How to Set Up and Optimize Your Wireless Router

Although manufacturers have been making installation utilities easier to use, getting the best out of your new wireless router usually means delving a little deeper than the standard installation routine will go. Just because you’ve plugged everything in and all the blinking lights have turned green doesn’t mean your network’s performance or its security are as strong as they could be. Follow these basic steps to properly configure your router and optimize your wireless network.

- RONALD PACCHIANO & WILLIAM VAN WINKLE

HOW DO I CONNECT MY WI-FI ROUTER?

These steps assume that you’ve already found the right router for your home. (If you’re still shopping, see our story in this issue: “The 8 Best Wireless Routers We’ve Tested.”)

As part of router selection, two additional questions you’ll need to answer are whether you want a Wi-Fi 6 router or a Wi-Fi mesh system—or even both in one. Wi-Fi 6 is an emerging standard that is finally seeing a widening selection of compatible routers coming to market. If you’re looking to replace your current router, and it’s more than three years old, or if you’re simply looking for the latest in terms of speed and security, Wi-Fi 6 is what you want.

Wi-Fi mesh systems are for folks willing to pay a little more for two primary benefits: easy basic setup and whole-home Wi-Fi coverage. Though you can increase the coverage in your home with a standard router and a wireless range extender, that solution tends to make users jump through a few additional hoops to get things working smoothly, notably forcing them to log into different wireless networks depending on where they are in the home. Wi-Fi mesh makes all that go away with a quick and easy path to initial setup and a series of compatible “nodes” that integrate seamlessly into a single wireless network that blankets your entire home.