Avoid these mistakes while setting up a Wi-Fi router

In the digital age, Wi-Fi is an essential part of our lives. Be it home, office or any public place, a good Wi-Fi router is necessary for fast and secure internet connection. In such a situation, small mistakes made in setting up the router correctly can affect the speed, coverage and security of your network.

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Choosing the wrong location of the router

Many people keep the router in a corner, in a cupboard or in closed places, so that it is not visible. But the signal strength may be weak. Internet does not reach some parts of the house. Place the router in the middle of the house, on a high place like a shelf or table. Keep it away from microwaves or other electronic devices, as these gadgets can interfere with the signal. Old protocols like WEP or WPA can be easily hacked. Use the new and most secure WPA protocol instead.

Not using Quality of Service

QoS is a feature that allows prioritizing Internet traffic. For example, video calls, gaming, or streaming can be given more bandwidth while less important activities like downloads are given less bandwidth. This feature is useful when you have a slow Internet connection. Activate it by going to the QoS, Traffic Control, or Bandwidth Management settings in the router's interface. Prioritize devices or applications as needed.

Ignoring DNS settings

Default DNS settings can affect your Internet speed. Instead of automatic DNS, use manual DNS settings, such as Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS. To make this change, set the DNS option in the router's interface to Manual and enter your preferred DNS address.

Not changing credentials

Every router comes with a default username and password, which are usually known to hackers. This keeps the network insecure. Change the default credentials while setting up the router. Login to the admin panel by entering the IP address (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) into a browser and set a strong password.