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Fix unstable Wi-Fi

High jitter, packet loss and slow speeds usually come from the Wi-Fi hop, not your ISP.

Unstable Wi-Fi shows up as lag spikes, lost packets and speeds that change from room to room, while a device on a cable stays steady on the same line. Test with a cable first to be sure, then use 5 GHz or 6 GHz, pick a clear channel, move the router into the open, and wire the devices that never move.

First: is it the Wi-Fi or the line?

Plug a laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable and run the Lag Check again. If the wired result is much better, the problem is your Wi-Fi and the steps below will help. If it's just as bad, the problem is your plan, modem or ISP.

What the result means

  • Clean on a cable, bad on Wi-Fi: the Wi-Fi link is the cause. Work through the quick wins below.
  • Bad on both, but only while others are online: the line's queue is filling up. That is bufferbloat, and the Smart Queue guide fixes it.
  • Bad on both all the time: look at the modem, the plan or the provider. Keep results from a few different hours to show them.
  • Fine near the router, bad in one room: that room is at the edge of the signal. The Wi-Fi room check compares rooms and tells a weak signal (steady extra lag) from interference (spikes).

Why Wi-Fi adds lag

Wi-Fi is a shared radio channel: only one device can talk at a time, and every network in range on the same channel, including your neighbours', takes turns with yours. When the signal is weak, devices drop to slower rates and resend packets that didn't arrive, so each packet takes longer and the delay varies. 5 GHz and 6 GHz carry more data and are less crowded, but walls stop them sooner than 2.4 GHz.

Quick wins

  1. Use 5 GHz or 6 GHz when you're within a room or two of the router. 2.4 GHz reaches further but is slower and far more crowded.
  2. Move the router out of cupboards, off the floor and away from microwaves, fish tanks and thick walls. Central and high is best.
  3. On 2.4 GHz, use channel 1, 6 or 11, whichever neighbours use least. Other channels overlap and make things worse.
  4. On 5 GHz, try a 40 or 80 MHz channel width instead of 160 MHz in crowded apartments. It's often more stable.
  5. Restart the router and update its firmware. Old firmware is a common cause of drops.

Bigger fixes

  • For a large home, a mesh system with wired backhaul (or a powerline/MoCA link) beats a single powerful router.
  • For gaming PCs and consoles that don't move, use a cable. Nothing wireless matches it for jitter.

To open your router's settings, try these addresses (one of them usually works): 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1, 10.0.0.1, 192.168.50.1. The login is often printed on a sticker on the router.

Common questions

How do I know if my Wi-Fi or my provider is the problem?

Plug a computer into the router with an Ethernet cable and run the Lag Check there, then run it again over Wi-Fi in the room you normally use. If the cable result is clearly better, the Wi-Fi link is the cause. If both are equally bad, look at the line or the router instead.

Is 5 GHz better than 2.4 GHz for gaming?

Yes, when you are within a room or two of the router. 5 GHz has more channels and far fewer neighbours on them, so there is less waiting and less jitter. 2.4 GHz reaches further through walls but shares its few channels with nearby networks, Bluetooth and microwave ovens.

Which Wi-Fi channel should I use?

On 2.4 GHz use 1, 6 or 11, whichever nearby networks use least; the channels in between overlap two of those at once. On 5 GHz the router's automatic choice is usually fine, and a narrower 40 or 80 MHz channel is often steadier in a crowded building.

Will a Wi-Fi extender fix lag?

It fixes reach, not lag. A basic extender receives each packet and sends it again over the air, which adds delay and takes airtime from everything else. A mesh point or access point fed by a cable does the same job without that cost. The Wi-Fi room check shows which rooms need it.

Made a change? Measure again to see the difference.

Run the Lag Check