We remind you that attempts to repeat the actions of the author may lead to the loss of the warranty for the equipment and even to its failure, as well as to problems in the operation of the software and OS. The material is provided for informational purposes only. If you are going to reproduce the steps described below, we strongly advise you to carefully read the article to the end at least once. The editors of 3DNews are not responsible for any possible consequences.

In general, there are countless materials with tips on setting up Wi-Fi on the Web, but not all of them are equally useful. Strictly speaking, there is simply no universal advice on this topic: everyone different models routers and client devices, different working conditions, and so on. But everyone has the same problem: low speed connections, disconnections, high latency. Nevertheless, we tried to collect the most relevant tips for solving them, with an emphasis on simplicity. There are no puzzling technical things here, and the terms are the very, very minimum. This is a deliberate simplification.

Please note that the most typical situation is considered in an ordinary city apartment with one router. However, for a private one-story house, the principles are the same, but for two or more floors there are already nuances. Options with signal repeaters, additional access points and other tricks like PLC are not considered. The material is built according to the following principle: at the very beginning there is a list of key points, and then more detailed explanations for each of them. Each section does not depend on the other, that is, you can follow the recommendations in the wrong order, which is given in the article. Go!

Proper placement of the router

Place the router in such a way that:

• if possible, it was equidistant from client devices and was not at the window;
• between the router and the clients there were as few barriers as possible from materials that strongly affect the signal;
• there were no sources of electromagnetic radiation and powerful electrical appliances nearby - especially microwaves, baby monitors, radio tubes and their bases;
• at least at the level of a regular desktop/desk or higher, but not on the floor;
• the antennas or housing were located as indicated in the instructions (for external antennas, a vertical arrangement is normal);
• it was freely ventilated and cooled;
• devices that are most critical to network quality could be connected via cable rather than Wi-Fi.

Before digging around in settings or doing other shamanism, it's worth trying the easiest way to improve home Wi-Fi performance - correctly positioning the router. Often, users are not interested in this issue, and the provider's installers are not eager to do extra work, so that the router is placed where it is closest and the easiest way to get an external cable. As a rule, this is a hallway or a room closer to the shield on the site, which is far from always optimal. In general, it is difficult to give any advice that is universal for everyone, so it is better to experiment with the placement of the device. If it is possible to connect devices that are sensitive to network access by wire, then it is best to do just that. Wi-Fi is good, but "copper" is better!

The best option in theory is to place the router in the center of the apartment, at least somewhere at table level or higher. The thing is that antennas in home routers are almost always omnidirectional. To put it very simply, in the top view you can imagine that the signal from the router diverges in concentric circles, gradually weakening. So if you place it, for example, in the corner of a rectangular apartment, then three-quarters of the coverage will be outside it. It is clear that placing the device in the center is unlikely to succeed - it is necessary to somehow bring the provider's cable and power. But on the floor plan, you can at least roughly estimate where it can be placed so that the coverage is maximum. And at the same time, to assess where there will be the greatest concentration of clients or where the most sensitive to the quality of Wi-Fi devices will be located - that's closer to them and you need to put a router.

In doing so, several other factors must be taken into account. A wireless signal spreads well in open space, but in real life there are always some obstacles between its source and consumers that affect it to one degree or another - they absorb or reflect. These are walls, doors, interior items, Appliances and so on. Objects with a high metal content have the strongest effect on the signal: doors or beams, reinforced concrete walls and ceilings, metallized glass and mirrors, cases of large household appliances such as stoves or refrigerators, some ceramic coatings and products. A smaller, but still very noticeable effect is exerted by large volumes of water (a large aquarium, for example), brick and stone (usually as part of the walls), some finishing materials and insulation. Well, objects made of plastics, wood, ordinary glass, drywall, and fabric have the weakest effect.

Now the Wi-Fi standard can work in two radio bands: 2.4 and 5 GHz. Moreover, the 5 GHz signal attenuates faster than 2.4 GHz. A feature of both ranges is that they were not originally intended exclusively for Wi-Fi. On the contrary, these frequencies do not require licensing and separate registration of devices, subject to certain rules, primarily regarding the radiation power. In fact, in the same 2.4 GHz region, many signal sources coexist, which in this case are interference. These include various radio-controlled vehicles (from cars to drones), baby monitors, wireless music systems, cordless phones (non-DECT), keyboards/mouses and other manipulators with their own adapters. In general, all kinds of proprietary and not very communication systems, as well as Bluetooth devices, although specifically for BT they came up with mechanisms for coexisting with Wi-Fi.

