Latest news with #router
CNET
a day ago
- CNET
How I Regained Access to My Own Wi‑Fi in Seconds--No Reset Required
Forgetting your Wi-Fi password is frustrating, especially when you're trying to connect a new device or help a guest get online. Most routers come with a default password printed on the back, but if you've changed it—or can't find the sticker—you might feel stuck. The good news is your computer probably remembers it for you. Both Windows and Mac devices quietly store the login info for every Wi-Fi network you've joined. With just a few clicks, you can dig up the password and get back online. It's one of the simplest ways to recover lost login credentials without resetting your entire network or digging through drawers for an old sticky note. As long as your Windows or Mac computer has connected to that network before, the Wi-Fi password is permanently stored in your settings. It may require some digging on your part, but all the passwords are saved and ready to be shared with anyone who wants to connect to Wi-Fi. Find Forgotten Wi-Fi Passwords for Previously Used Networks Find Forgotten Wi-Fi Passwords for Previously Used Networks Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:01 / Duration 4:03 Loaded : 14.64% 0:01 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 4:02 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Find Forgotten Wi-Fi Passwords for Previously Used Networks Here's how to find the passwords to all of the Wi-Fi networks you've ever connected to on MacOS and Windows. How to find Wi-Fi passwords in MacOS Every password you've entered and saved on a Mac is stored in Keychain Access, the password management system for MacOS. And that includes Wi-Fi network passwords. To start, use the search feature to open the Keychain Access app and do the following: 1. Click on System under System Keychains in the sidebar. 2. Next, click on Passwords at the top of the window. 3. Find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for and double-click on it. 4. Finally, check the box next to Show password and enter your password when prompted. Find all your stored Wi-Fi passwords in the Keychain Access app on MacOS. Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET The password field will then show the password you used to log in to that Wi-Fi network. You can double-click in the password field to select the password and copy it to your clipboard if needed. How to find Wi-Fi passwords on Windows Finding the password to the Wi-Fi network you're currently connected to is simple on Windows, but getting your hands on all stored Wi-Fi passwords takes a bit of work, so we'll discuss both methods below. To find the password to the Wi-Fi network you're currently connected to on Windows: 1. Click the Start button and then go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center (Windows 11) or Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center (Windows 10). 2. Next to Connections, click your Wi-Fi network name highlighted in blue. 3. In the Wi-Fi Status page that opens, click Wireless Properties and then on the Security tab. 4. Finally, check the box next to Show characters to display your Wi-Fi network password above it. You can easily find the password for the Wi-Fi network you're currently connected to on Windows. Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET However, this isn't the only way to find your Wi-Fi network passwords. The method above only allows you to view the password to whatever Wi-Fi network you're currently connected to, but there is a way to find the passwords to all the Wi-Fi networks you've ever connected to on your Windows computer. To find all your Wi-Fi network passwords on Windows: 1. Right-click on the Windows icon in the taskbar on your desktop. 2. Click Windows Terminal (Admin). 3. Type in netsh wlan show profile and hit Enter on your keyboard to view every Wi-Fi network you've connected to. 4. Once you find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for, type in netsh wlan show profile "(Wi-Fi network name)" key=clear (for example, netsh wlan show profile "Netgear667" key=clear), and then hit the Enter key. You can use Windows Terminal to find all your Wi-Fi network passwords. Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET Settings for profile, connectivity, security and more will appear. The Wi-Fi network password will appear under Security settings, and next to Key Content. In addition to Windows Terminal, you can also use the Command Prompt application to type in the commands listed above to find your Wi-Fi passwords. If you want to read more about passwords, whether on your computer or your smartphone, check out the best password managers to use.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Review: Can Netgear's cheapest Wi-Fi 7 router fix your internet woes?
