Don’t make these 7 mistakes when setting up your Wi-Fi router

Setting up a router is usually simple; you plug in and Wi-Fi works. However, it doesn’t always work that way, and you can cause Wi-Fi problems during the installation process – but luckily, these are easily avoided.

1 Installing the router in the wrong place

The location of the router greatly affects the strength and range of your Wi-Fi signal. If you’re in a far corner of your home, the signal won’t be evenly distributed, leading to dead zones where there’s little or no connection. Installing the router near thick walls or inside a cabinet can weaken the signal and cause slower speeds.

To avoid this, you should find the optimal location of the router in a central location so that the signal reaches all areas of your home without creating dead zones. I recommend placing the router on a high shelf or elevated location to reduce interference and allow the signal to spread further. Also, do not install it near microwaves, baby monitors, wireless security cameras, and similar items.

2 Using default credentials and a weak password

Changing the router’s default credentials is just as important as locking the front. Hackers often know the default credentials for different brands of routers, so skipping this step during setup can put your network at risk. I recommend changing both the default username and creating a strong password.

To do this, open a browser and enter the IP address of the router (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) in the address bar. If it’s different, you can easily check it in macOS or Windows. Log in with your default username and password and go to Security, Managementor similar section. Find the option to change username or SSID.

Then set a strong password with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Then save the changes and reboot the router.

3 Router firewall activation failure

A firewall is a frontline soldier that monitors incoming and outgoing traffic to block or limit any suspicious activity. It protects your device from unauthorized access and prevents malware and spyware from entering your network. For this reason, you should enable the firewall and if it is enabled by default, customize it for maximum security.

To enable or modify firewall settings, access the router interface as before. Then find the sections marked Security, Advanced settingsor Firewall. Turn on the firewall and if your router offers different security levels (low, medium, high), choose the level that best suits your security preferences.

You can also customize other firewall settings such as DoS protection. Just make sure you don’t accidentally block legitimate traffic.

4 Overlooking Quality of Service (QoS) Settings

Quality of Service (QoS) is a feature that allows you to prioritize different types of Internet traffic. Tasks such as video calling, online gaming or streaming may be given the most bandwidth, while less critical activities such as downloading receive less. This helps ensure that critical tasks run smoothly without lag or buffering, even when your network is busy.

You can also prioritize a particular device, such as your work computer, to get the most bandwidth while others get less. This is especially useful if you have a slower internet connection and want to prioritize certain activities. To set up QoS, go to the router interface and search QoS, Traffic managementor Bandwidth management settings.

On this page, you should first enable QoS (Quality of Service) if it is disabled and use it Low, Mediumand High options to prioritize devices or applications. Some routers even allow manual bandwidth allocation. After configuring the preferences, save the changes and reboot the router.

5 Using a weak or default DNS configuration

When you first set up your router, it uses the default DNS settings provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). These defaults may be slower and less secure. Switching to a faster DNS like Google can speed up the resolution of domain names and help websites load faster.

It also reduces the likelihood of outages and connectivity issues faced by ISPs. If you haven’t changed your DNS settings yet, you’re probably still using the default settings. To change the DNS, go to the router’s interface and look for the marked sections Internet settings, WAN settingsor DNS settings.

Find and switch the DNS option from automatic to manual and enter your preferred DNS, for example Google DNS: 8.8.8.8 (primary), 8.8.4.4 (secondary). Save the changes and reboot the router to apply them. Alternatively, you can use other reliable DNS options like Cloudflare or OpenDNS if you prefer.

6 Reliance on outdated and insecure encryption protocols

Proper encryption is key to securing data transmitted over your Wi-Fi network from third-party eavesdropping. Weak or outdated Wi-Fi encryption protocols can leave your network vulnerable to hackers and data theft. The most secure standard is WPA3, which protects against brute force attacks.

You should avoid using outdated protocols such as WEP or WPA as they can be easily compromised. To update your router’s encryption settings, go to your router’s interface and go to Wireless settings or Security section. If available, switch to WPA3. If not, select WPA2-PSK (AES). You may also see a mixed WPA3/WPA2 option, which is also secure and is the best choice for a network using a mix of older and newer devices.

After the update, save the changes and restart the router.

7 Router settings are not backed up

After completing the router settings, the last step is to backup the router settings. This ensures that if you accidentally make inadvertent changes to your settings, need to replace your router, or perform a factory reset to fix issues, you can restore your settings using a backup file without having to start over.

To create a backup of your configured settings, go to System tools or Maintenance diagnostics menu and find Backup and restore or Configuration file choice. From there, download the file that contains the backup of the router settings. Save this file in a safe place; you can upload it to the same page and restore your settings if necessary. Whenever you change router settings, create a new backup file that contains the latest settings and delete the previous ones.