Router

Reboot your router every month.

Home routers require occasional rebooting for a few key reasons:

Memory leaks: Over time, the router’s memory can become filled with temporary data, leading to performance degradation. Rebooting clears the router’s memory and allows it to operate more efficiently.
Firmware issues: Router firmware can sometimes encounter bugs or glitches that cause connection problems or other malfunctions. Rebooting the router can reload the firmware and resolve these issues.
Connectivity changes: When network devices are added, removed, or their settings changed, the router may need to be rebooted to properly adjust its configuration and maintain stable connections.
Resource overload: Prolonged heavy usage, such as high traffic or large file transfers, can overload the router’s processor and memory. Rebooting allows the router to reset and reclaim its resources.
Environmental factors: Things like power fluctuations, electromagnetic interference, or physical bumps/movements can disrupt a router’s normal operation. Rebooting resets the hardware and software to a known good state.

Regularly rebooting home routers, such as once a month, is generally recommended to clear out any accumulated issues and keep the device functioning optimally over time. This simple maintenance task can help prevent more serious connectivity problems from developing.

Optimize Router for Better Gaming

Don’t let lag affect your score.

When gaming, even slight lag can affect your performance. Consider optimizing your router for better gaming performance.

To reduce your time to kill (TTK) in gaming, you don’t necessarily need a gaming router. You can prioritize your gaming traffic by adjusting certain router settings, which can typically be done from the router’s access page. Here’s how you can optimize it.

Update Your Router

Ensure your router’s firmware is regularly updated to unlock new features, patch security vulnerabilities, and enhance performance. Enable automatic updates, while also monitoring firmware versions from the manufacturer.

If your router is no longer receiving firmware updates and isn’t supported, then it’s time to buy a new router.

Connect to Ethernet Vs Wi-Fi

When gaming, it’s best to use an Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi for higher speeds and more consistent latency rates, especially with Gigabit Ethernet.

Use Updated Wi-Fi Standards

Most modern routers use dual-band Wi-Fi 6 connections for better performance and higher speeds over longer distances. If your router isn’t Wi-Fi 6 compatible, enabling the 5GHz band can still improve performance over the 2.4GHz band.

Rearrange Your Setup

If you live in a larger house, consider repositioning your router to optimize Wi-Fi performance for gaming. It’s recommended to place the router no more than a room away from connected devices to minimize disconnects and maintain higher speeds.

Consider powerline adapters if moving your router isn’t an option. These devices utilize your home’s wiring system to create a LAN-like connection and mitigate distance-induced latency. Additionally, you can improve coverage by investing in range extenders.

Allow UPnP

Universal Plug-and-Play automates port forwarding on your router to enhance gaming performance, but it also carries the risk of allowing unwanted network traffic. If you’re willing to accept this security risk, it offers a convenient way to boost your speeds.

Enabled QoS

Enabling Quality of Service (QoS) on a router can improve performance by prioritizing online gaming traffic over other activities such as video calls. This function typically operates automatically and only slows down non-gaming traffic during gaming sessions.

Take Advantage of MU-MIMO

MU-MIMO, short for “Multi-user, multiple input, multiple output,” allows a router to serve multiple users on the same network individually by creating smaller networks to work with all connected devices simultaneously.

MU-MIMO allows for more efficient usage of bandwidth and improves speeds for all users on the network.

Optimize Your Wi-Fi Network

The two most common Wi-Fi bands are 2.4GHz and 5GHz, resulting in some signal overlap. In the United States, the 2.4GHz band has 11 channels, with only three designed not to overlap.

The 5GHz band offers 23 non-overlapping channels, similar to a highway with multiple lanes. To optimize performance, it’s recommended to select an available lane, which can be determined using a Wi-Fi analyzer to identify the least congested channel for gaming.

Use a Dedicated Router

Your ISP may give you a modem with a built-in router, but it may not offer optimal performance. If you have a higher-end ASUS or TP-Link router, consider disabling the modem’s built-in router and using your own for better network performance.

Optimizing your router for better gaming involves identifying the strongest network points in your home through speed tests on your phone, and then setting up your gaming devices accordingly to minimize interference.

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