Does a router really make a difference in speeding up your internet within your home? It's a question I've often asked, especially while watching the wheel of death as YouTube videos were loading or Netflix streams died. Our internet connection at home is normally pretty good. But in recent times, it seems to have got worse, particularly after the rain or other weather events. And of course with so many devices connected in homes these days, everyone is trying to get a little bit of the bandwidth love. So when I got the opportunity to review Netgear's most affordable Wi-Fi 7 router, the Nighthawk RS100, I thought why not. At $259 it's definitely one of the more affordable solutions for people wanting faster connections of devices across the home, especially for those who have deadspots. It promises speeds of up to 3.6 GPS for gaming, smoother streaming and video conferencing. Did I notice a huge increase in speed? Yes and no. In my weeks of testing, I generally found my internet more stable and yes there was less buffering. But truth be told, the biggest increase came when I saw I could get a better internet speed from my provider for about $10 a month. That difference was surprisingly better than I thought it would be given I had pretty decent internet, most of the time. So what are the benefits of getting a router? In general, while a router won't increase your internet speed from your provider, it can optimise its performance in the home. That's especially the case when you have multiple devices connected at the same time. And with more powerful antennas, or mesh networking capabilities with better, more expensive systems, they can extend Wi-Fi range, eliminating dead spots in larger homes. Dual-band and tri-band routers also offer more channels and frequencies to avoid interference. Importantly, they can also offer better protection against hacking attempts. The Nighthawk RS100 is good for up to 185m2 of 360-degree WI-FI coverage. Netgear says its Armor software provides an automatic shield of security for your Wi-Fi and connected devices for real-time protection against hackers and added privacy with VPN. It was pleasantly reassuring to see on the Netgear app that there had been no threats on our connections during testing. You get a 30 day trial with the router and if you think there's value in it, you can subscribe for about $99 a year, which includes a VPN service. A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, creates a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet, masking your IP address. It allows you to bypass geographic restrictions and access content as if you were in another location, which is a particularly popular use to get around streaming restrictions. How easy is it to set up a router? Out of the box, the Netgear router is easy to set up. You simply download the Nighthawk app, scan the QR code on the router and it will take you through the set up process which includes plugging it into your existing modem with the cords provided. I made a mistake with the cords I connected and it quickly identified that, advising me to check I had plugged them into the right spots. The whole process took about 30 minutes, which included rebooting and updating the router. Then of course you have to go around to the various devices you use and make sure you switch over to the Netgear connection to ensure the benefits. I was hoping I might be able to give some devices greater preference in terms of bandwidth – for example my work computer vs. my son's gaming needs, but that option wasn't available. There also no parental controls via the app that I could see. The router supports just the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands, omitting the higher-speed 6.0GHz band, so if you are right into gaming, you might want to go for the next models up. But if you have an older modem, you certainly should see some decent improvements. If space is an issue, one of the benefits of the RS100 model is it is smaller than others in the range, standing at 184mm high, 66mm wide and 122mm deep. It's certainly a lot smaller than my existing modem. The RS100 has a 2.5Gb Ethernet port for your broadband connection (WAN), along with four Gigabit Ethernet ports to provide wired (LAN) connections for a PC or games console if required. The app is easy to use and will show you things like your internet speed and the history of your speed. So is it worth it? At $259, it could be a reasonable costing solution to improving your connections throughout the house. But if you are looking for more advanced features like parental controls, you will need to look at other routers, or do it via your owns phones.
CNET
2 days ago
- CNET
Ready for a Router Upgrade? Don't Buy Until You Read This Wi-Fi Guide
Picking out a Wi-Fi router can be one of the most challenging parts of setting up home internet, but don't let that scare you away from finding the best router for your house. Retailers often exaggerate the speeds routers can offer, and continual developments in Wi-Fi technology, such as the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology, complicate the process. A good router is an investment: They don't come cheap, and we all want to make sure we're getting the best use of our internet for the money we spend on it. Whether you've finally decided to stop renting your router from your ISP or you want to upgrade to a mesh router system, having some Wi-Fi basics under your belt is helpful when splurging on a good Wi-Fi router. In this primer, we'll cover the basics of Wi-Fi technology and how it relates to your router, how ISPs may limit your router's capabilities and everything else that goes into finding good equipment. Once you can make sense of some fundamentals, you'll have no problem finding the right router for your internet setup. You can check out our complete router shopping guide for more thorough router shopping tips and recommendations on our favorite routers, mesh networks and Wi-Fi extenders. So, what is Wi-Fi? Let's start at the very beginning. Your router connects multiple computer networks together using Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi, or "wireless fidelity," refers to the family of wireless network protocols that allow your router to exchange data through radio waves. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers developed and released the first version of Wi-Fi in 1997 and classifies Wi-Fi within the 802 family of standards for local area networks. The IEEE's full code for Wi-Fi is 802.11, pronounced "eight-oh-two-dot-eleven" and that ".11" distinguishes Wi-Fi from other standards in the family, including Ethernet (802.3), Bluetooth (802.15.1) and Zigbee (802.15.4). Locating local internet providers Over the years, the IEEE has done quite a bit to certify new improvements to Wi-Fi and standardize them for widespread use. That's where those confusing letters that come after "802.11" come into play: Each of them denotes specific generations of Wi-Fi. For instance, the first widely used version of Wi-Fi was released in 1999 and called 802.11b; shortly after that came 802.11a, then 802.11g in 2003 and 802.11n in 2009. Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax, is the current-gen version of Wi-Fi that most devices use today. If your eyes glazed over a bit just now, I've got some good news for you. The Wi-Fi Alliance, the nonprofit trade organization that holds the Wi-Fi trademark, finally realized that Wi-Fi labels had gotten too confusing for consumers. When 802.11ax launched in 2019, the group decided to market the standard as "Wi-Fi 6" and retroactively refer to previous Wi-Fi generations similarly. The new standard makes it much easier to differentiate Wi-Fi labels: 802.11be : Wi-Fi 7 : Wi-Fi 7 802.11ax : Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E : Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ac : Wi-Fi 5 : Wi-Fi 5 802.11n : Wi-Fi 4 : Wi-Fi 4 802.11g: Wi-Fi 3 Wi-Fi 7 is the latest version... but you probably don't need it yet So what is Wi-Fi 7 and should you be worried about making sure your router uses it? In a nutshell, Wi-Fi 7 is faster and better at connecting lots of devices and users, with access to several wider frequency bands at once. Whereas Wi-Fi 6 and 6E also allowed access to multiple bands, devices were limited to one band at a time. Wi-Fi 7 reduces latency, increases network capacity and supports faster speeds. The only catch is that to take advantage of Wi-Fi 7, you'll need a Wi-Fi 7 router and a Wi-Fi 7-capable device. Wi-Fi 7 is backward compatible, so you can use your current devices with a Wi-Fi 7 router just fine -- but you won't get the full experience. New routers supporting the standard are already starting to pop up on store shelves, but they're expensive. Though more and more devices are equipped with Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, including Apple's iPhone 16, they're still relatively rare -- for now. Consider your speed: Household speeds vs. router speeds Now that you know how some of the Wi-Fi technology on your router works, it's time to pay attention to speeds. The best place to start is figuring out how much speed your household actually needs. You can do this by first figuring out how much speed you're currently getting, with a simple speed test -- Orb and Ookla are some of our favorites. (Disclaimer: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, the same company that owns CNET.) Next, take stock of the devices and type of internet usage in your house. If you have a lot of gamers, streamers, remote workers or students in the house (not to mention the number of smart devices), you should consider a 1-gig or multigig tier. When upgrading your router, consider the minimum speed recommendation for your household and make sure you're getting a router that can support those speeds -- but watch out for misleading marketing tactics. Retailers are notorious for reporting the combined top speeds of your router's bands, misleading people into thinking they're buying equipment that supports 3,000 megabits per second when, in reality, that router most likely supports a fraction of that speed. Also keep in mind that the internet speed advertised by an internet provider is the maximum speed of any device in your home. If you're buying a router with multigig capabilities but you don't have a multigig plan, you won't get those speeds unless you upgrade with your internet provider. A note on Wi-Fi speeds vs. Ethernet speeds It's important to note that your internet connection will almost always be faster with Ethernet than it is with Wi-Fi. This is what it looks like when you connect a device to a router using Wi-Fi. PhotoBecause Ethernet is a direct, wired connection, there's little-to-no obstruction between your router and your device. Wi-Fi, on the other hand, is a wireless connection to your router that relies on frequency bands instead of a cable. In some cases, retailers will advertise speeds you can only get with a wired connection, making the typical speed for a Wi-Fi connection much slower than that advertised price. What does that number in the router name mean? Along with each manufacturer's internal naming schemes, most of today's routers will typically also come with designations like "AC1900" or "AC3150." The point is to give you a quick, comparative sense of which version of Wi-Fi each router supports ("AC" for Wi-Fi 5, "AX" for Wi-Fi 6 and so on), along with a rough sense of its speed capabilities. I say "rough" because those numbers after the "AC" or "AX" part indicate the sum total of the maximum theoretical transfer rates across each of the router's bands. That's not useless information as you're comparing routers, but it's a bit misleading: The sum total will almost always be significantly higher than the fastest speeds you'll experience as a user. "AC" tells you that this is a Wi-Fi 5 router, while "2600" refers to the combined theoretical max speeds of each of the router's bands. Your actual speed per device will be a lot lower. Ry Crist/CNET For instance, the D-Link DIR-867 is listed as an AC1750 router. It's a dual-band Wi-Fi 5 router with theoretical maximum transfer rates of 1,300Mbps on the 5GHz band and 450Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. Add those two numbers together and you get 1,750, hence the name AC1750. The problem is that you can't actually add those bands together-- you can only connect to one