HOW TO SUPER CHARGE YOUR ROUTER:
Question I've
been streaming more video than I used to, and it's taken a toll on the overall
speed of my Wi-Fi network. Is there anything I can do to speed it up?
Upgrading to a router that uses the
802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, and keeping your network free of freeloaders by
requiring a password are probably the best ways to give your Internet speed a
boost. But you may be able to do as well by merely adjusting your current
router's settings. (Before changing anything digital, make sure the physical
location of your router is ideal: It should be centered relative to all the
gadgets that connect to it.) DD-WRT, an open-source project, is a powerful
piece of firmware that speeds up any compatible router (a list is available here), so even if you do decide to get a new
router, DD-WRT is worth installing. After downloading it from dd-wrt.com,
do a hard reset on your router by pressing its reset button (usually located on
the back). Then connect your computer directly to your router via Ethernet, and
log in to your router's administration page via Internet Explorer or Safari.
The address will look something like 192.168.1.1 (the Linksys address); you can
find it in your router's original documentation or by searching online for your
router model plus "router IP address." Choose DD-WRT in the firmware
upgrade section of the page. Then create a new network name on your computer,
connect to it, and go back to the admin page, where you'll either be prompted
to create a new username and password or you can log in using the DD-WRT
defaults: "root" as the username and "admin" as the
password (be sure to change it to something more secure once you've logged in).
Now come the fine adjustments that will speed up
your connection. In the DD-WRT controls, set your router to transmit at 70
milli watts—more powerful than the default but not so powerful as to fry it.
Next, enable Quality of Service (QoS) to give certain applications and devices
bandwidth priority over others.
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