5 Router Myths You Still Believe

If a wireless router is not used correctly, the Internet access of mobile phones and tablets at home may be very slow. Sometimes, when playing games, there may be hundreds of delays or disconnections. The vast majority of these reasons are caused by the wireless router. Here are five common misunderstandings about routers.

The router is placed improperly

The principle of a WiFi router is to send signals in all directions. If the router is placed in a cabinet, by a window or in a corner, the signal is easily blocked, resulting in a deterioration of the network. In addition, metal devices have a relatively obvious ability to intercept signals. Moreover, devices such as microwave ovens and Bluetooth headphones that operate in frequencies similar to those of the router can also affect the transmission of the router's signals. All these should be kept away appropriately.

When there are too many connected devices, the network speed is not restricted

The principle of a WiFi router is to send signals in all directions. If the router is placed in a cabinet, by a window or in a corner, the signal is easily blocked, resulting in a deterioration of the network. In addition, metal devices have a relatively obvious ability to intercept signals. Moreover, devices such as microwave ovens and Bluetooth headphones that operate in frequencies similar to those of the router can also affect the transmission of the router's signals. All these should be kept away appropriately.

It uses the same channel as the routers of its neighbors

Routers transmit WiFi signals in the form of electromagnetic waves, and the channel is the path for wireless signals. For instance, domestic routers usually have 13 channels in the 2.4GHZ band (and different channels in the 5GHz band as well).

When you and your neighbors are all using the same channel (for example, everyone is 6), channel congestion may occur, which in turn affects the network speed. Therefore, we can increase the network speed by changing the channel. (Enter the management interface through the website address in the manual or on the back of the router, and make modifications in the router's wireless Settings.

The router has not been restarted for a long time

Sometimes, for the sake of convenience, many friends may not have turned off or restarted the router since they installed it. In fact, a router is like our mobile phone. When we use it, it generates cached data. If it is not cleared for a long time, it will affect the network speed. We can clear the router cache and restore the normal Internet speed by restarting the router once a week.

In addition, although the router has low power consumption, it may still overheat if left on for a long time, which can affect work efficiency. If you find that the Internet speed has decreased, you can check whether the router is too hot or has an abnormal temperature.

The router update is not timely

The broadband at home has just been upgraded, but the Internet speed is very slow. In this case, it might be caused by the router not being updated in time. If you have registered for a gigabit network, you must update your 100-megabit router to a gigabit one in a timely manner. Nowadays, all newly released routers are fully equipped with Gigabit WiFi6. If your router is still several years old, you can consider upgrading it. You should also try to use Category 5e or Category 6 network cables as much as possible to fully leverage the advantages of a gigabit network.