Troubleshooting Wi-Fi
ByWireless routers are now extremely common and many ISPs will include one when you sign up for a new account. In the UK, the typical arrangement is that the ISP sends you a wireless router along with all your login and password details. You then simply plug the router into a power source, follow a simple set of configuration instructions and then from your computer choose the relevant Wi-Fi network when it is detected. To do this on a Mac use the fan icon (at the top-right, by the clock). On a PC, if the list of available wireless networks doesn’t pop up automatically, choose Connect To in the Start Menu and select the wireless option. Finally, if required, enter the password printed on a label on the bottom of the router.
Setting Up a router can be painless but it can also throw up problems. You might find that your Wi-Fi network’s performance is not what it should be, or simply isn’t working. Here are a few potential solutions:
Modem – If you have a separate modem, make sure it’s working by connecting directly to a computer missing out the router
Position – Try and position your router at the centre of your home, bearing in mind that the Wi-Fi signal transmits equally in all directions from the majority of devices – imagine a sphere of transmission with your router at the centre. Take into account the effect of large metal objects on the Wi-Fi signal: refrigerators are more often than not the guilty parties here. Also think about how close your router is to other devices that pump out radio waves, such as cordless domestic telephone base stations.
It’s also worth checking the router’s settings. This is usually done by “connecting” your computer (either with an Ethernet cable or wireless-ly), opening a web browser window and entering the admin IP address listed in the router’s instruction manual – just as if ft were a website.
Wi-Fi channel – When you set up a new wireless network your router will automatically select a “channel” to transmit on. Without getting into technicalities, most common routers tend to default to the same channels, which as a result can get rather crowded, especially in apartment blocks where there may be dozens of networks transmitting within a relatively small geographical area. Download a piece of Wi-Fi scanning software such as CoconutWiFi (coconut-flavour.com) for Macs or NetStumbler (netstumbler.com) for PCs to see which the quietest channels are around you and then log in to your router and look for the option to switch channels.
Wi-Fi flavour Newer Wi-Fi devices tend to transmit at the faster 802.11 n rate, as opposed to the older 802.11 g and 802.11 b standards. If you mix different flavoured devices on the same network, you may well find that your network runs at the speed of the slowest device. Some routers have a special “dual transmission” mode to deal with such situations, though you may well have to dig through the settings screens to enable it.
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