Is the internet slow at home? So you can increase the connection speed of the 'router'

96.1% of households in Spain have a broadband internet connection, according to data from EPData, and it is the youngest people (aged between 16 and 24) who make the most intensive use of this Connection.

In this age group there is a greater tendency to use consoles and enjoy content on streaming platforms, with which their data consumption is higher.

But few experiences are more frustrating than trying to load a page in the browser and seeing that it takes forever to load, or that an error message appears directly on the screen.

How is it possible, assuming that the contracted bandwidth is generous and with sufficient capacity?

The

uses short-range radio waves to wirelessly transmit the Internet connection that reaches the home.

As is evident and known, its main advantage is that it allows simultaneous connection without the need for cables from several devices of different types (a mobile phone, a computer, a connected speaker).

Its main drawback is that the signal loses strength as we move away from the

.

Wi-Fi only provides short-range connectivity, so the

and the device must be relatively close to approximate the theoretical contracted speed.

But there are more factors involved in connection speed than distance: interference from other devices, physical barriers, or the age of the router itself.

Barrier-free central position

This is the simplest and most effective measure: try to locate the

in the most central position in the house, or near the devices that connect the most and as high as possible.

This is not always possible, as the device is usually connected at the point of entry of the broadband cable into the home, but to the extent that it is feasible, it will greatly improve the quality of the connection.

"Ideally, it should be in the place where it is used the most, for example, in the living room," they explain to EL PAÍS from the manufacturer AVM, which also offers other valuable advice, "make sure the

is not hidden in a closet ” or in a drawer, since the quality of the signal is difficult in the most distant points.

Turn on and turn off

If you have been in the situation of having to contact your operator when you have problems with the Internet connection, one of the first measures that support will suggest is to turn everything off and on.

Think of the

as a computer that occasionally needs to be rebooted to clear up errors and resolve performance issues.

Although it is not a generic solution to wireless connection problems, it can solve specific cases, although, yes, experts recommend waiting ten seconds before turning on a

that has been turned off again.

And of course, incorporate into this power cycle the modem.

Dual band and update the 'firmware'

The flow of Wi-Fi is like a highway that becomes saturated if there is a lot of traffic at any given time.

In this sense, when there are many devices connected simultaneously, the speed and quality of the connection may suffer.

Dual band 'routers' —those that incorporate the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands— allow traffic to be diverted to the highest band in the devices that have the most demand (such as a computer or a tablet).

One of the main advantages of the 5 GHz band is that it has less interference, mainly because there are fewer devices occupying it.

On the other hand, the 5 GHz band has a higher available throughput, which can support higher data traffic.

In parallel to the use of two bands, another advice that manufacturers always give is to make sure that the latest version of the router's firmware is always being used

,

for a matter of optimizing its operation, but above all for security.

Mesh Signal Booster

Sometimes, all the solutions proposed so far may not be able to increase the quality of the wireless connection, especially if the house is large or with many walls or obstacles.

If this is the case, it is best to install a mesh network (also known as

).

This network starts from a base station that replaces the

and connects directly to the modem, along with one or more remote stations (or repeaters).

The advantage of this wireless infrastructure is that the Wi-Fi connection is managed intelligently, based on various factors (distance, connected devices, signal quality...), making the connection more stable.

wired connection

Whenever possible, and ideally in a newly renovated house, it is advisable to locate Ethernet network sockets in places where there will be a permanently connected device.

For example, on a television, game console or on a desktop computer.

This connection, in addition to being much faster as it lacks losses, is more stable and does not depend on the devices that connect wirelessly.

The side benefit of connecting multiple devices at home via cable is that it reduces the number of devices connected to Wi-Fi, thereby mitigating potential wireless congestion.

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