The rise of remote working has changed the professional lives of many people for good. With remote working, people are able to cater to their family needs and spend more time with them while also being able to carry out their work. As the number of remote workers continues to increase, having a reliable WiFi network has become essential to maintain productivity.
Whether it is for a virtual meeting, collaborating with team members, or uploading project files, a fast and stable internet connection is non-negotiable when it comes to remote working. However, many remote workers struggle with having a good WiFi network and unfortunately, struggle with problems like slow speeds, dropped connections, and constant lag.
The good news is that there are several practical steps that you can take to improve your WiFi network (given that you already have a good enough internet subscription. So let us explore some actionable ways for remote workers to improve the WiFi network.
1. Optimize Router Location
Your router’s physical location and the place where you put it play a huge role in determining the strength and reliability of your WiFi network. It is quite a common practice that people tuck their routers away in corners, closets, or close to a TV or anything electronic device. If you have placed your router at any such place, then you are severely limiting the coverage of your WiFi network.
To prevent this, place your router in a central area of your home to ensure that the signal can be evenly distributed in all directions. Keep the router off the floor and elevated on a shelf or table to improve coverage. Avoid placing the router close to obstructions like walls, furniture, large appliances, or electronic devices to reduce obstruction and interference.
2. Upgrade Your Router
If you are still using the same WiFi router that your ISP gave you when you subscribed to their service, then it is time that you say goodbye to it and make an upgrade. Older routers often lack the capabilities to handle the demands of modern internet networks.
Try to buy a router that has the latest technology available such as the latest WiFi standards, Dual-Band or Tri-Band, and Mesh WiFi capability. All these are the modern features that you should look for in a WiFi router, as these make a world of difference in your internet experience.
3. Secure Your WiFi Network
An unsecured WiFi network not only means a security risk but also potential bandwidth theft that can slow down your connection. As a remote worker, you should secure your network to improve the security of your network while working remotely and also to prevent bandwidth theft. Just head over to the TP-Link management portal of your TP-Link Router and change the default administrator username and password, enable WPA3 encryption, change the WiFi password, and disable SSID broadcast.
4. Manage and Prioritize Bandwidth Usage
If you are living in a household where multiple devices are connected to the network simultaneously such as smartphones, laptops, smart TVs, and IoT devices, then the bandwidth on your network can become scarce in no time. Since work is your top-most priority, you should manage and prioritize bandwidth usage on your network.
Many modern routers these days come with settings and features like QoS that allow you to prioritize specific devices or applications on the network. You can access these settings from the default Tenda website of your Tenda router or the default gateway address of any other router. Plus, you should also avoid large file downloads or software updates on the network during work hours, as these can hog bandwidth and lead to a slow internet connection.
5. Prevent Interference
WiFi signals and ultimately the performance of the entire network can be disrupted by nearby sources of interference, leading to slow speeds and dropped connection. To prevent this, reduce interference as much as you can by changing the operating WiFi channel, using dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) frequency transmission, and reducing device congestion by limiting the number of active connections at a time.
6. Use a WiFi Extender or Repeater,
If you have a large house or your house has areas with poor or no WiFi signal, then consider using a WiFi Extender or Repeater, especially if your workspace lies in an area where the signal is poor. These devices are an add-on to your existing WiFi router and can amplify your existing WiFi signal to extend the coverage to hard-to-reach areas.
For remote workers who depend on the Internet for their jobs, a reliable WiFI network is a necessity. By following the aforementioned, you can definitely enhance your WiFI network and increase your productivity. Just make sure that you have a good enough internet plan and that there are no issues from the ISP’s end, as these can also lead to poor WiFi performance.