Wireless DSL: Top 10 Tricks To Limit Wifi Speed Loss

Internet home and office wifi connections are very useful but few ones know that they can produce a serious speed loss. But when using Ethernet cable this never happens. Speed loss can be remarkable in case of ADSL2+ connections, which can even reach 20Mbps!

Photo credit: tforgo

As much as about me, I’ve got a 10 Mbps ADSL line: by cable I can download up to 8Mbps. On the contrary, when I have a wireless connection its speed seriously falls down to 4Mbps.

As a consequence, I have a 50% loss in efficiency and money. Therefore, I started a research to verify if and how it is possible to improve all wifi ADSL connections.

Why wifi connections are slower?

The lower efficiency of wireless connection in comparison to the cable one are mainly 3:

• Various Interferences
• Wifi signal direction
• Any device setting (router and wifi net cards)
  

Obviously a 640 Kbps ADSL connection managed by a  wifi router  is less sensible to any interference than a 20Mbps one, like, for instance, the effect of wind on slower or faster cars. For this reason new ADSL2+ connections can consistently have a drop in their power.

10 tricks to improve ADSL2+ speed in wireless mode

1. Test router compatibility with ADSL2+.
   That’s the connection standard on high speed duplex cable.
2. Always up-to-date your router firmware with the latest available version.
   Before my line always fell down, but now after its updating it perfectly works!
3. Enable the ADLS2+ mode on your router.
   On my Zyxel 660 HW this option is named Enable Wireless g+ .
4. Use the net only in 802.11g or 802.11n mode.
   Either router and wifi net cards are normally set to use both 802.11g and 802.11b. The first one is definitely faster than the second one (up to 54 Mbps). You should force router and net cards to use the first one: search in the 802.11 mode.
5. If you have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone change it.
   It has the same hotspot frequency, so it can disturb. Take a 900Mhz or 5.8GHz one.
6. Choose the most efficient transmission channel.
   Some interferences can take place on definite channels. Change transmission channel (Channel ID) on the router running speed tests to find the faster channel.
7. Put the access point in the center of the requested area.
   I know it isn’t always possible to do this, but try at least to keep the antenna far from your home side-walls.
8. Cover the omni-directional antenna top with some silver paper if you don’t need connection on the upper floor.
9. Think of buying a directional antenna.
   If you are forced to use the wireless router on your home side-walls, check first if the omnidirectional antenna is removable. If so, substitute it with a directional one (it is not expensive), pointing it towards the inside of your home.
10. Verify the absence of any intruder connected to your router.
    One day I discovered that the cause of my connection slowness was a certain Giusy78 that was connected to my line saturating my band. So, protect your wireless net system.
    

Conventional and…unconventional tricks

Here you can have a do-it-yourself amplified antenna and replace it to your router one just using a screw, a piece of lead and a straw. But consider the fact of destroying your router!

Otherwise, if you love creativity, you can also make your amplified antenna with a Pringles (chips) tube or just with a coffee tin.