But this is actually not all. Do you know what is the scariest Wi-Fi beast? Ordinary microwave! It also operates in the 2.4 GHz band, and no protection can protect against leaks of powerful radiation, which at best simply reduces the speed and stability of data transfer over Wi-Fi, and at worst completely extinguishes the network. In the next place in terms of harmfulness are the same cordless phones and baby monitors, which, even in standby mode, seriously emit light. And we do not consider severe cases when all sorts of wireless systems naturally eat off the frequencies of several Wi-Fi channels at once, although they do not meet the standard. In general, almost any electrical equipment in one way or another generates electromagnetic noise, which does not necessarily affect Wi-Fi directly, but is quite capable of affecting other components of the router. And it is better to keep the router away from it - at least a couple of meters. There is, however, another source of interference directly inside modern routers - this USB ports 3.0! But they learned to deal with them a long time ago: they are isolated from the radio part, and in the settings you can always turn on the USB 2.0 mode. It also usually helps with problems with them. good cable USB 3.0 with normal shielding.

And of course, your Wi-Fi can interfere with ... that's right, someone else's Wi-Fi! All modern routers without fail regularly scan the radio air in order to work better. We’ll talk about channel settings a little lower, but for now it’s enough to know the fact that your router is constantly “listening” to what is happening around. The example above with placing the device in the corner is bad not only because you yourself lose coverage, but also because in this way the router begins to better “hear” the neighboring Wi-Fi, which, most likely, has such a strong influence on your client devices does not render. For the same reason, you should not put the router by the window and on the windowsill, since it will probably immediately “learn” about a bunch of neighboring networks, which certainly don’t “finish off” to the interior of the apartment. Residents of a number of cities can separately “thank” one large ISP, who - well, not himself, but dishonest subcontractors, strictly speaking - during the global network update, even grandmothers installed routers with Wi-Fi turned on, which they have not needed for a hundred years.

So, it is advisable to place the router taking into account the above factors. That is, put it in such a way that there are fewer obstacles between it and the clients, and the obstacles themselves affect the signal as little as possible. Well, so that there are no sources of interference nearby. In addition, you should pay attention to the orientation of the device and antennas - a typical location is usually drawn in the user manual. As a rule, the same external antennas should be extended vertically. Finally, one more important point- routers tend to heat up during operation, so they should not be placed near heating and other heated devices. Be sure to ensure proper ventilation of the device. No, you don’t need to start a separate fan for it, but there should always be air flow: the cases are made “perforated” for a reason.

Software and firmware update

To update the firmware and driver for all devices is:

• use the built-in mechanisms of the OS;
• go to the manufacturer's website, find and then install the latest software versions.

From the general tips for placing the router, let's move on to more practical ones. And the first will be the most obvious, but for some reason they regularly forget about it: update the software on all devices! Seriously, decent manufacturers update drivers and firmware for a reason. You can’t call this a mass phenomenon, but still the developers really, if not radically improve the operation of devices, then at least make adjustments. For example, they update the settings to comply with the rules of individual countries and regions, which tend to change regularly. And in general, it has already been said many times that any complex modern device is largely software, and not hardware at all.

Smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices usually have built-in firmware update systems. In extreme cases, they are also posted on official sites - along with enough detailed instructions which must be strictly followed. The same applies to the routers themselves - it is most important for them to have the latest software. macOS users have nothing to worry about, as all the latest drivers for native adapters come with updates to the OS itself. And even the old problem with Wi-Fi at Apple was finally defeated. Linux Users I really don't understand why people are reading this stuff. For Windows options several. If this is a laptop or a branded PC, then it makes sense to go to the manufacturer's website and look for the latest drivers in the downloads or support section.

If there is nothing like this on the site or it is a self-assembly, then you will have to tinker a little, figuring out which Wi-Fi adapter is installed in the system. In Windows 7, you will have to go to the "Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center\Change adapter settings" section. In Windows 10, the path is the same, only in the Start menu you first need to find the so-called classic control panel (you can just start typing this name from the keyboard right in the menu). The section that opens will show all network adapters. We need an active wireless adapter, whose icon is not gray and without a cross in the corner, if you are already connected to your home Wi-Fi. Double-clicking on the adapter icon will open a window with its status, where you need to click on the "Properties" button. The full name of the adapter will be indicated at the top.

