Spring Cleaning Your Home Network
Spring cleaning is in full swing! While you may be focused on tidying up clutter and purging items that have accumulated over the winter months, don’t neglect one of the most often overlooked items you should declutter: your home network. Follow these actionable tips to help you enhance your Wi-Fi experience.
Resetting Devices On Your Home Network
- Reset Modem – Turn off your modem, unplug it for at least 30 seconds, and then turn it back on. This simple act alone can greatly improve your home network speeds.
Updating Firmware on Your Home Network
- Update Firmware – Check whether the modem requires any firmware updates, which are often available on the manufacturer’s website.
Improving Your Home Network Wi-Fi
- Router Placement – Make sure your router is in an open, elevated and central location within the home. A high shelf is optimal because it allows the signal to travel throughout the home, improving your Wi-Fi signal.
- Avoid Common Interferences – Home network routers can be sensitive, especially when placed near metal objects, thick walls or appliances such as microwaves or baby monitors.
- 5GHz –When possible, use 5GHz instead of 2.4GHz, as it experiences less congestion and delivers faster speeds. Please note that 2.4GHz is, however, better for long-range Wi-Fi connections.
- Ethernet Cables – For game consoles or smart TVs that use a lot of bandwidth, consider using an Ethernet cable for maximum speed.
- Mesh Wi-Fi or Home Extenders – If you have a large home or often experience dead zones, consider adding a mesh Wi-Fi system to ensure seamless connectivity for all your devices.
- Wi-Fi Channel Settings – If you live in a densely populated area, you may need to change your router’s Wi-Fi channel to avoid interference from other devices outside your home.
Decluttering Your Home Network Devices
- Clear Browser Cache and History – Clear all cache, history and cookies on mobile devices, tablets, computers and laptops.
- Organize Computer Files – Organize all your computer files into categories and file names, deleting any unnecessary files, photos or apps to maximize device storage.
- Remove Old Connected Devices – Your home network router’s app should list all devices that have connected to your network. Remove any old or unidentifiable devices, such as those from past visitors.
- System Updates – Run updates for all devices and set them to automatically update, if possible.
Tips to Maximize Network Security for Your Home Network
- WPA3 –Make sure your home network router uses WPA2 and WPA3 encryption for the best security.
- Update Passwords – Change your Wi-Fi password to something unique yet strong. We recommend changing this annually, but if possible, every quarter if you live in a more populated area.
- Guest Networks – Enable a guest network so guests don’t congest your main network.
Home Telecom Offers Home Network Control at Your Fingertips
Home Telecom offers MyWiFi Extreme, which gives you complete control over your home network and Wi-Fi connection with our easy-to-use app. My WiFi Xtreme provides the ultimate in network security, helps you prioritize bandwidth among devices, lets you manage your Wi-Fi passwords and even quickly sets up guest networks. See what Home Telecom’s MyWiFi Xtreme can do for you today!