Manage Wi-Fi Network Overload

We love our smart-home devices, and it’s easy to overload our Wi-Fi networks with them. When that happens, our network traffic can slow to a crawl – just like we see at our Hudson River crossings. It’s easier and faster to clear up your network traffic jams.

Just as roads have a capacity, your Wi-Fi network can only handle a specific volume of traffic, which means it can handle only so many devices before performance backs up. We don’t think much about it as we add all sorts of smart devices in our homes, such as smart speakers, cameras, lighting, HVAC controls and some appliances. They’re all in addition to computers, TVs, and all our mobile devices. In most cases, the problems creep up on us gradually until we notice not everything is working at their expected speeds. Sometimes, we’ll see a lot of buffering while streaming 4K video or gaming, and those problems grab our attention.

To clear up network traffic jams, you can start with some easy steps. First, make sure all dongles and power cords have solid connections. That could solve a problem with one or a few devices. The next step is to restart your router. Unplug it from the electric outlet, and if you have a power on/off switch, hold it in for 30 seconds. That will help clear out the electronic junk that can accumulate in any device. While you’re at it, you should also check for firmware updates for your router and install any that are available.

Another easy step is to make sure your router has plenty of room around it. If it’s in the middle of clutter or too close to a wall, moving it or cleaning up the surrounding area can help.

If you still don’t get the performance you want, you can take a couple of technical measures. The first is managing the traffic on the router’s frequency bands. Most routers are dual-band routers, which means they run both the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands. In an ideal setup, the 2.4 band carries signals for smart speakers, light switches, door locks, garage door openers, and security cameras – to name a few. Those devices usually have default settings for that band. Computers, TVs, tablets, and other devices used for streaming and gaming are suited for the 5.0 band, which is faster and more robust for shorter distances.

There are a number of apps – including those from Apple (Siri), Amazon (Alexa), Google, and others – that can tell what devices are connected to your Wi-Fi network. Some apps allow you to assign some devices to one band or the other and even let you assign devices to specific channels in each band. The apps also enable you to disconnect devices from your network, and this alone might be enough to restore some speed to your network.

If none of these steps gives you the performance you want, you can consider getting a new router and/or adding a mesh network. Electronic components do wear out, and older routers may lack the technology needed to handle the growing demands on your network. A mesh network is essentially a system of smart repeaters that work in combination with your router to extend and manage network traffic to optimize performance for connected devices. Like routers, newer generations of mesh networks are built to handle more network traffic, and if you have an older one, it may not be able to keep up with your technology needs.

If the simple DIY suggestions in this article don’t give you the network performance you want, we can help you with more extensive analyses and solutions, including setting up a network management app and selecting and installing a router, mesh network, or both. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to discuss your needs.

Strengthen Your Security

We’re probably as normal as we’re going to get with working at home, and that will put more pressure on businesses and employees to step up security. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have been around for a while, but we’ve never been completely sold on them. They can give you a false sense of security.

As we see it, they depend on too many people (and organizations) doing the right thing to work effectively. Essentially, they take you across somebody else’s network, and unless you’re the one who vetted the provider and set it up, you have no way of knowing if it’s safe. If you use a computer, cell phone or tablet on a compromised VPN, you’re providing multiple access points for anyone who’s hacked the VPN. It only takes one weak link to compromise a network, and it could take months before a security breach is found. That could be too late to prevent any damage, such as an intrusion of sensitive files or identity theft.

We’re OK with using a VPN while traveling. It’s generally good for a short period of time, and it’s likely to be used by a small group of people in your traveling party on known devices. Whether VPNs are reliably secure in certain communications environments is a debatable point. Given all that is going on today, we believe it’s better to err on the side of caution and use them in limited situations to meet specific needs.

There are much better steps to take, such as two-factor authentication and using mobile apps that store your password.

We’ve discussed two-factor authentication before. While it can take many forms, it generally works by sending a 6-digit code in a text message to a designated mobile device. You then need to enter that code on whatever device you’re using to log onto a website. The problem is that if you are near a cell tower that has been compromised, the communication involving your text message could be intercepted and redirected. It’s not likely in the United States right now; it was more of a problem with older towers. Still, it’s yet another reminder to keep your guard up at all times.

The authentication apps that save your passwords are run through Microsoft and Google, two behemoths that have an equally large stake in your security. The key factor here is that the password is stored in your device, not in the cloud. Anyone who steals your password this way must physically have your device, and they must know your username and password. That minimizes the chance you’ll be compromised – even with a lost or stolen phone.

We’re available to answer any questions you have about security on all your devices and across all networks. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to talk about who uses various devices within your business organization or family and where they use them. We’ll help you develop a plan or policy, if necessary, to strengthen your weakest links and maximize security.

Choose the Right Router

As we add more traffic to our Wi-Fi networks in the office and at home, choosing the right router is critical for performance and security. If your router is more than a few years old, the combination of improved technology and the probable loss of full power due to wear and tear means you should consider investing in a new system. The good news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune.

How do you know it’s time for a new router? The first sign is sluggish performance, and it’s a subjective call. Whether you use your router for business or home entertainment, you can notice that data just isn’t moving throughout your location as fast as you’d like. With today’s demands for moving more data faster, your router could be worn out or not have the capacity to meet your needs.

Routers do wear out over time. Heat can damage internal components, and that slows them down. Newer routers have fresher components, and they meet better performance protocols. This is especially true when it comes to dual-band routers. Older routers tend to operate on the 2.4 GHz wireless band, where they share space with your other household products, such as cordless phones and even your garage-door opener. That creates a lot of interference that affects network performance. This problem is more likely to affect home offices and small retail systems. In some homes, whether used for home offices or as converted office space, multiple stories and thicker walls require more powerful routers to send signals where needed.

Dual-band routers work on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz wireless bands, and that gives you options. You can set some systems to run on the 2.4 GHz band and use the 5GHz band for managing bigger data capacities. Some routers even allow you to run on two 5GHz bands. For a home office, a home with multiple devices (computers, mobile devices and smart TVs), a business in a converted home, or a small retail space, this allows you to dedicate bands to specific uses. Think of it as having a slow lane, an express lane, and a lane dedicated to buses and trucks.

For a home or small office or retail use, look for a router with at least four 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) Ethernet ports to connect wired devices such as desktop PCs, network-attached storage drives and home-automation hubs. A USB port makes it easy to plug in a printer or a USB drive and share it across the network, but with two ports you can do both.

You can manage how your Wi-Fi network is being used with parental controls, Quality of Service (QoS) options, and a guest-network feature. Parental controls and QoS are for home use. The latter helps you assign network priorities for applications and clients, such as downloading files, running printers or managing streaming to TVs or devices. You can also manage priorities for gaming systems.

A guest network for a home or business lets you create a separate network to offer Wi-Fi connectivity to guests without leaving your entire network vulnerable. This lets them connect to the Internet, but doesn’t give them access to your files, printers, and other connected devices.

Wireless routers for businesses have improved tremendously. To meet the complexity and requirements of running a wireless network these days, routers now have a much more varied feature set, including hardware that is often found in computers. You can find systems with dual- and triple-band connectivity, as well as a slew of other features usually found on far more expensive enterprise-grade models.

Priorities for business users differ from most consumer users. Security, support, remote access, business-grade VPN, WAN redundancy, connectivity options and scalability are critical. However, this doesn’t mean that some consumer routers cannot be used as business routers, especially in a home office environment.

We can help you find a router that meets your networking needs and help you find the best location and configurations to maximize performance. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to answer your questions about router selection and help you with setup and settings configurations.