Hello everyone, long time no see!
Wi-Fi is a familiar name. In today's era of rapid development, our phones are inseparable, and the first thing we do when we go to a public place, such as a restaurant or mall, is asking for a Wi-Fi password.
I've shared many Wi-Fi developments in the forum, including Wi-Fi 6, which is now popular. People who are interested in this can focus on Wi-Fi developments and theoretical knowledge.
Wi-Fi, not broadband connections, is often the weakest link in a home network. As our local community migrates from traditional ADSL broadband services, which offer download speeds of 0.5 to 4 Mbps, to fiber broadband, which speeds up to 80 Mbps, Wi-Fi optimization is critical to ensuring that you really get the full speed that broadband connections can provide, especially for ultra-fast and ultra-fast broadband users.
So today, I'd like to bring you a guide to setting up and optimizing Wi-Fi. If you have a more useful method, you're welcome to discuss it.
Importance of Wi-Fi Optimization in Broadband Networks
The use of Wi-Fi has become widespread in the last few years. All types of devices, including smart TVs, set-top boxes, mobile phones, DVD players, PCs, laptops, and tablets, will be equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity. When they migrate from other services, ISPs typically issue new Wi-Fi routers to new broadband customers.
Most modern Wi-Fi routers offer dual-band operation (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and use the latest 802.11ac WiFi standard.
On Huawei enterprise networks, many ONTs support dual-band Wi-Fi, such as EchoLife EG8245Q and EchoLife EG8145V5.
The higher your broadband speeds, the greater the challenge of providing a broadband connection over Wi-Fi without compromising quality. Key challenges include:
Interference: Wi-Fi signals (especially 2.4 GHz) can be subject to significant interference, such as interference from neighbors using their own Wi-Fi routers
Legacy devices: While modern Wi-Fi routers may use the latest Wi-Fi standards, Wi-Fi components in older devices that people already own, such as PCs, laptops, and phones, often don't have these latest standards.
Limited range: Due to the low transmit power used by Wi-Fi, the range is usually very limited. As distance increases, speed and performance degrade dramatically, especially if the signal has to pass through walls and floors.
Use Ethernet (wired) Connections Whenever Possible
The first (and probably most important) recommendation is that it is best not to use a Wi-Fi connection for fixed devices. You should use an Ethernet cable to secure the device (e.g. PCs, gaming consoles, smart TVs, web streaming devices, DVD/Blu-ray players, and set-top boxes) Connect to your router. Although Wi-Fi makes it easier to connect and makes the overall aesthetics of the device more attractive than unsightly cables. However, there may be a significant performance price to pay for convenience. A wired connection will always provide optimal performance.
Clearly, Wi-Fi still plays a very important role in most homes, as the use of Ethernet cables is not realistic for mobile devices such as tablets, smartphones, and laptops. However, it makes sense to remove as many fixed devices as possible from the Wi-Fi network so that the Wi-Fi system can be dedicated to mobile devices (thus providing better wireless performance).
Difference between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi
Wi-Fi systems can operate in two separate frequency bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Wi-Fi routers that can operate in two bands are often referred to as "dual-band" routers. Keep in mind that even though the new router may be able to operate on both frequencies, some (or all) of your devices may not! Some older devices may only run at 2.4 GHz.
Each frequency band has its own characteristics, for example:
Interference: where 2.4 GHz may have much more interference than 5 GHz
Range: where 2.4 GHz typically provides an excellent range for better penetration of floors, ceilings, and walls
Bandwidth: where 5 GHz allows for a higher maximum data rate.
Minimizing interference and overcoming range limitations are two key aspects of Wi-Fi optimization to provide as high data rates as possible, which we will discuss next.
2.4 GHz interference can be a big problem in many areas
Although more and more devices are operating at 5 GHz, many legacy devices still use only 2.4 GHz. Also, keep in mind that devices that are not close to the router may be connected at 2.4 GHz because the 2.4 GHz frequency signal travels further. Unfortunately, these signals may be more susceptible to interference. The main causes of interference to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band are as follows:
Wide deployment of 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks
The limited number of available channels and the fact that channels overlap
Increasing use of multiple channels simultaneously (to increase data rates)
Increasing use of Wi-Fi extenders
Interference from other wireless devices, such as Bluetooth devices, cordless phones, and microwave ovens.
In theory, interference could be avoided if each Wi-Fi router or access point could use a different frequency. However, the radio spectrum available is extremely limited and therefore impossible to achieve. The 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi radio spectrum is only 100 MHz wide. Although there are 13 channels available, each channel is 20 MHz wide (to provide sufficient data speed), so the channels are actually overlapped. This means that if your router uses channels 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11, for example, a neighbor's Wi-Fi router running on channel 9 may interfere with your Wi-Fi connection. Only three discrete channels (1, 6, and 11) do not overlap at 2.4 GHz.
