You’re streaming your favorite show off Netflix when the image gets pixelated, and the stream becomes choppy. What is the issue? 

Getting online has become an essential part of our day. Many of us work from home these days. There are more cord-cutters every day, opting to stream tv and movies over cable television. Student’s in school today now have assignments and projects to complete online, learn remotely, and even have the option of cyber school. 

While a wired connection offers a quicker and more stable connection, many of our devices are only able to connect wirelessly. Not to mention that many of us do not like the look of wires all around the house. When your Wi-Fi connection seems slow, what are your options? That’s what we’re taking a look at in this article. 

Test your internet speed

First and foremost, is it truly your Wi-Fi? There is a way to find out, and that is to test the internet speed coming into your house. To test your internet speed, connect your computer to the modem via an ethernet connection. Once connected, run a speed test. 

If your internet speed does not match what you are paying for, you may want to contact your internet service provider (ISP). There could be an issue with your modem or the connection to your home. 

Update the firmware on your router

After testing your internet speed, updating the firmware on your router is the next place to start. Your router is a line of defense, protecting your Wi-Fi devices from hackers. Similar to updating your computer and apps, you need to update your router firmware to help protect against new threats. Updating your firmware may also enhance the performance of all your devices. 

All router manufacturers do things their way, but you may follow these steps to update your router firmware: 

1. Find your router’s IP address and type it into the search bar of your web browser. 
2. Enter your login credentials.
3. Locate the firmware or update section. 
4. Go to your router manufacturer’s website. 
5. Download the firmware update file. 
6. Extract the file and move it to your desktop. 
7. In the update section, click on Choose File or Browse. 
8. Select the router update file on your desktop and start the update process. 
9. Once the process is completed, reboot your router. 

Change your frequency

Check your frequency to see which one your router is using. If you have a dual-band router, try switching to the less commonly used frequency of 5GHz. The 5GHz frequency offers faster speeds and less interference from other wireless networks. 

Change the Channel

Along with frequency, the channel may help to limit interference, especially if you live in a densely populated area. Most routers will automatically choose a channel for you. If you’re having issues with your internet connection and speed, try changing the channel your router is using. You may choose a less congested channel giving you a better and quicker connection. 

Set your quality priorities

Most modern routers come with the ability to prioritize some applications using Quality of Service (QoS) tools. What do these QoS tools do? They give you the ability to give more bandwidth to certain applications over others, such as streaming over file downloads.