Improve network reliability
Follow these essential steps to ensure your network is stable and in good working order
THERE ARE SO many potential network performance issues. Do you have problems with so–called “dead zones” where your Wi-Fi connection is weak or non–existent? Do you find your internet connection slows down at certain times of day, or even drops out periodically? Are there intermittent connection issues — either for your entire network, or just a few devices?
Less critical issues require a systematic look at your network. Let’s start by quickly mapping its topography. Some routers (like the TP–Link Archer VR900) may provide this information about what’s connected within their administration pages. If not, try sketching this out on paper, or use a tool like SimpleMind Lite (free, App Store) to create a simple mind map.
Place your router at the center, then create nodes for each device connected to the Ethernet port, plus two additional nodes to represent your 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi–Fi networks respectively. (If you have powerline adapters, add individual nodes for these too.) Use an app like Network Radar ($17.99, wittsoftware.com) to scan for all active devices, wireless or wired, on your network. Then use this list to complete your network map by connecting each device to the appropriate node. This map can help you trace any problems to see if they can be linked to a specific part of the network (such as the 2.4GHz wireless band) or appear to be directly related to the device in question.
Many issues will be wireless– related, linked to the strength of the Wi–Fi signal reaching the affected devices. Things to consider here are “dead zones” in your home: areas where a combination of distance, multiple solid objects (walls, furniture and so on) and interference from other devices combine to prevent a stable signal from reaching the particular area in question.
One way to diagnose this is to move the afflicted device closer to the router. If its signal stabilizes, you have confirmed the problem. If the problem appears to be network– wide, there’s the possibility that interference from neighboring 2.4GHz Wi–Fi networks is swamping your own signal. 2.4GHz networks operate across 11 channels, which overlap. To minimize the risk of interference, your best choice of channel is usually 1, 6 or 11, depending on what other nearby networks are using to broadcast (check out the step–by–step guide over the page).
Other equipment in the home also operates at 2.4GHz, which can cause some local interference — look to keep your router away from microwaves, cordless phones, and even on rare occasions wireless mice. If necessary, experiment with different channel settings to see if it can fix the problem.