get the Most Out of It

Trusted by countless IT professionals and casual home users alike, NetSpot is one such tool. NetSpot’s forte are WiFi network analysis, site surveys, and network troubleshooting.

With NetSpot, you can make even a budget WiFi router perform just as well as routers way above its price range, just like you can use it to make a high-end router perform to its fullest potential.

NetSpot is simple, powerful, and available for free.

Simply put, a WiFi router is an electronic device that sends data received from an Internet cable to other devices. It also acts as a wireless access point from which it shares data through the use of radio signals. The router converts the data stream delivered by your Internet connection into radio signals. These signals are received by WiFi-capable devices such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

If you believe that all routers are the same, you’re wrong. There are many good reasons why you should consider leaving the router you got from your internet service provider behind and buying a new, better one instead.

It used to be that internet routers did almost nothing else besides connecting a single computer to the internet. Modern internet routers are different. They provide wireless internet access to smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and internet-connected home appliances. They are highly secure, feature USB ports for file sharing, and support all the latest wireless standards, such as 802.11ac, which offers about 3x the bandwidth of the older 802.11n standard.

Most modern WiFi routers already support the newest version of WiFi standards, which is 802.11ax a.k.a. WiFi-6, it is an upgrade over the previous standard, which is 802.11ac (WiFi-5).

These routers broadcast on two frequencies simultaneously. Such routers are called dual-band routers, and they support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Why’s that important? Because the 2.4 GHz band tends to be very cluttered. In some residential areas or apartment blocks, dozens of wireless routers may broadcast a wireless signal on the same channel, making it difficult for electronic devices to collect the right data packets amidst all the noise.

Routers also offer different ranges. You may have seen routers that look like scary cyber-spiders, with antennas protruding in all directions. You better believe that routers like this have a better range than much smaller routers with built-in antennas.

Older routers that support only the 802.11n standard can accommodate only 30 concurrent clients. Newer, 802.11ac routers support almost 100 simultaneous connections, making them much more suitable for crowded office spaces and public-facing businesses.

Software updates are vital when it comes to wireless routers. Cyber attackers release over 390,000 new malicious programs every day, and old, unpatched routers are one of their prime targets. Router manufacturers have to make the same kind of business decisions as all other companies, and they can’t afford to support old products indefinitely.

That router your internet service provider gave you 5 years ago could be vulnerable to a wide range of dangerous cyber attacks, many of which could cost you your privacy or a bank account. Why risk so much when you can purchase a new router and stay safe?

Before you purchase a new router, always make sure to check wireless router reviews to see what others have to say about it. There’s only so much you can learn about a product from specifications and product descriptions. Reliability and real-world performance take some time to evaluate.

Before you say “my WiFi router is no good,” consider what else could be affecting the quality of your WiFi signal and your internet speeds.

First of all, double-check that your wireless network is encrypted. Sometimes a router loses power for a long time and restores to factory defaults. This can happen without your knowledge, leaving your WiFi network accessible to anyone. It goes without saying that your internet speeds will be abysmal when the whole neighborhood is leeching off you.

These days, the WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) is recommended as a much safer alternative to the older and much less secure WEP.

Second, make sure that your internet service provider is delivering the advertised download and upload speeds. Just because your contract says that you should be getting 20 Mbps download speeds, it doesn’t mean that you actually are. NetSpot’s Active Scanning feature allows you to quickly and accurately test your network’s connection speeds.

To use the feature:

Last but not least, make sure the computer you’re using for the testing is in a good working order. The cause of your slow internet speeds could be a malware infestation or some background processes. A simple restart often does the trick, but many serious issues can only be solved by a complete reinstall of your operating system.

Here are some tips that can help you set up a wireless router. Based on the area you are intending to cover with your WiFi signal, you may only need one router to do the job. Properly setting up the router is essential in obtaining maximum performance from the equipment.

Properly locate your router — Placing your router in a location that is free from physical obstructions is key to getting the best signal from your router. Place it as high as you can and keep it away from other sources that may produce wireless interference such as microwaves and cordless phones.

Secure your network — Make sure you access your router’s administration panel and change the device’s default password. Set your router to the highest degree of security with WPA2 as a minimum to protect your network and users.

Keep your firmware up to date — To ensure your device is operating optimally you should take advantage of firmware upgrades offered by your router’s manufacturer. We recommend you configure the router to automatically install any available firmware upgrades.

Minimize the distance between the router and connected devices — If you find that your wireless devices are experiencing issues with the WiFi signal you may have to move them closer to the router in order to achieve the performance you desire. If this becomes a major problem, you may be a candidate for a mesh network installation.

We’ve come to expect internet access to be available everywhere, and we have the same expectation even for WiFi networks. However, the average WiFi router can seldom cover more than a single room with a strong and stable signal, which is where mesh networking comes in.

From the outside, a mesh WiFi network works just like any traditional single-router WiFi network does: the network identifies itself to clients with a single SSID (service set identifier), and it may request clients to enter a password.

But there’s one major difference: the strength of a mesh WiFi network in a house or large office space doesn’t vary too much from room to room. That’s because a mesh WiFi network actually consists of multiple mesh WiFi routers, typically called nodes, organized in a mesh topology.

While it’s still more expensive to set up a mesh WiFi network compared with the cost of a single-router WiFi network, the benefits make it worth every penny — at least when configured correctly. Learn more about mesh WiFi networks and their configuration.

Setting up a mesh network comes with its own set of challenges that must be addressed. Here are some tips for setting up a mesh network.

Plan your mesh network — A survey of your coverage area is in order to plan the location of the nodes that provide access points into the network. Based on their locations you might opt for a mesh network that offers either a wired or wireless means of connecting the nodes.

Consider wired connections to certain devices — Entertainment components like televisions and gaming consoles can benefit from being directly wired into a node on the mesh network.

The most effective way how to optimize the performance of your router is to find out the ideal spot where to place it. NetSpot’s Survey Mode allows you to create a visual map of the wireless strength in your area and see where the signal is the strongest and weakest. Use this information to decide whether it wouldn’t be best to place the router elsewhere.

With NetSpot, you can quickly verify the result and adjust your course of action. Even though NetSpot is loaded with useful wireless troubleshooting features, it doesn’t take long even for someone with limited computer experience to learn how to use it. Download NetSpot right now to optimize your router and increase your internet speeds.