This is a popular time of year for hosting friends and family. And stocking up on essentials is a must – drinks, snacks, the list goes on.
But there's one necessity in your house that might get overlooked: Wi-Fi. Whether your guests want to show a funny YouTube video, stream the latest Taylor Swift song or post a selfie on Facebook, everyone will want a strong and fast Internet connection.
So your Wi-Fi better be ready.
Here are some tips to make sure the Wi-Fi in your home is battle-tested for the holidays, not to mention every other day of the year:
1. Don't put your router on the floor. Get your router off the ground at least 5-7 feet if possible. It's kind of like a light bulb; when you turn it on you want it to shine as far as possible, not straight into the ground.
2. A lot of folks default to an upstairs office, but that's usually located in a remote corner of the house. Even worse: the basement; that area makes it hard for the wireless signal to reach all areas of your home. Put your router in the center of the home, preferably on the first floor.
3. Don't put your router here. You might as well throw half your signal out the window.
4. Avoid locations next to or behind your TV because media components like this can seriously affect your wireless performance. Also, stay away from enclosed consoles with heat producing appliances like a DVD player or game console. Those will also cut down your wireless signal.
5. Speaking of devices, steer clear of basic home appliances like cordless phones and microwaves that also can affect performance.
6. Don't hide your router. Set it up out in the open, not tucked in a cabinet.
7. Got a fish tank? Wireless signals don't pass well through water so keep it away from Nemo and Dory. They won't be using it anyway.
8. Captain Obvious…figure out where in your house you use wireless most often and put the router within a clean line of sight to that room. A central location, off the ground and out in the open, is the ideal location, as seen here. Most signals bounce off walls.
9. Limit applications that hog your speed. If your kids are always playing games online or doing video chats, this can make your wireless experience slower for everyone else. You can check your speeds using the XFINITY Speed Test located here.
10. Regularly reboot your router. Software updates are made from time to time that require a restart – just like any other consumer device. You can easily and automatically reboot your XFINITY equipment by using our My Account app. You can also use the app to view, change or share your Wi-Fi network name and password.
Download the XFINITY My Account app for Apple devices from iTunes.
Download the XFINITY My Account app for Android devices from Google Play.
Finally, regardless if you rent or own your wireless router, make sure you have the latest equipment and are running the latest system software. Older wireless routers running older software may not be able to handle the speeds that you receive with your Internet service.
Follow some of these tips, and you'll definitely have your Wi-Fi optimized for your next big event.
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