Home network guides
Fixes for slow Wi-Fi, weak signal and lag, written for people who just want it to work.
Start with a test
Most network problems fall into three groups: weak Wi-Fi, a busy or badly configured router, or a slow line from your provider. A speed test run next to the router and again where the problem is tells you which one you have. If the bufferbloat grade is C or worse, start with the bufferbloat guide.
Not sure where to begin? If a cable is fast but Wi-Fi is slow, read why your Wi-Fi is slow and how to boost your Wi-Fi signal. If calls and games lag while the speed looks fine, read how to fix bufferbloat. If you are choosing new hardware, compare mesh Wi-Fi and a router.
All guides
- Why is my Wi-Fi slow?Find out whether the problem is your Wi-Fi, your router or your provider, in five checks.
- How to boost your Wi-Fi signalPlacement, bands, channels and hardware fixes, cheapest first.
- Best Wi-Fi channel for 2.4, 5 and 6 GHzWhich channels don't overlap, when to avoid DFS, and how wide to go.
- Mesh Wi-Fi vs a single routerWhen mesh is worth it, and when one good router or an access point is better.
- How to fix bufferbloat on your routerTurn on smart queue management on OpenWrt, UniFi, ASUS, eero and others.
More from Speedhound
- Speed testDownload, upload, ping, jitter and bufferbloat in 20 seconds.
- Bufferbloat testSee how much lag your connection adds under load.
- Download time calculatorHow long a file takes at your speed.
- Good internet speedHow many Mbps you need for your household.
- Good pingWhat ping, jitter and packet loss numbers mean.
- ToolsIP, ping, DNS, port, subnet and Wi-Fi QR tools.