Working from home can be a frustration, especially if your WiFi and broadband speed is slow. It can lead to lacklustre productivity and reduced efficiency.
Here’s our top 10 tips to speed up your WiFi connection when working from home.
1. Clean your Network
A great way to help improve your WiFi connection is to clean out your WiFi network. What we mean by this is to reduce the number of devices on your network. You can do this by disconnecting devices around the house, including smart TV’s and printers.
If you’re still struggling, you can also log into the admin panel of your router (you will need to find the instructions on how to do this from your provider). When you login, you’re able to remove devices and clean up the network to ensure you’re maximising each device’s internet connection.
2. Move the router
As obvious as it sounds, it may be a very simple solution to slow WiFi. If you move your WiFi router to a central point in the house, it may improve connectivity. Ensure that the router is not blocked by walls or secluded in a corner.
A good way to check is to walk around the house with a mobile, and measure the signal strength using your phone’s WiFi icon. Then adjust the router and do the same.
3. Switch to a wired connection
As you might imagine, a wired internet connection is normally faster than a WiFi connection. If you are able to, then you should connect your laptop or computer directly into one of the ‘LAN’ ports on your router. This will ensure that the connection is as fast as possible.
We appreciate that some setups (such as an upstairs office and a downstairs router) make this wired connection impossible. In which case, you can look at ‘plug ethernet adaptors’. These are small devices that plug into the sockets on your wall and turn the whole house into a giant ethernet network. They’re available on Amazon, search for “ethernet power line adapter”.
4. 4G WiFi Solution
It may be that your WiFi connection is strong, but your actual broadband speed is slow. In which case, you may want to look at a temporary 4G WiFi solution. Many businesses already use 4G WiFi solutions for disaster recovery and temporary WiFi connectivity, so it may be a good option to ask your employer about.
4G WiFi uses a business grade WiFi router and 4G data SIM to provider a fast broadband connection for up to 24 devices. It’s worth checking out if you’re struggling with broadband speed as it can be implemented on a temporary basis.
5. Upgrade your broadband package
Once again, if you’re struggling with speed you might want to upgrade your home broadband package. This will improve speed and reliability with your broadband. Speak to your current provider and see if they have any offers on, and see if they can increase your package to a higher speed.
6. Use 4G on Business Phones
As we mentioned before, it may be that your home WiFi network is being clogged up with devices all fighting for a connection. A good way to reduce this is to change any mobile to a 4G or mobile data connection.
If your employer provides you with business mobiles, then switching to 4G is a great solution. It also provides you with a better connection on your mobile, and also frees up some bandwidth on your home network.
7. Switch provider
Many people are tentative to switch providers, but it could not only increase your speed, but also save you money on your broadband. Shop around and look for different broadband providers. Use the Openreach broadband checker to see what kind of speeds you’re able to get in your area and then find a provider that suits them accordingly.
It may also be a good idea to find deals and discuss them with your current provider, who may be able to increase your package to match any you find online.
8. Use a signal booster
Quite a common technique for strengthening your WiFi connection is using a signal booster. These signal boosters take a WiFi connection and amplify it. They often just require a wall socket and are readily available from lots of hardware and electronic stores as well as online.
A word of warning, however. If you add lots of signal boosters to your network, you will impede on bandwidth and strength of the signal as your network will be sharing your one broadband connection with lots of different boosters—which home networks are not designed for.
9. Upgrade your router
Another technique to improve your WiFi connection when working from home is to upgrade your router. If you haven’t upgraded your home WiFi in a while, your actual broadband router may be hampering the connectivity.
Upgrading to a new, faster and more modern router ensures that you’re using the latest technology and that both the WiFi connection strength as well as the broadband speed, is not being held back by an outdated router.
10. Move your computer
Finally, one of the most simple solutions to WiFi problems—just move closer to your router. When working from home, you may not be in an optimal location for your network. If you have a laptop, then you can easily move closer to the router, or you could set up your home office set up somewhere else in the house that is closer to the router.
There you have it, 10 simple tips to help you speed up your home WiFi connection to make it better for working at home. While there is no guaranteed fix for faster broadband, these tricks might help you get that extra inch from your network.
