Tips & tricks to improve your Wi-Fi and internet at home
1. Place your modem centrally in your home
Where is the best place for your modem?
- Preferably, you place the modem in the centre of your home, in an open space (not in a cupboard) and more than a metre above the ground. This gives you better Wi-Fi coverage.
- Preferably, you keep the modem or Wi-Fi Booster more than a metre away from other electrical appliances to avoid interference.
- Is your modem in the basement? The Wi-Fi reception on the other floors will often be weak. It is preferable to install the modem on the ground floor.
How to place the modem
Place your modem so that the LED lights are visible. They must not face the wall or the floor. If your modem is in the basement, point the LEDs upwards so that the signal can reach the upper floors more easily.
2. Cables are fine too
Wi-Fi is convenient. But connecting your computer, decoder or console to your modem with an Ethernet cable also has its advantages:
- The internet is faster.
- There is no interference from other electrical devices.
- You have more bandwidth on your Wi-Fi channels for the devices that can only work with Wi-Fi.
- If you have built-in Ethernet cables and sockets in your home, you can use them to reach rooms that are too far away for Wi-Fi.
Ethernet cables are available in every electronics shop, or online from one of our Viking Deals-partners. If you want to equip your whole house with built-in Ethernet sockets, it is best to contact an electrician. You can also do this during renovations to your house. Mobile Vikings does not offer this service.
3. Beware of devices that interfere with Wi-Fi
Many electrical devices can interfere with your Wi-Fi: the microwave oven, the alarm system, security cameras, a heating appliance, the doorbell, lighting, the baby monitor, etc. Please bear in mind: don't use your Wi-Fi too close to these types of devices and move closer to your modem or Wi-Fi Booster.
4. Old devices slow down Wi-Fi
Do you have a computer, tablet or smartphone that is more than 5 years old? Then avoid connecting this device to your Wi-Fi network. It can slow down Wi-Fi for other, even more recent devices. Connect these devices, if possible, with an Ethernet cable (at least Cat 5e), turn them off or disable their Wi-Fi when not in use. Also bear in mind that "smart home" applications often use older chips and can therefore also slow down your Wi-Fi.
5. Don't overload your Wi-Fi
The quality of your Wi-Fi signal also depends on your usage. Do you download very large files, or watch in 4K on 3 screens simultaneously? Do you use many devices at the same time? That reduces the quality of your Wi-Fi.
6. Test your line
Is your connection very slow or is it constantly interrupted?
- Connect a laptop to your modem with a network cable (at least Cat 5e) (or a new ethernet cable).
- Measure your speed via the speed test in your My Viking-account. Make a note of the download speed achieved.
- Disconnect the network or Ethernet cable, connect your computer to Wi-Fi and measure the speed again in the same manner.
If there is a major difference in speed, you need to restart your modem:
- Switch the modem off by pressing the on/off button on the back.
- Wait about ten seconds.
- Switch the modem on again.
7. Your connection immediately after your installation
After completing your installation, an automatic check (DLM, for Dynamic Line Management) will be performed to optimise your speed. This process can take up to 10 days and your internet speed may increase during these 10 days until it reaches the optimal speed for your situation on about day 10. To optimise your speed to the maximum extent possible, this check will be conducted every 14 days. You will not notice any of this during the use of your internet at home.