at a time unless you're using a Wi-Fi 7 router with a Wi-Fi 7-capable device. That means the fastest speed you could theoretically get from the DIR-867 is 1,300Mbps, not 1,750Mbps. And I say "theoretically" because those top speeds are measured by the manufacturer in optimized lab conditions, not in real-world environments. When we tested the thing out, we measured max speeds of 163Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 802Mbps on the 5GHz band. Solid results for a budget-friendly router, but nowhere close to 1,750Mbps, even if you add them together. Things get even more inflated once you start looking at tri-band routers that add in an extra 5GHz connection. For example, Asus now sells a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 gaming router in its ROG Rapture lineup with the designation "AX11000." The "AX" tells you it's a Wi-Fi 6 router, and the "11000" indicates the combined top speeds of each band -- 1,148Mbps at 2.4GHz, and 4,804Mbps on each of the two 5GHz bands. That's a lot of concurrent bandwidth, but don't start thinking your computer, phone or gaming console will connect at anything close to 11,000Mbps. The fastest figure you'd ever possibly see from a single device is 4,804Mbps, and today's ISP connections are nowhere near that fast yet. In fact, the average internet speed in the US currently sits at 564Mbps, according to the latest data from OpenVault. A mesh router network, like the one pictured here from TP-Link, can significantly improve connectivity around the else should I look for when I shop for a new router? You'll see all sorts of Wi-Fi jargon as you shop for a new router. Here's a rundown of the terms you'll see the most, and what they actually mean for your home. Mesh: A mesh Wi-Fi network uses multiple access points to provide better coverage throughout large homes. Similar to Wi-Fi extenders, a mesh Wi-Fi system extends coverage throughout the house but with a smaller zone of coverage. Start with one that wires to your modem like a traditional router, then add satellite units around the house that act like repeaters for the signal. If you have a pesky back bedroom that struggles to stay connected, then move mesh routers up to the top of your list. A mesh Wi-Fi network uses multiple access points to provide better coverage throughout large homes. Similar to Wi-Fi extenders, a mesh Wi-Fi system extends coverage throughout the house but with a smaller zone of coverage. Start with one that wires to your modem like a traditional router, then add satellite units around the house that act like repeaters for the signal. If you have a pesky back bedroom that struggles to stay connected, then move mesh routers up to the top of your list. MU-MIMO: Short for "multiuser, multiple-input, multiple-output" (and pronounced "multiuser-meem-oh"), MU-MIMO lets your router divide its signal between multiple streams. That, in turn, lets the router send data to multiple devices at once. MU-MIMO is optimal for households or spaces with a lot of devices and heavy internet use, as it optimizes your network. If the receiving device supports it, MU-MIMO also lets the router use multiple streams at once to send data to the device, which makes for faster transfers. Wi-Fi 6 routers can support up to eight streams (8x8), while Wi-Fi 7 routers can support up to 16. Short for "multiuser, multiple-input, multiple-output" (and pronounced "multiuser-meem-oh"), MU-MIMO lets your router divide its signal between multiple streams. That, in turn, lets the router send data to multiple devices at once. MU-MIMO is optimal for households or spaces with a lot of devices and heavy internet use, as it optimizes your network. If the receiving device supports it, MU-MIMO also lets the router use multiple streams at once to send data to the device, which makes for faster transfers. Wi-Fi 6 routers can support up to eight streams (8x8), while Wi-Fi 7 routers can support up to 16. Band steering: Different brands have different names for the feature, but a growing number of routers will automatically move devices between frequency bands as their positions change within the range of the router. So, if you're using Wi-Fi to make a video call on your phone, and you're sitting in the living room near the router, it might automatically assign you to the 5GHz band, which is the speediest at close range. If you move into another part of the house during the call, the router might automatically "steer" your connection onto the 2.4GHz band, which offers a steadier connection at a distance. Different brands have different names for the feature, but a growing number of routers will automatically move devices between frequency bands as their positions change within the range of the router. So, if you're using Wi-Fi to make a video call on your phone, and you're sitting in the living room near the router, it might automatically assign you to the 5GHz band, which is the speediest at close range. If you move into another part of the house during the call, the router might automatically "steer" your connection onto the 2.4GHz band, which offers a steadier connection at a distance. Beamforming: A basic router will broadcast its signal more or less equally in all directions, but with beamforming, the router can focus its signal in the specific directions of the devices that are trying to connect to it. That can help it reduce interference and maintain a better range. A basic router will broadcast its signal more or less equally in all directions, but with beamforming, the router can focus its signal in the specific directions of the devices that are trying to connect to it. That can help it reduce interference and maintain a better range. Quality of service: Often abbreviated to QoS, quality of service is a feature that lets the router prioritize certain types of traffic above others. It's a common feature for gaming routers. Beyond basics like those, router manufacturers are turning more and more to extras like simplified, app-based setup, integrations with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, VPN support, better parental controls, and optional cybersecurity monitoring. All are worth considering if you think you'd put them to use in your home.
