WHAT YOU MUST CHANGE ON YOUR WI-FI

The 15 most effffective ways to make it FASTER, STRONGER, SAFER!

Choose faster networks for devices Avoid interference from neighbours Make your signal reach further Stop criminals hacking your router Default settings you must tweak

You might never have explored your router’s full potential. And why would you? If it came as part of the package with your broadband contract, it probably arrived all ready to go. All you needed to do was plug it in and the internet was your oyster.

But you might not be getting the most out of your router, because these little units are essentially computers in their own right. Although their core job is to get you online and keep you there – they’re far more versatile than you might think.

The default settings out of the box can be tweaked and improved upon, providing more security and faster connections, while blocking unwanted intruders on your home network. You can dictate which devices on your network should have the fastest connection, shut down the wireless signal overnight, and – if you need to – breach your router’s firewall to access your security camera from the web wherever you are.

In this feature, we’ll walk you through a series of essential changes you should make to your router and useful tweaks to make life better. For the most part, our screenshots will show a Plusnet router – the Hub One – which works similarly to BT Home Hub devices.

If you have a newer BT Smart Hub, many options will be familiar, but not always identical.

If your router is another brand, such as Linksys or Netgear, the interface will look different, but the terminology and menu items used within their configuration pages will be similar, so you should have no problem following our advice.