That will set you up for a good five years. “If you still have a WiFi 4 router but your smartphone, TV, and laptop all support WiFi 5, get a WiFi 5 router instead,” Fisco says. So our experts say it’s fine to hold off on making the leap if you can save money on a slightly older model. (The latest Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones are examples.) WiFi 4 and 5 devices can connect to a WiFi 6-compatible router, but they get none of the technology’s speed benefits. The consortium that sets these standards announced a WiFi 6 certification program in September 2019, and a number of routers that support the standard are now available, including three models in our ratings.īut only a few internet-connected devices are currently WiFi 6- compatible. Once you start shopping for a router, you’re likely to hear a lot of buzz about WiFi 6, a new technology standard that promises faster speeds, a longer range, and better support for the ever-expanding fleet of connected devices in modern homes.Īlso known as 802.11ax, WiFi 6 replaces the WiFi 5 standard formerly known as 802.11ac, which debuted in 2013, and WiFi 4 (802.11n), which dates back to 2009. If you don’t actually need mesh routers, there’s no reason to invest in them. With a mesh system, you have several devices strewn about your home vs. There’s also an argument to be made for simplicity. By contrast, our top-rated single-unit model sells for $200, followed by one that goes for about $160. The top-rated models in our ratings cost $400 to $500. So why doesn’t everyone simply choose a mesh router? They’re pricey, for one thing. If you place the hub, which plugs into your modem, near the center of your dwelling, you can shift around the satellites, which help relay the WiFi signal, until you find a configuration that helps you eliminate any dead spots. Mesh routers are typically packaged in a set with multiple units-a hub and one or more satellites-that work together to spread WiFi into the far-flung corners of a home. But they don’t always have the range to effectively blanket a whole home in WiFi, especially if you have a large or obstacle-laden layout. They can be plenty fast, supporting even the data-hungry activities of families with dozens of internet-connected devices.
They’re single-unit devices that plug into a modem. You’re probably familiar with the former. These days, you’ll find two types of wireless routers: traditional models and mesh network models. If those tweaks don’t help, it may be time to find a model better suited to your needs, especially if you’ve been using a single-unit router in a multi-story home.
Boosting wifi signal on laptop how to#
(See “ 5 Common WiFi Roadblocks & How to Fix Them,” below.) You can try moving the router around a room to address such problems. If your router is already in a central location, the slow connection might be due to obstacles in the house that can impede a WiFi signal. If you’re planning to change providers, Fisco says, you may be able to get the job done free, so ask while you’re negotiating the switch. Or you can ask your ISP to help you relocate the modem, though the company may charge you depending on the labor involved. One way is to buy a long Ethernet cable (keep it under 300 feet), plug it into the modem and the router, and move the router yourself. If your router is in a suboptimal spot (the basement, for example), try moving it. A router tucked away in a corner may not have the range to travel to the other side of the house, or from the second floor to the basement, because the signal degrades the farther it gets from the source. They tend to do best when set up in the center of a home, allowing the signal to reach out in every direction. Next, you’ll want to assess the placement of your router.
You can then move around with your laptop to different areas of your home to see how fast WiFi is at different locations.
First, run it with your laptop plugged into your router to check your speed in the best-case scenario. You may want to run this test a few times. You can easily run a speed test using a service like to see what you’re really getting. If you’re not paying for that, or if you don’t have access to that kind of speed where you live, a brand-new router won’t help you. You’ll need a connection of at least 25 megabits per second to stream Netflix video for 4K TV, for example. But don’t be too hasty-there may be other factors at play.įirst, take a look at a bill from your ISP to see what level of broadband you’re paying for. If your WiFi connection is noticeably sluggish, you may be tempted to write off your current router as a dud.
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