CNET
22-07-2025
- CNET
After Years of Testing Mesh Routers, I've Found These Are the Best Places to Put Them
Wi-Fi routers are ugly. I get it. Your first impulse is probably to tuck your router away and hide ugly cords to reduce clutter. I don't blame you. When it comes to optimizing your internet connection throughout your home, router placement is key. If you've noticed your Wi-Fi struggling in certain rooms, it's worth rethinking your router placement -- even with a mesh system. As an expert, I've been testing and reviewing router performance for years, and I've found that few things are as critical to Wi-Fi speeds as the location of your router. While a traditional Wi-Fi router sends out a signal from a single point in your home, a mesh system uses multiple devices to emit signals from various points. That makes it more like a team of routers that work together to relay your traffic back to the modem. It's a much better approach to home networking, particularly in large, multistory homes, where a traditional, single-point router will likely leave you with dead zones in the rooms that are farthest away. Still, location is everything when setting up your router and satellite extenders, which are also sometimes called nodes (or Points if you use Nest Wi-Fi). Their specific location significantly affects the system's performance. Internet is already expensive, with over 63% of US adults paying $195 or more on average, so if you've invested in a mesh router system, you should be getting the speeds you're paying for. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind as you go. Where is the best location to place your mesh router? Mesh routers and other Wi-Fi devices perform best when located out in the open and off the ground. Netgear First, you'll want the main router, or the mesh device wired to your modem, to be located as centrally in your home as possible. That's the same approach you'd take with a single router, and the reasoning is the same: Routers put out Wi-Fi signals in all directions, so placing your router in a central location within your home will maximize your connection. Locating local internet providers That goes double for mesh systems, where the strength of the connection near your nodes will largely depend on the strength of the incoming signal from the main router. A stronger connection between the two will help ensure you're getting the fastest Wi-Fi speeds throughout your home. Your options for moving the router might seem limited by the location of your modem and the incoming wiring for your home's internet connection, but an extra-long Ethernet cable can come in handy here, allowing you to move the router away from where the modem sits if necessary. If that's impractical or you'd prefer to keep the cables to a minimum, you'll at least want to move that main router out into the open, preferably as high off the ground as possible. This guide from Asus highlights a mesh rule of thumb -- for the best performance, try to keep each device in your setup no more than two rooms away from another one. Asus Move those extenders around Once the main router is situated in the best spot possible, you'll want to pick out good spots for the extenders. With most systems, you can connect each device to the main router with an Ethernet cable for the fastest speeds possible, but most people prefer to connect everything wirelessly to reduce clutter. Since Wi-Fi is slower than Ethernet, you'll want to be extra strategic about where you place the extenders throughout your home. Again, out in the open and off the ground is your best bet for a clear signal, but you'll also want to consider the layout of your home, as physical obstructions between the main router and the extenders can slow things down. Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is to try and keep the devices in your mesh setup no more than two rooms away from each other. The thickness and material of your walls can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal, especially if they're built with dense materials like brick or concrete, which can make it difficult for Wi-Fi signals to penetrate. You'll also want to watch out for electronic interference from TVs and other large appliances. If you're sticking a mesh extender in the kitchen, resist the urge to hide it on top of the fridge; move it away from your appliances altogether. Most mesh systems come with apps that include placement guides, signal strength checks and other diagnostic tools to help you ensure everything is in the best spot possible. Screenshot by Ry Crist/CNET Furniture can also block Wi-Fi signals, so if you have anything large or bulky between two of your mesh devices, consider relocating it. Aquariums are another classic antagonist for your mesh setup, as Wi-Fi has difficulty transmitting through water. The best way to ensure that your mesh network is as well-connected as possible is to open its app and check the signal strength of each device, which is something most systems offer. You can also find system-specific guidance online at the links below: Avoid these dead zones If you've got a back corner of your home where the signal drops out, it might be tempting to stick a mesh extender smack in the middle of that dead zone to boost your speeds. In a lot of cases, that'd be a mistake. Remember, like your phone or laptop, your mesh extenders need to connect wirelessly with the main router in your setup. If that back corner is a dead zone for your phone or laptop, it'll