I recently updated my router to a Netgear DGN2000 and discovered that the performance I was getting out of it was sub optimal. At one point the transfers speeds obtained were a little over 9 Mbps, sadly only a little faster than my broadband connection. I really wasn’t happy so decided to investigate.

The first thing I did was to move the router around the room, and monitor the improvement at each stage. Then, I adjusted the antennas untill the signal strength was as high as it could be. I still wasn’t happy, so dug a bit further. I then used the software that came with my network card to scan the available wireless networks in my area, and found the problem.

It was crowded, with a couple of networks using the same channel as mine. I picked a channel that wasn’t in use by any networks in my area immediately saw a marked improvement. In fact I am now getting 160 Mbps network speed. This can fluctuate time to time, but is normal.

If you are suffereing from slow speeds and signal I would suggest the following.

  • Relocate the router if you can, checking the results each time.
  • Use a wireless surveying utility to checked for other networks in your vicinity and make a note of the channels.
  • Identify the quietest channel and set your router to broadcast on that.
  • Keep your wireless home telephone away from the router, especially if it is on the 2.4 Ghz frequency band.
  • Test as you go.