Further, there are also two ways. Or try to find the latest drivers - they are usually given in the form of a ready-made installer - on the adapter manufacturer's website, but, generally speaking, they are not always there. If they are not there, then it is better not to meddle in any unofficial sites, but use the built-in windows update drivers. In the same window, just click on the "Configure ..." button right under the name of the adapter and in the new window go to the "Driver" tab, where, in turn, click the "Update ..." button. And it is already clear what to choose automatic search. If you are afraid that something will go wrong, then before doing all the operations in the OS, you can make a restore point according to the instructions for Windows 7 or. If all this did not improve the situation with the home wireless network, then there is nothing to do - you have to turn to the settings of the router itself.

Channel selection and changeWi-fi

To select suitable WiFi settings would need:

• use the Wi-Fi air analyzer and select the channel that is farthest from neighboring channels;
• remember that for 2.4 GHz there are only three non-overlapping channels for standard channel width and only two for extended;
• know that for 5 GHz, only channels 36 to 48 are likely to be suitable;
• test the operation of the Band steering function, if any, and disable it if necessary.

It has already been noted above that the router always scans the state of the air around it. And why does he do it? We'll have to go a little deeper into the theory. Earlier, again, it was noted that there are dedicated radio frequency bands. For better use, they are divided into separate pieces, which are called channels. Depending on the region and country, the rules for their use may change, so it is important that the region is the same in the settings of both the router and other devices. Sometimes this is determined by indirect signs, such as keyboard layouts, interface language, time zone, parameters of neighboring Wi-Fi networks, and so on. There are 13 such channels in the 2.4 GHz band, but the operation of Wi-Fi on any of them affects neighboring channels too. In fact, the channels do not intersect and do not interfere with each other with a step of five between themselves: 1, 6 and 11. Worse, but this distribution is also quite acceptable: 1/4/7/11 or 1/5/9/13. If we are talking about more modern standards with a double channel width (40 MHz instead of 20 MHz), then there is no room at all: for example, only the 3rd and 11th channels will work without intersections.

What does all this mean in practice? And here's what - only in modern routers relatively recently did the function of dynamic Wi-Fi channel selection appear, depending on what other wireless networks are nearby and what channels they occupy. The idea is to choose a channel for your Wi-Fi that is the furthest away from those around you. If the router has such a function, then it is definitely worth enabling it. Somewhere you can even choose an interval, often changing the channel once a day is enough. And if there is no such function, then you will have to do the channel selection manually. There are many utilities for this. Windows users can use inSSIDer Lite, Acrylic Wi-Fi Home, LizardSystems Wi-Fi Scanner. For Mac OS X there is WiFi Explorer Lite, AirRadar. For Android, there are good free analyzers Wifi Analyzer and. But for iOS Apple once banned such utilities, so there are no direct analogues, but if you find something worthy, share it in the comments.

The interface for all such utilities is approximately the same. You can view a list of Wi-Fi channels from your neighbors and see their signal strength on the graph, as well as how many channels overlap nearby wireless networks. The signal level is indicated in negative numbers — the closer this number is to zero, the stronger the signal. For regular 20 MHz channels, just its number is shown, and for 40 MHz channels, the numbers of the two 20 MHz channels that are actually used are actually indicated. At the same time, such utilities show which neighboring networks operate on the same channel as yours, and which channels overlap - both of which can interfere with Wi-Fi. What to do with all this information? It's simple: in the settings of your router, you need to set a channel that would stand farthest from neighboring networks both in number and in signal strength.

In the 5 GHz band, the principles are the same, only there are more available channels, and they themselves are wider (80 MHz or 80 + 80/160 MHz). All of them are divided into two large blocks: from the 36th to the 64th and from the 100th to the 165th channels. Formally, all of them are allowed in the Russian Federation, but in fact, even devices that can work with the second block of channels may not see them. Yes, yes, this is one of the main reasons why it is worth updating the software. The top unit is generally cleaner than the bottom unit, meaning there is less neighborhood Wi-Fi, but you'll have to check each client individually to see if they can connect to your home Wi-Fi. In addition, there is another nuance regarding the regulations regarding power and protection against interference for various third-party equipment. If you do not go into details, then all channels above the 48th may work worse than the rest.

