Home networks, routers and WiFi

Home networks, routers, WiFi coverage and connectivity faults.

Common failure modes

• A router placed in a cupboard
• Channel congestion in a dense area
• A device holding a stale address

Procedures

• How to work out why my home wifi is so slow or keeps dropping outSlow wifi is four different faults wearing the same costume. The problem can be in one device, in the radio link between
• Identify an Ethernet cable's category and decide whether it is limiting the connectionEvery Ethernet patch cable has its category printed along the length of the jacket, usually as CAT5E, CAT6 or CAT6A. Thi
• How do I test my internet speed properly so my provider believes me when I say it is slowA speed test run once, over wifi, from whatever device was closest, answers a different question than the one your provi
• Place a mesh node or a range extender and prove that it improved coverageBuying a range extender or a mesh node is the usual fix for a room the wifi does not reach, and it is also the step peop
• Where should I put my wifi router to get the best signal in the houseMost home routers end up wherever the cable comes into the house, which is almost always a corner, and almost always the
• How to change the WiFi password and network name on a TP-Link Archer AX23 routerThe Wi-Fi name and password your Archer AX23 arrived with are printed on a sticker on the underside of the router, so an

Where this stops

Work on the service provider's equipment or wiring belongs to the provider.