Optimizing your WiFi network for working from home

Your home network is experiencing more activity than usual. So, now what?

Working from home (or as the cool kids say, “WFH”) definitely comes with its share of both pros and cons. While your list of frustrations probably looks very different from others’, it is quite possible that somewhere on that list is your internet.

To help alleviate some of the friction you may be experiencing working from home, we’ve pulled together some of our best tips for improving the performance of your home network.

Check your router placement

While your home decor doesn’t care where you put it, your router can be a bit more fussy about your feng shui.

• The distance between your various devices and your router makes a huge difference in how each of them perform. If it isn’t already, try relocating your router to a central location in your home to minimize the distance (and obstacles like walls) between your router and devices.
• If you can make a more significant change to where you put your router, follow this guide to figure out your optimal router placement.
• If you can’t move your router or you have a large home, wifi extenders or mesh network systems may be great solutions to expand your coverage and give you better performance.

Be on the lookout for bandwidth “hogs”

Simultaneously streaming music, participating in a virtual meeting and trying to increase your rank in your favorite online game takes up a lot of bandwidth.

• Keep an eye on how many different streaming activities are happening simultaneously in your home. Streaming music and movies or running live video from a webcam can put a burden on your bandwidth. Try to limit simultaneous usage of these bandwidth bandits when possible.
• It can be difficult to monitor where and why your bandwidth is being hogged without having some good benchmarks to assess against. HD videos on popular streaming services typically run at 5–7 Mbps which is the same for video conferencing. 4K video streams can be 20–25 Mbps (for those of you super-resolution video connoisseurs).
• If you can’t avoid overlapping streaming when you need the bandwidth, consider turning off the video function during your video calls to save bandwidth. If the participants really need to see your smiling face, most services allow you to change your settings to lower-quality video.

Fine-tune your frequencies

Your most important internet-requiring activities should be taking the highway, not the backroads.

Many routers operate on two “bands” or frequencies, 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz, which present as two different networks you can choose between on your devices. When should you be using each?

5Ghz: Use this whenever you can; it’s faster and there is less interference (but it travels less far, so may not always be available).

2.4Ghz: Use this only if you must. Sometimes certain devices require using this frequency or are out of range for 5Ghz, but when you have the option, 5Ghz is going to give you better performance.

Make sure your equipment is up-to-date

The times have changed. Sometimes your hardware didn’t get the memo.

• Before you consider spending any money on tech upgrades, you should first look and see if your router is running the latest version of its firmware. (Common customers: we already do this for you automatically.)
• If your existing router is running the latest firmware and you aren’t seeing a noticeable change in performance, it may be worth considering upgrading to a new router and/or modem (if you have cable internet). If you really want to pull out all the stops, investing in a mesh system could be a great option for you.
• The performance of remote interactions, from taking virtual meetings to staying in touch with loved ones, is pretty dependent upon your current webcam and mic situation. If you’re less than thrilled with your current setup, consider purchasing a better webcam (which usually includes a better mic built in).

Get the speeds you need

Downloading important files should be as important as not having your video freeze on an unflattering facial expression mid-meeting.

• If your equipment isn’t the source of any performance issues you are facing then it might be time to upgrade your bandwidth. Whether that means upgrading your service or switching providers, make sure that you understand the bandwidth needs based on the holistic daily activity of your household.
• Many providers advertise high download speeds but short customers on upload speeds! Upload speeds are critical for video conferencing and sharing large files (Common has symmetric speeds, which means our upload speeds and download speeds are identical). Check your current plan and see if your speeds align with your needs at home.
• As a last resort, check to make sure that you haven’t reached a “data cap” with your internet provider. Those pesky data caps typically result in your provider throttling your internet speeds, which definitely can impact your home network’s performance (Common has no data caps… just saying).

While these tips won’t prevent your cat from walking across your keyboard in the middle of drafting that important summary, or your kids hijacking your mousepad to use as a frisbee in the living room, we do hope they help you squeeze a bit more juice out of your home network.

Common offers fast, reliable home internet that’s perfect for working from home, with symmetric speeds and no data caps.

Right now, we’re offering you 2 free months when you sign up by August 16th. We can’t wait to get you connected. Book your installation at www.common.net.