In modern dual-band routers, a feature called Band steering is increasingly common, Dual-band Wi-Fi, Smart Connect or something like that. Its essence is that the router automatically “pushes” clients into the range that it considers most preferable in this moment. Usually a prerequisite for this technology to work is the same name WiFi networks for both ranges, so you can disable it simply by renaming the network of one of the ranges. There is no single standard for this technology, and it works very differently. The best option, perhaps, is to consider the preferred connection to a 5-GHz network. Well, if this technology does not bring anything good to the work of home Wi-Fi, then you can turn it off.

Additional settings

What else can be done:

• discard older Wi-Fi-only 802.11b or 802.11g devices;
• select the correct Wi-Fi mode, i.e. 802.11n or 802.11g/n for 2.4 GHz and 802.11n or 802.11n/ac for 5 GHz;
• leave auto-selection of the channel width, i.e. 20/40 MHz for 2.4 GHz and 20/40/80 or 20/40/80/160 MHz for 5 GHz;
• try disabling non-standard additional Wi-Fi acceleration technologies;
• try to slightly reduce the power of the Wi-Fi radio module;
• on mobile devices, disable access to the 3G / 4G network when you are in the Wi-Fi coverage area;
• check the power saving modes of devices and adapters.

Now there are two modern Wi-Fi standards: 802.11n (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and 802.11ac (5 GHz). However, users may also have old devices that support, for example, only 802.11g, or even the ancient standard 802.11b or even 802.11a by modern standards. The latter, however, are very difficult to find now, but if you suddenly have them, then it is best to completely abandon them (and if the router only supports 802.11b / g, then you definitely need to throw it away), since they can significantly slow down Wi-Fi operation. Why? Because the router always tries to organize communication, providing the most common opportunities for all clients, from which old devices can be comfortable, and new ones not so much. If there are 802.11g devices and you can also refuse them, then it’s better to do so. Some router models have special settings that, in theory, allow old devices to connect so that they do not interfere with new ones, but they do not always work correctly. The type of supported standard can be found in the description of the device or its wireless adapter.

So, for the 2.4 GHz band, the most preferred mode is 802.11n (only), followed by 802.11g/n. For 5 GHz, there is only one optimal option: 802.11n/ac. With the channel width, the situation is as follows: according to the rules, the router must understand and accept in general all devices that comply with the standard. So in the settings you should choose the option 20/40 MHz (for 2.4 GHz) and 20/40/80 or 20/40/80/160 MHz (for 5 GHz). Some routers allow you to force the maximum possible channel width. Yes, it sometimes helps to squeeze all the juice out of wireless connection, but not always and not for all devices. Moreover, if only stability is important, then it makes sense, on the contrary, to reduce the channel width. Similar settings can be checked on the side of the adapter by following the same steps as in the section on updating drivers, but selecting the “Advanced” tab at the end. However, in these settings, there is usually such a scatter of parameter names that it is better to change any of them very carefully, and if you are not sure, then do not touch them at all.

Routers have a number of additional features which are also worth paying attention to. Various "accelerators" can cause a lot of headaches, as these are almost always technologies that go beyond the standard. Older devices have XPress or TxBurst features, while newer ones have TurboQAM/256-QAM or NitroQAM/1024-QAM. Beamforming technology (beamforming), usually available in explicit (new devices) or implicit (old devices) formats, like all of the above, can improve the performance of some clients, but harm others. For now, you can not particularly remember about MU-MIMO, this technology is still not widely available on clients. However, you can and should experiment with these settings by enabling / disabling them and observing the behavior of client devices. It is definitely worth leaving the WMM option enabled, but with various systems classifications (QoS) and restrictions (shaping) will also have to check different scenarios or disable them completely.

There is another - completely counter-intuitive - setting regarding the power of the radio transmitter. Usually, you can either specify the power in milliwatts, or select/specify the power level as a percentage of the maximum. So, maximum power is not always good! Without going into details, let's say that a decrease, on the contrary, can significantly improve the quality of communication. For starters, you can try to throw off 15-25 percent - and see what happens. Exactly the same story with external antennas, having a higher gain (which is far from always true) and other Wi-Fi “improvers” like homemade or purchased reflectors - they can do harm. If you have good relations with your neighbors, then you can also set up non-overlapping channels for them in the same way, reduce power and place the router correctly - you will help others and yourself.

