4 cheap and easy ways to improve your WiFi connection

MANILA, Philippines – Slow Internet is nothing but a waste of time and money. Instead of getting what you pay for, it feels as if you receive less of the service you spend on monthly.

The Philippines has the slowest Internet speed across the Southeast Asian region and one of the most expensive broadband plans in Asia. A household pays at least PHP 999 per month for unlimited access to the Internet, a big chunk to the family budget especially for the low-to medium wage earners.

We all want a fast Internet connection, but the common problem is that most of us think that fixing the connection is just for the tech geeks.

If you’re an average home Internet user, here are a few simple tips to speed up your Internet connectivity.

Check your security settings

Never allow anyone to use your Internet connection through your Wi-Fi by giving away your network’s name and password. The safest to go is to use WPA/WPA2 in the security settings of your router.

Change your wireless settings so hackers cannot break into your network. You can always set your wireless network to be undiscoverable when a device is looking for an available Wi-Fi network.

Generally, the larger the number of people there are connected to a wireless network and using it, the slower it gets for each user.

Be strategic with your router’s location

A Wi-Fi router produces radio waves that travel in the space for Internet connection. The best location for your router is on a high place, in the physical center of your house.

This is because radio waves travel downwards in a lateral position. Adjust the location of your wireless router to a place where it can maximize its effectiveness.

You’ll also want to place it away from any other wireless routers, move it away from cordless phones and microwave ovens to avoid interference – they operate off the same frequency. You may also want to keep your router far away from any walls and large objects to avoid interference. 

Replace your antenna

If you have been hopelessly changing the location of your router without a noticeable improvement in the speed of your Internet connection, you may want to buy a directional antenna.

The signal range of a directional antenna follows in a specific direction. If you point the antenna to a portion of your house where people generally stay while surfing the Internet, that’s where the best connectivity will come in.  

The priority of the signal waves will go directly to that place where it is pointed. The Wi-Fi routers that are mostly available in the market come with a short antenna which is omni-directional, throwing the signal in all directions.

Install a repeater

A repeater is used to get an instant speed boost to the Internet connection.

It should be placed between the router and the computer you are using. It doesn’t require any additional wires or connection for you to use.  

After an easy installation procedure, it’ll simply do its work for you, boosting the signal by acting as a relay station for your WiFi signal.

Improve your connectivity and be productive with these cheap and easy moves. – Rappler.com

 

What do you do at home to improve your Internet connection speeds? Share your thoughts below!

MoneyMax.ph is an online platform for comparing financial and telecom products and services. It aims to give the power of smart purchase decisions back to Filipino consumers by providing everything they need to become financially savvy.