Is Your ISP to Blame, or Is It Your Home Network?

Surefire Steps to Improve Your Home’s Internet Connection

Laptops and computers are busy with remote work and schooling. The smart TV streams Netflix while speakers pulse with playlists from Spotify, Apple Music, or Pandora. Your smart lights and security devices are connected to Wi-Fi, too; not to mention, everyone’s smartphones are online. That’s a lot of traffic heading towards your router. Can your home network handle it all?

We often complain that our network connection suffers because of our internet service provider. But maybe you need an upgraded and expanded system. If your home in or near Park City, UT, experiences subpar home networking, discover how it can be fixed below.

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Is Your Router Up to Date?

Just like we need to routinely update our phones and computers to improve the performance, your router’s firmware should be routinely upgraded to patch up security vulnerabilities and fix connectivity issues. If you don’t want to deal with an upgrade or aren’t sure how to do it, we can help. In some cases, upgrading the firmware may not be enough if your technology is outdated, incapable of adequately handling smart home technology and many computers.

You may want to swap the hardware for a new router that supports Wi-Fi 6 and MU-MIMO technology. Wi-Fi 6 is the latest and fastest version of the internet and can split across a whole network of devices. MU-MIMO (which stands for ‘multiple user, multiple input multiple output’) allows for many users to send and receive data simultaneously. Your laptops and smart technology won’t be competing with each other for the internet—they’ll all be served instantly.

Need to Extend Your Wi-Fi’s Range?

Does your internet work perfectly fine in one area of the house, only to completely drop off on another side? And is the backyard a Wi-Fi dead zone? If you answered yes to either question, you would benefit from adding one or two wireless range extenders, also known as access points. They pick up the existing signal from your router and rebroadcast it further on a different channel. You’ll be free to take the home office outdoors, upstairs, anywhere, or enjoy wireless streaming over outdoor speakers and screens.

Are You on the Right Wi-Fi Band?

Many routers are dual band, meaning they broadcast both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands for their signal. 2.4 GHz is ideal for covering large spaces, but you’ll enjoy faster speeds and improved connection with 5 GHz. Try changing your band’s channels to see if speeds improve. It may just do the trick!

If you need a network upgrade, Ratio AV in Park City can help. We’ll extend your connection to every corner of your property and ensure your information is always well protected.

For a networking installation or assistance, call us at (801) 309-3055, chat with a member of our team below, or submit our form here.