Finally, for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, there are a couple of very simple steps. Firstly, when you get into the Wi-Fi zone, you should turn off access to them. mobile internet, as well as options like Wi-Fi Assist in iOS. Secondly, everywhere it makes sense to check the power saving settings both for the OS as a whole and for the wireless adapters themselves. Both can affect the persistence of your home Wi-Fi connection.

Conclusion

Finally, one more simple but important advice: if you are not confident in your abilities, then it’s better not to take it. And if you are afraid to forget what and where you changed, then use the function Reserve copy and restore settings, which is in almost any modern router. However, far from all and far from the most difficult settings for the average person are given here, and experts may not even agree with some of the tips. Nevertheless, if none of the recommendations individually (or all together) helped, then either they are not applicable to your situation, or it’s really time to take care of buying a new router, or even additional access points. We hope you are not in danger!

With the advent of laptops, and later other mobile devices, the wires that traditionally connected PCs on a network began to get in the way. can be moved from place to place, but it is not very convenient to do it when it is attached to it. The idea of ​​combining computers using radio waves in the manner of a radiotelephone became quite natural. The first developments of wireless Wi-Fi standards appeared.

Now this technology has firmly entered our lives, so how to make WiFi at home anyone can. It's so convenient to be able to quickly connect to the Internet from anywhere in the apartment, office, park or cafe. Modern Wi-Fi standards allow you to surf the net at a speed sufficient to listen to music and watch movies online. It can be said that wireless technology Wi-Fi gives a person information freedom.

Making a Wi-Fi network

To make a network, you will need two types of equipment: a Wi-Fi access point and clients that will connect to the network. Clients can be laptops, PDAs, mobile devices that support Wi-Fi, as well as desktop computers that have an external or internal wifi adapter. An access point is usually a router that supports wireless networking, such as D-Link DIR 300.

First you need to configure the router itself, since making WiFi at home with distribution to several clients will not work without it. The device must be connected to a computer using a web interface, which can be opened in a browser, to control this device. If the setup is done for the first time, then you can find the login and password in the documentation for the router, if not, then the owner of the device should know it.

When authorization is passed, the router management page will open, where you need to find the section dedicated to Wi-Fi. Here you can enable or disable the wireless connection, set the SSID of the network, which will help protect it from outside interference, and select the traffic encryption method and security key.

When on the router, you can start setting up the client. As a rule, there is nothing complicated here: if the wireless adapter is working properly and the software is installed for it, then the list available networks will be visible in the Network Control Center or in a special window on Windows XP. About discovery new network can usually be found from the Windows tray. After selecting a network from the list, you can connect to it by entering the network's SSID and, depending on the encryption settings, the security key.

The question may arise about how to make WiFi at home without a router. There is such a method, but it can only be used to connect two computers, not all adapters support it, and the speed will be less than using a router.

How it works?

How to make WiFi at home is almost clear, but how does this system work? The whole technology is built on access points with which clients connect. Each such point creates its own network and has its own data transfer parameters, such as a network identifier, encryption method (if applicable), encryption key. Each network has a coverage area, that is, an area around the access point, in which it can recognize the signal from clients, and, conversely, the signal from the access point can be recognized by clients. has a range of up to 300 meters. But this value is "ideal", in practice it decreases due to various obstacles.

As you can see, it has a fairly small range. But progress does not stand still, and WiMAX wireless networks are gradually being introduced. WiMAX access point has a range measured in kilometers, and perhaps in the future this technology will provide Internet access to the most remote corners of the planet.

If you use at home not only one computer, but also other similar devices, then they can be combined into home network. In this case, you can create a home network through a router, which will have access to the Internet.

A local network through a router will allow you to simply connect all your devices. You can then exchange files over the local network, play games or use for other purposes.

To do this, you only need to purchase special device- router (router). With the help of a router, communication between devices connected to the network is established, and a home network is created through wifi router. If your devices use the same router to access the Internet, then there is a network between these devices. It does not matter how your devices are connected, using network cable or wireless Wi-Fi.

To create a local network through a router, you need to connect the necessary devices directly to the router, or use a wireless connection. In all modern routers, you can use a wired or wireless connection option. But you can also use a router to connect several networks to each other.

