How to Fix Your Wifi Network - 7 Tips

8/12/2019 How to Fix Your Wifi Network - 7 Tips

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How to Fix Your Wi-Fi Network: 7 TipsWireless Internet networks afford us the luxury of browsing the Web cable-free, but a

connection that relies on radio waves is subject to failure due to interference, signal

range limits, hardware problems, and operator error. With that in mind, we've puttogether a uick guide to the most common Wi-!i troubles and how to fix them.

If you're struggling with your Wi-!i network at home or in the office, read on to

discover a few different ways to troubleshoot your Wi-!i woes and restore your wireless network.

Check Your Laptop for a Wi-Fi Button or Switch

"aving trouble connecting to Wi-!i in your favorite coffee shop or airport lounge# $he problem might be right under

your fingertips. If your laptop or netbook isn't connecting to a local wireless router at all and you can't view a list ofnearby wireless networks, check to see if your laptop has a Wi-!i button or switch that you may have pressed accidently.

%any laptops include a function button &labeled with an icon representing a wireless router or network on the top of the

keyboard, or a switch on the front or sides of the laptop. If you find such a button, check to see whether pressing it

enables you to get connected.

Reoot Your Co!puter an" Your Wire#ess Router

If you still can't connect a computer or device, reboot it. $his step sounds simple, but your router, your ()'s Wi-!iadapter, or your operating system may have a software or firmware problem that a simple reboot would fix. If some or

all of your devices refuse to connect, try unplugging the router for * to + seconds and then plugging it back in. $his

techniue of power cycling your router is a tried-and-true method for restoring a previously functional wireless

network to good working order.

Chan$e the Wi-Fi Channe# on the Router

%ost Wi-!i routers and devices use the ./0"1 radio band, which has ++ channels in the 2nited 3tates. 2nfortunately,

only 4 of the ++ channels can run simultaneously without overlapping or interfering with each other5 channels +, 6, and

++. Worse, many routers are set to broadcast on channel 6 by default. )onseuently, interference from other routers in

the vicinity is a common source of connectivity problems, especially in densely populated areas such as apartment

complexes and shopping centers. 7ther radios that use the ./0"1 band--for example, baby monitors and cordlessphones--and other electrical devices &such as microwave ovens can interfere with Wi-!i signals, too.

$o see if other wireless routers might be interfering, take a look at the list of nearby wireless networks. If you're using

Windows, click the network icon in the lower right corner. If you see other network names, especially those with morethan one bar of signal, they could be interfering with your signal.

8ou can try to dodge interference by changing your router to another channel. 8ou can blindly choose a channel &going

with + or ++ is probably your best bet or you can make a better-educated selection by checking to see which channels

nearby networks are using so you can use a different channel. 8ou can check with a free program likeIn33I9eror

:istumbler,or use the Web-based%eraki Wi!i 3tumbler. If you don't have access to one of these applications on yourlaptop, you can use a free app like Wifi ;naly1er&on ;ndroid devices or Wi-!i !inder&on ;pple i73 devices on your

smartphone or tablet to scan for Wi-!i networks.

7nce you've decided on a channel to switch to, you'll need to log in to your router's control panel and change the

channel. $o access the router's Web-based control panel, open a new window in your browser while you're connected to

your router's wireless network and then type in its I( address &most commonly %&'(%)*(%(%or %&'(%)*(+(%.


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If you don't know your router's I( address, refer to the wireless connection details5 In the lower-right corner of your

Windows desktop, right-click the network icon and open theNetwork and Sharing Center. 3elect the wireless networkthat you wish to view, and click theDetailsbutton. 8ou should now see the router's I( address listed as the 9efault

0ateway.

=ext, log in to your router control panel with the appropriate username and password. If you don't know the password,

you may never have changed it--so try the default password, which you can look up on >outer(asswords.com.If yourInternet service provider supplied your router, you may have to call your I3( for help in accessing the password.
http://www.routerpasswords.com/http://www.routerpasswords.com/http://www.routerpasswords.com/


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Wireless settings on a 9-


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If you still aren't getting the Wi-!i range you'd like, consider moving the router and the modem to a more central

location within your desired coverage area. 7f course, your placement options are limited5 $he router must be near

another cable or telephone jack. %ost cable modems can plug into any cable outlet, and 93< modems usually plug into

other telephone jacks--but remember to switch out any filters that might be attached.

Restore the Router,s Settin$s to the Factor .efau#ts

If you continue to have trouble getting various computers and devices to connect to your router, you can try restoring therouter's settings to their factory default values. 2nfortunately, this wipes out all of the settings, so you'll have to secure

your home or office Wi-!iagain, and you may have to reconfigure your Internet connection settings. When you're ready

to restore the router, find the small reset button or hole on the router's back, and use a pen or paperclip to press and hold

the button for at least + seconds.

Reinsta## the Wire#ess /"apter .ri0er or Software

If after completely resetting the router, you find that connection problems involving a single () on your Wi-!i network

still haven't gone away, consider reinstalling the driver and@or software for the Wi-!i adapter on that (). $he first step in

this process is to download the latest network adapter driver or software from your computer manufacturer's website &or

from the site of the adapter's manufacturer, if you purchased the adapter separately. !rom there, carefully follow the

manufacturer's directions for reinstalling the software on your adapater. >eboot your () afterward, and you should begood to go.

1p$ra"e the Router Fir!ware

If connection problems survive the reinstallation of your network adapter drivers, ityour router may sufer from a

technical issue. >outer vendors typically release firmware updates for their routers to fix known issues and sometimeseven to add new features.

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%ost modern routers let you upgrade their firmware directly from the router control panel.

$o see if there's a new firmware release for your router, first log into its web-based control panel &see the section above

for help and check which firmware version you have installed, usually shown on a system or status page. =ext,

navigate to the website of the router's manufacturer and check the support@downloads section for the newest firmwarerelease for your particular model. )hances are you don't have the latest version? if so, download the latest firmware and

follow the instructions on how to update it.

If that doesn't fix your problem, you could also try seeking out open-source router firmware and experimenting with

using it to improve your Wi-!i network. !or more details on that process, check out our guide to enhancing your router

with open-source software. If you try all these different solutions and your Wi-!i network is still having problems, itmay be time to invest in some new networking hardware &or just head on down to 3tarbuck's and borrow theirs.

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How to Fix Your Wifi Network - 7 Tips