Maximise your Wi-Fi potential

Your Wi-Fi set-up helps shape how you experience the internet at your home or business.

We’ve provided a breakdown of the different elements within your home or business that can help make up a good Wi-Fi experience – so you can get the most of your connection, whether you’re at work or play.

How wi-fi works

Think of your Wi-Fi router as the ‘heart’ of your internet connection. From a single link with your nbn^® connection box, your router shares a network among all of your connected devices using a Wi-Fi signal.  

This allows devices such as computers, mobile devices, and other equipment, like security cameras and EV chargers, to interface with the internet.

Location, location, location

The layout, construction and size of your property can have a significant bearing on your Wi-Fi signal and connectivity experience – so it’s vital to place your router where it can create the most effective coverage.

Materials that can reflect, absorb, and reduce your Wi-Fi signal include:

• Thick walls – Brick or cement walls, floors, ceilings
• Metal panels – Cupboard doors, mirrors, shelves
• Appliances – Refrigerators, televisions, microwaves
• Liquids – Fishtanks, hot water systems
• Other technology – Radios, baby monitors, Bluetooth devices
   

Tips to improve your Wi-Fi router connectivity:

• Place your Wi-Fi router as close as possible to where the most connected devices are used most often. 
• Try to place your Wi-Fi router in a raised and central area – avoid placing on the floor, in a cupboard, or behind furniture. 
• Aim for line-of-sight between your Wi-Fi router and connected devices, with the signal passing through as few objects as possible.
   

Optimisation checklist:

• Is your router hidden in a cupboard, behind furniture, or blocked by thick walls? 
• Is your router close to the majority of your connected devices with line of sight? 
• Is your router more than five years old? It might be time for you to consider upgrading. 

When A wired connection can help

A Wi-Fi (wireless) connection is convenient, but sometimes you need a connection with greater stability and just a little more ‘oomph’. Larger or multi-level homes can benefit from using Ethernet/Local Area Network (LAN) cables to connect devices directly to your router – also known as a wired connection.

Benefits to a wired connection:

• Using a wired connection for high data consumption devices eg. gaming console, or laptop, as well as mesh nodes (if you have mesh system), helps reduce the demand on your Wi-Fi network by freeing up capacity for other Wi-Fi devices.
• Less susceptible to radio frequency interference such as microwaves or metal objects which can typically obstruct or interfere with Wi-Fi signals.

Check your Wi-Fi performance with a speed test

A speed test will help you understand how your Wi-Fi signal strength is performing in different parts of your home. A weaker Wi-Fi signal often means slower, less reliable speeds.

For accurate results we recommend comparing your internet speed with a wired (Ethernet cable) connection, and then again using a Wi-Fi connection in different parts of your home.

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