Creating a home network through a router is usually done using the star principle. When connecting according to this scheme, all devices that you plan to use must be independently connected to the router. The router in this case is such a center of the resulting star, or rather the network. At the same time, the router itself connects to the provider's network and can distribute the Internet to devices connected to it. schematically this compound can be seen in the figure below.

Connection with a router of the "Star" type

Router for home network

The router is the main device for creating a network. Before you create a network through a router, you must select suitable model router. You need to know exactly what type of connection your ISP is using (cable or dial-up). If a cable connection is used, then the router must be selected with a WAN connector, and if a telephone line, then there must be an ADSL connector.

In addition, more options are possible when using a 3G / 4G modem, telephone (“STREAM”) or cable modem (“AKADO”). When using the last two options, a special modem is also required. Such a modem can be a separate device or built into the router itself. You can see the scheme for connecting devices and creating a network through a router in the figure below.

On the back or side of the router are the device ports used for connection. The port that is used to connect to the Internet is called the WAN port. Ports for wired connection of a computer, network drive or other devices to a local network are called LAN ports. There are several such ports, but basically there are four of them. If the number of ports does not suit you and you need to connect more devices, can be used network switch. When installing such a switch with eight ports, you connect one port to the router, and you can use the remaining seven to connect your devices. Switches are 100-megabit and gigabit. The use of a gigabit switch makes sense if you need to quickly connect a computer to a network drive. This will not affect the speed of the Internet itself. Network configuration through the router can be performed through the settings in the web interface of the router.

In addition to wired connection of devices using Ethernet technology, other options are possible. The network can be created via electrical wiring (HomePlug). But most often a wifi network is created through a router using a wireless connection. These methods are different maximum speed and these characteristics can be seen in the table below.

When choosing a router for a home network with WIFI top scores gives a router using 802.11n, as it provides, compared to 802.11g technology, better performance and signal coverage. In addition, attention should be paid to other useful features like built-in FTP client or a USB port that can be used to connect a flash drive, printer, or network drive.

How to make a network through a router

Opening a port on a TP-LINK TL-WR841N router

For example, setting up a home network through a router using the model will be described here. router TP-Link TL-WR841N that connects to the internet. In this case, one of the computers will be connected to the router using a network cable, and the second computer will wireless connection. The local network can also be configured for more computers. On each computer, you need to share the necessary resources in order to be able to access them from every device on the network.

First, you need to check that the Internet is supplied to the router. When you connect the cable from the provider to the WAN port on the router, the corresponding indicator on the front panel should flash. If the indicator is not lit, then you need to update the firmware of the router. To do this, download the latest firmware from the manufacturer's website. And perhaps a bad cable connection and you need to re-compress the cable connector. If everything works fine, then you can start creating a local network through a router.

Checking the physical connection

It is necessary to check the connection between computers before setting up a network through a router. You need to ping between them. For this check, you need to go to the router menu from the computer and find the value of the IP address of another computer in the settings.

To do this, type the network address of the router in the browser, usually 192.168.1.1 and go to the router settings. Open the settings tab called "DHCP", and then "DHCP Clients List". In this window, you will see the devices connected to your router. Remember the address assigned to the second computer in order to ping it. Then you need to click the computer's Start menu and type cmd in the search bar to find a utility with that name and run it.

In the window that appears, you need to enter ping command and write the address of the second computer. After that, press enter and see the result of the command. If the packet exchange goes through, then the connection between the computers is established and it is already possible to set up a home network through a router.

If there is no packet transmission, then the router does not see the network. Maybe the reason is in the settings. antivirus program. Then you need to disable the firewall and antivirus. You can go to the antivirus network settings and find the option to change the network security mode for the computer. There you need to check the option to allow sharing.

Setting up a local network through a router

First you need to check which working group connected to each of the computers, and set the name accordingly. It is necessary to see that the name is written in Latin characters and, if necessary, change it. To do this, you need to right-click on the My Computer icon and select Properties. Then select the Advanced settings option and open the Computer name item there. Here you can change the computer name and group. After all the settings, you need to click Ok and restart the computer. Now you can configure the local network through the router.

All these actions must be performed on all connected computers that will use the local network through a wifi router. After that, you need to open the computer's start menu and open the Control Panel item. Here we are interested in the Network Control Center. It is important that the Home network is selected in the network settings. If so, you can click the Ready to Create button.