Therefore, given the current state of 2.4 GHz WiFi described above, it is recommended that you try to manually select the channel that provides the best performance, as many Wi-Fi routers allow manual channel selection. You will need to read the router manual for instructions on how to do this.
Note that some routers claim to provide automatic channel selection, which means they are said to automatically select the best channel with the least interference. Unfortunately, we found that automatic channel selection does not always work correctly. Therefore, it is safest to select channels manually.
You can determine the best channel in any of the following ways:
Manually set up Wi-Fi channels and alternate slowly between channels 1, 6, and 11 (and evaluate performance impact)
Use the Wi-Fi Scan app to identify nearby WiFi channels in use. The results help to select the most appropriate channel to use.
It's usually better if all devices support 5 GHz
We recommend that you use the 5 GHz band instead of the 2.4 GHz band as there is much less interference at the moment for the following reasons:
Few Wi-Fi routers and devices currently operate at 5 GHz
The 5 GHz Wi-Fi signal range is less than 2.4 GHz, which means that the level of interference received is typically low
There are more 20 MHz channels available (up to 19) that do not overlap each other
802.11ac uses 80 MHz wide channels to provide the highest data rates
In addition to reducing interference, 5 GHz typically provides significantly higher data rates than 2.4 GHz. The 802.11n standard using 5 GHz provides the option of using two channels simultaneously for speed. The latest 802.11ac standard provides the highest possible speeds by using 80 MHz channels. Keep in mind that devices must support 802.11ac to benefit from the higher speeds offered. It makes sense to use as many Ethernet connections as possible in your home network so that 5 GHz Wi-Fi is reserved for truly mobile devices.
Good signal level required for 5 GHz operation
While 5 GHz typically provides less interference and a higher data rate than 2.4 GHz, one potential weakness is that 5 GHz signals typically do not travel like 2.4 GHz signals. So, for best performance, you need to make sure your device is relatively close to your Wi-Fi router. As described in the following section, using multiple WiFi access points is particularly beneficial for 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
Minimize the range to the Wi-Fi router or access point
If using only a single Wi-Fi router, try to centralize its location in your home.
We really don't recommend that you just use a single Wi-Fi router as it can cause some trouble. This approach can create a lot of speed fluctuations and areas that don't have enough Wi-Fi coverage. If you stick with a single device, one option is to try to place your single Wi-Fi router in a more central location. However, moving your Wi-Fi router may require a longer modem cable between the router and the BT main outlet.
Use multiple Wi-Fi access points
The best option for providing the best Wi-Fi coverage in the home is to deploy multiple Wi-Fi access points ideally located in the rooms where Wi-Fi is used the most. This guarantees excellent performance. The access point should be connected to the primary Wi-Fi router via an Ethernet cable. We do not recommend wireless extenders or mesh systems as they are not as good as access points connected via Ethernet.
When using multiple Wi-Fi access points, you should manually select the Wi-Fi channels you use to ensure that they use different channels and do not overlap. Using Wi-Fi access points on the same frequency can cause significant interference and degrade performance. Make sure they all share the same network name and security settings, such as wireless passwords.
Epilogue
Wi-Fi is often the weakest link in a home network. As most homes are rapidly adopting Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi signals are highly susceptible to interference from neighboring signals. Wi-Fi also has a limited range (especially at 5 GHz), which causes performance issues. Wi-Fi setup and optimization are critical to getting the best speed that a broadband connection can provide.
Summarize the tips we mentioned above for optimizing Wi-Fi:
Connect fixed devices using Ethernet (wired) whenever possible.
If you need to support 2.4 GHz devices, manually select the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel that provides the best performance, choose one of the following channels: 1, 6, or 11.
Use a 5 GHz Wi-Fi router and upgrade your device to a 5 GHz operation.
Operate a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network with a different name than the 2.4 GHz network (to prevent your device from automatically switching to interfered 2.4 GHz operation). If you can, turn off the 2.4 GHz operation.
If you do have to use a single Wi-Fi router (which we strongly recommend not), try centralizing it in your home to provide good coverage for areas where you use Wi-Fi devices.
If you are desperate to maximize Wi-Fi performance, deploy multiple Wi-Fi access points for increased coverage and connect them back to your router using an Ethernet cable. If you are using 2.4 GHz and up to three access points, manually set the 2.4 GHz channel to 1, 6, or 11 to avoid overlapping channels.
Thank you for reading.
If you have different opinions or better ways to optimize Wi-Fi, please leave a comment in the comments section.
Content Source: Increase Broadband Speed