likely be a dead zone for your mesh extender too. The better approach is to place that extender adjacent to the dead zone in a spot where it'll have an easier time connecting with the main router. In some cases, that might be halfway between the dead zone and the main router, but you might need to experiment a bit. Hit the sweet spot, and the Wi-Fi signal it puts out should be a healthy one, and one that'll extend into the dead zone to bring it back to life. A speed test can help you see how your Wi-Fi is holding up from room to room. James Martin/CNET Run a speed test Apart from the diagnostic tools in your mesh router's app, the fastest way to check on your system's performance is to run speed tests. There are plenty of free services online that we recommend, any of which will tell you in a minute or less the upload and download speeds on whatever device you're using. However, our top recommendation is Ookla thanks to its consistency and reliability. This is also a tool that we often use to determine speeds offered by different internet providers. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) For the best intel, grab your laptop or phone and run multiple speed tests in each room of your house where you need a usable Wi-Fi signal. Ultimately, you should have a good ballpark sense of where speeds are the steadiest and where they dip. From there, you could try moving your extenders to try and balance things out, or you could consider buying an additional extender to fill in any gaps. Either way, your home should be all set with a strong signal wherever needed. You now have the knowledge to start placing your mesh router in the best spots in your home. Chris Monroe/CNET Other considerations for your mesh router Just remember that your mesh router can only offer speeds that are as fast as what you're paying for from your ISP. If speeds are widely insufficient in your home, then it might be time to consider upgrading to a faster plan (and it might be worth seeing if your ISP will let you try a faster plan for a few days to see if that is, indeed, the problem). Your ISP might also be able to provide you with an updated modem that'll bring better, faster speeds to your mesh system to begin with. Can't hurt to ask. If speeds still seem slower than you'd like, and your ISP isn't the answer, there are a few other things you can try. For starters, if your provider's modem is a gateway device that doubles as a router, you'll want to disable its Wi-Fi network so that it doesn't interfere with your mesh system's Wi-Fi network. Speaking of interference, it's possible that a neighbor's Wi-Fi network is interfering with yours. To remedy that, hop into your mesh router's app and look for channel settings that let you tune your network to a different part of the Wi-Fi airwaves, potentially steering away from whatever channel nearby networks use. You'll also want to ensure that your mesh system's firmware is updates, which should be easy to check within its app. For more, check out our picks for the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, and how to find free secure Wi-Fi wherever you go.
Gizmodo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
TP-Link AX1800 WiFi 6 Router Is at Its Lowest Price, 22K+ Reviewers Never Got It This Cheap
If you've got an amazing internet package but can't seem to get the most out of it, then it might be time to upgrade your router. It can be a big bottleneck for a lot of people, because it's easy to forget that you actually need hardware that can support your internet connection's potential. Good routers can be pricey though, so you'll want to make the most of a good deal that comes around. Well, Amazon has just one such deal on right now, which means that you can get the TP-Link AX1800 WiFi 6 Router for just $55. That's a massive 45% off the standard price of $100, and an excellent opportunity to make your life at home a bit more convenient. This is a limited-time deal though, which means it's not going to last very long. See at Amazon This router, also known as the Archer AX21, don't ask us why it has two names, we do not know, is an incredible steal at this price. WiFi 6 is just better than the previous versions, and while a lot of modern routers do support it, they tend to be a fair bit more expensive than $54, which makes this one of the lowest prices you can pay for the upgrade. What does that really mean for you though? Well, it means that you can enjoy speeds of up to 1.8 Gbps while connected to your WiFi, which will have things loading faster, or videos running smoother when they're playing. It also means you can connect more devices at once, and that's absolutely essential given how many extra devices so many homes pick up now. It's hard enough for just one person, but if you're in a home with a few different people, the chances are that there are countless devices connected at any one time. The router itself can also boost the range of your WiFi further than a lot of them, and can send and receive the signal more reliably thanks to the four high-gain antennas and a special chipset within the router. It just means that your experience will be a lot better than it likely has been, and that's worth any price for a lot of us, especially those of us who work from home. We do think this is a solid deal at $100, it's not as expensive as some options, but for $55, this thing is incredible value. We're not expecting the deal to last long though, so don't wait around on this one. See at Amazon
