WiFi: Optimize my WiFi connection and understand what impacts it

 To find an effective solution, it is important to diagnose those things that can impact the performance of your WiFi network at home. Here are the most common ones:  

• Possible interference from radio waves. This can be the WiFi network of your neighbors, other electrical appliances that also use radio waves...

• Your appliances 💻, 📱, 📺, and in particular the standard supported by them: not all WiFi standards deliver the same performance in terms of throughput.

• The number of connected devices must also be taken into account. The more devices connected simultaneously, the lower the performance of your WiFi connection.             For example, if you have downloads in progress, or programs in progress, web pages and/or windows open in your web browser (online games, etc.), this will necessarily impact the performance of your WiFi. Your TV can also affect your WiFi, if it is connected to the internet (e.g. Tango TV, Netflix, etc.).
• The output speed of the Internet line: if your line does not exceed 20 Mbps, it is impossible for the speed to be higher than this on your devices connected to the network.
• The time of day 🕓 can also affect the quality of your network. During certain periods (so-called peak times, for example in the early evening or around midday

• Programs installed on your device may be accessing the internet or making updates, and therefore also impacting your connection. Check that your device is free of spyware and adware. This is malicious software that inspects the sites visited by users in order to display targeted advertisements in the form of pop-up windows or banners. A virus can also slow down both your device and your Internet connection.

• The environment of your FRITZ!Box. The distance between the FRITZ!Box and your devices, and obstacles between your devices can influence the quality of your network.

•  Place your FRITZ!Box in the right place 🏘️️️. Your FRITZ!Box is equipped with omni-directional antennas. It should therefore be placed in a central location in your home and as high up in the room as possible, for example, on a shelf. It is important that the Fritz!Box is not placed in a corner of the room, under a piece of furniture or near a heater.
• Try not to overload your WiFi network. The quality of your network also depends on your usage: if you download very large files or if several devices are connected at the same time, then the WiFi signal strength will weaken.

• Remove obstacles Make sure there are as few obstacles as possible between the FRITZ!Box and your wireless devices! The closer you use your smartphone, tablet or laptop to your FRITZ!Box, the stronger the WiFi connection will be 💥. The further away you are, the weaker the network signal will be. Even small objects in close proximity can significantly reduce the coverage area of the WiFi network. Metal or water-containing objects (walls, radiators, refrigerators, aquariums or even houseplants) also hamper the quality of the WiFi network. Also make sure that there are no other radio transmitters around, such as microwaves, wireless speakers or Bluetooth devices.

• Boost your WiFi with a repeater! It is possible that the WiFi connection emitted by your FRITZ!Box does not cover the entire area of your home because of its size, its configuration or simply because of the thickness of the walls or their insulation. In this case, the ideal solution is to amplify your WiFi network with a repeater.

✌️Top tip: Tango offers the option WIFI Plus of finding the most suitable solution for your situation. Tango takes care of everything.

​

A technician comes directly to your home, makes a diagnosis using specialist equipment and installs the necessary repeater(s) in the most suitable locations. 

To request this option, contact us.

• Reboot your FRITZ!Box. If your connection is very slow or you lose it completely, reboot your FRITZ!Box by unplugging it from the power supply for a few minutes 🔌.

Tango tip: Check your Virtual Assistant 🤖 at the bottom right of this page for guidance.

• Test with another device. The quality of your Internet connection, especially WiFi, also depends on the technical characteristics of the device you are connecting to. As a rule, most of the latest generation devices can support an ultra-fast connection. On the other hand, devices over two years old do not necessarily allow you to benefit from the full power of the speed. E.g. with a Tango Fibre subscription at 600 Mbit/s, your device may be limited to 100 Mbit/s. You can therefore try testing your connection with another device to make sure that the source of the problem is your wireless network, not your device 💻.

• Let your device choose the best network! There are two Wi-Fi networks on the latest FRITZ!Box modem models - one at 5 GHz and another at 2.4 GHz. When you first use it, connect to each of these two networks in turn. Your device will then automatically select the best one. You can check which network you are connected to on the user interface of your FRITZ!Box. See point 4.2 below to follow the steps.
• If you were already connected with your device, simply forget the WiFi network in the settings of your device, then reconnect (be sure to have your WiFi password at hand before doing this!).
• Note that if you can't find the 5GHz network, or you can't connect to it, it's probably because your device isn’t compatible.