STOP USING WINDOWS WI-FI
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Windows’ built-in wirelessmanagement tool is adequate if you only connect to one network on your home Wi-fi. However, if you switch between networks – perhaps because you’ve split your 2.4GHZ and 5GHZ networks, or you use your laptop in more than one location – you may find that Windows tries to connect you to the wrong one. Wifinian is a free, open-source Wi-fi manager that ensures you always connect to the best network, no matter where you are.
STEP 1 The easiest way to install Wifinian in Windows 10 is to visit the Microsoft Store. Go to
www.snipca.com/33665, click Get 1 , then follow the instructions. For earlier versions of Windows, go to www.snipca. com/33668, then scroll down and click the Installer link. Once installed, run the program, then look for the Wifinian icon in the notification area of your taskbar 2 . If you can’t see the program’s icon, click the up arrow 3 , then drag the icon down to the taskbar.
STEP 2 Click the Wifinian icon to see details of the wireless network you’re connected to 1 , and all those you’ve connected to in the past. Any networks that are currently in range appear in blue. To switch networks, simply double-click inside the box of the one you want 2 . Networks often have long, nonsensical names. Wifinian lets you simplify these by giving them your own nicknames. To do this, click and hold your mouse button on a network’s current name, then edit it 3 . Note that this only changes the name your PC uses for the network, not the network’s actual SSID.
STEP 3 You can reorder the list of networks so that those you use most often are at the top. Click the Organize button 1 , select a wireless network, then use the up and down arrows to reposition it in the list 2 . If you spot a network you’re unlikely to use again - such as a hotspot you connected to while on holiday - select it, then click Delete 3 . When you’ve finished reordering the list, click the Organize button again to turn this mode off.
STEP 4 By default, Wifinian tries to reconnect to networks you’ve used in the past as soon as they’re in range. While this is useful for your home network, it means you could suddenly find yourself reconnecting to a wireless hotspot without warning. To stop this happening, select the network you no longer want to connect to automatically, then click Auto Connect to turn this setting from on 1 to off 2 .
STEP 5 Once you’ve enabled Auto Connect, you can also activate the Auto Switch 1 option that appears next to it. If you’ve split your home’s wireless network into separate 2.4GHZ and 5GHZ networks, for example, you can set Wifinian to switch between the two depending on which has a stronger signal. First, enable Auto Connect and Auto Switch for the networks you want to switch between. Then activate the Auto Switch feature by clicking the Engage 2 button (it turns blue when active).
STEP 6 By default, Wifinian looks for a better network when your current network’s signal strength drops below 50 per cent. To change this, first switch off the Engage option, then click the number to the right of it 1 to choose the threshold you want. Finally, click Engage to turn it back on. Bear in mind that this won’t take effect until you reconnect to your current network – by restarting your PC, for example.
STEP 7 Windows scans for new networks roughly once a minute. If you want to reduce the interval between scans so your PC switches faster when your current network slows down, click the number beside the Rush button to choose between 10, 20 and 30 seconds 1 . Click Rush 2 to activate this feature – making it turn blue. To perform a manual scan at any time, click the circle 3 to the left of the Rush option.