Now you need to click the appropriate button to create a homegroup.

Now you need to specify which elements you want to share.

After that, a window with a password will open, you need to write it down and click Done. In the next window, you need to click the button to change additional parameters.

AT additional options public access you need to disable the option to require a password on the local network. Then the General tab also opens and this item is disabled with password protection. Now don't forget to click Save Changes.

Now the basic settings of the local network are done, and you need to restart all configured computers. Check if all configured computers can see each other in the created network. To do this, you just need to go to My Computer and click on Network. All computers connected to the network, both wired and wireless, using the wifi network through the router should be displayed.

Now you can use the network through the wi fi router. But, if you go to another computer over the network, you will only get access to the Shared folder. To access a particular disk or individual files, you need to make the appropriate settings.

Setting up sharing

To set up shared access to a folder or drive, you need to open the folder or drive, respectively, and click on Sharing, and then select the advanced settings item.

In the window that appears, select the option to open sharing by checking the box there and clicking Ok. Optionally, you can also specify a name for the share.

After this setting, all devices connected to your network will have shared access to the specified resource. When you set up a local network, it is recommended that you save backup network configuration on the computer. This will save you from repeating the steps taken.

Two routers on the same network

Sometimes it becomes necessary to connect two routers to a network. This can be done by connecting several routers together.

Before you create a router router network, you need to imagine the end result of such work. Routers can be connected to combine two local networks, can be used as a shared internet access point or to connect to a second router various devices over a wired or wireless connection.

You can connect two routers using a network cable or a wireless WiFi connections and set up a wifi network through a router. When choosing a wired connection of routers, when one of them is connected to the Internet, you need to perform the following steps.

First you need to connect one end of the network cable to the LAN port of the router that is accepted as the main one. You must connect the other end of the cable to the WAN port of the second router.

Setting up a home network router router begins with setting up the main router. You must enable the DHCP function in the settings. After that, you need to open the “IP address” menu for the second router and check the item to automatically obtain an IP address.

If you need to connect two routers wirelessly, then in the settings of the second router you need to enable the option to search for wireless networks. Now you can connect to the Wi-Fi network created by the first router. To complete the setup, you also need to enable the DHCP function in the router settings, and then configure the automatic receipt of an IP address. Now you know how to connect a router to a WiFi network created by another router.

network printer via router

you can customize network access to the printer. A method that is suitable for a printer that does not have a special built-in Wi-Fi module will be described here. All you need to connect is a router that has a built-in USB printer port. For the above connection, an ASUS WL-520GU and Xerox Workcenter PE114e router will be used.

The printer can only be connected via a USB port, so standard connection access to a computer using sharing imposes some restrictions. To always access the printer, the host computer to which the printer is connected must always be on. This is not always convenient and in such a situation it is better to use the connection of the printer to the router.

To properly configure the connection of the printer to your router, you need to open the computer's Start menu and select the Devices and Printers item there. In this window, you need to open the Add Printer item. When a new window opens, you need to select the type of printer to be added (local) and click Next to continue the setup.

Now you need to configure the printer port. You need to select the option -Create a new port, and select the port type as Standard TCP, as in the figure below, and then click Next to continue the configuration.

In the next window, you need to enter the printer's network IP address. Here you need to enter the address of the router, which in our case will be 192.168.1.1. The value of the port name can be entered any name, but you can leave what will be the default after entering the IP address of the printer (network address of the router). The option to poll the printer and select a driver can be left enabled (tick below). This option will not affect the speed of the process.

The computer will then take some time to find the TCP/IP Port you specified. This will be indicated by the corresponding window.

If the port is not found, a window will appear asking you to enter additional information about the port. In this case, you must select Device Type - Custom by ticking the appropriate box and click Next.

If everything went well, a window with port settings will open. Make sure that all settings are set as shown in the figure below.

In the next printer driver installation window, you need to select the name of your printer and its model. It is possible that you will not find the name of your printer in the list. Then you just need to click the button to install the printer driver from the disc. In this case, you must specify the exact path to the driver file in the appropriate field. latest version You can download drivers on the Internet from the website of the printer manufacturer.

If you have already installed drivers for such a printer, a corresponding window will appear asking which version of the driver to use. It is recommended to leave the default selection and use the installed driver.

After that, you can set any suitable name for the printer, which will then be visible in the Devices and Printers menu. You can leave the name for the printer and the one that will be the default, and then click Next.

Network printer name

In the next window, you can set up printer sharing. But since the printer will already be connected to your router, you can not use the printer sharing option. It is recommended to leave the default value, do not use sharing.

You can allow the printer to be used over the network

On the last page Printer settings You can leave or remove the option to use a custom printer by default. After that, you can check the printer and print a test page. Click Finish to complete printer setup.

Your computer is now configured to access the printer. To access the printer from other computers, you need to repeat the same settings for each of your computers.

Wi-Fi is the most popular way to connect to the internet today. This was made possible thanks to good performance this protocol, ease of connection and the availability of a wide range of low-cost equipment.

However, this interface also has disadvantages. Many users experience incomprehensible disconnections, errors, or slow data transfer rates. In this case, do not rush to immediately call the support service or call a repair team. You can deal with many troubles in the operation of your home Wi-Fi network on your own.

1. Restart your router

Yes, yes, this is what is first of all advised to do when contacting the support service. And absolutely right.

A modern router is a complex device, in operation software which errors may occur over time. The simplest and fast way get rid of them - reboot the equipment. Some routers allow you to do this automatically on a schedule, you just need to look for the appropriate option in the settings.

2. Install alternative firmware

Alternative firmware is written by enthusiasts to eliminate the shortcomings of proprietary software. The most famous project of this kind is DD-WRT. This firmware supports a wide range of hardware and is distributed free of charge.

Installing third-party firmware allows not only improving network performance, but in some cases activating previously inaccessible device functions. It is worth considering, however, that the process of flashing and subsequent configuration of the equipment will require time and special knowledge from you.

3. Use a Wi-Fi repeater

If devices in any part of the house constantly lose their connection to the Internet, then the signal of the router is too weak there. You can solve the problem with the help of a special repeater, which is also called repeaters, or repeaters.

The main task of the repeater is to amplify the signal of an existing Wi-Fi network. These compact and inexpensive devices are produced by almost all popular manufacturers of network equipment, as well as dozens of obscure Chinese companies.

4. Build a Signal Amplifier

Using a Wi-Fi repeater may not help out in all cases. Sometimes, to amplify the signal of the router, you have to resort to other, more artisanal methods. For example, you can design a special reflector from or for CDs.

But if you need something really powerful, then try to assemble an antenna from improvised materials to expand your “home zone” of wireless Internet, which we wrote about in this one.

5. Control App Access to the Internet

If someone in your home is constantly watching streaming video, playing online games, downloading large files, then this can significantly slow down the network. Particular attention should be paid to torrent clients. Some of them are configured in such a way that they automatically start at system startup and continue downloading and distributing data in the background. Separate pain - computer games who silently download multi-gigabyte updates and add-ons.

6. Block access to strangers

By default, the manufacturer sets the same well-known logins and passwords on all of its routers. Each user must independently change them in order to protect their network from unauthorized access. However, unfortunately, not everyone does it.

If you do not want your neighbors to use your wireless network, thereby interfering with you, then you need to perform detailed configuration of the router. How to do this, you can read in our guide "".

7. Get rid of interference

The quality of the signal transmitted over a Wi-Fi network can be affected by many different factors, including interference from phones, microwave ovens, and so on. You can get rid of them only by placing the router and the source of interference at the maximum distance. To cope with this task, a special wifi app Analyzer that can display signal strength in real time.

8. Tune in to a free channel

In modern apartment buildings many wireless access points operate simultaneously, occupying all available channels. As a result, some of them have to share the same channel, which leads to a mutual decrease in the speed and stability of the connection.

9. Find a New Location for Your Router

The unsuccessful location of the router in the apartment can also affect the quality of the connection. If your workplace is separated from the connection point by several concrete walls, then you should not be surprised that the Internet constantly slows down.

You can choose the optimal place for the router only empirically, moving it around the apartment and measuring the signal quality. The NetSpot diagnostic utility and our instruction, which is called "", will help to do this.

10. Use modern technology

One of better ways make your wireless network as fast, stable and safe as possible is to use modern equipment.

Communication standards are constantly evolving and improving. New implementations of this protocol provide more high speed connections, reduce errors and susceptibility to interference.

However, they require the right equipment to use them. Therefore, the most radical and expensive method to improve the quality of your home network is to buy a modern dual-band router from a well-known manufacturer.