How to Get the Most Out of Your Wi-Fi Router

Your Wi-Fi router is the heart of your home internet experience. It’s the device that takes your internet connection and distributes it throughout your home, enabling everything from video streaming and gaming to work calls and smart home functionality.

Yet despite its central role, many Australians are not getting the most from their router. According to a recent nbn commissioned survey in 2025, 42% of residential consumers who use nbn as their main internet service at home haven’t modified their home setup in the past five years.* This means nearly half of nbn users may be experiencing suboptimal internet performance due to outdated equipment or improper configuration.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to maximise your Wi-Fi router’s performance, from strategic placement and configuration to understanding when it’s time for an upgrade.

Strategic Router Placement

The single most important factor in your Wi-Fi performance is often your router’s physical location. Even the most advanced router won’t perform well if poorly positioned.

Optimal Placement Guidelines

Follow these key principles for router placement:

– Position centrally: Place your router near the centre of your home rather than at one end. This provides more balanced coverage throughout your living space.

– Elevate your router: Mount your router on a wall or place it on a high shelf (1-1.5 metres off the ground). Wi-Fi signals spread downward more effectively than upward.

– Avoid obstructions: Keep your router away from:

• Concrete or brick walls that block signals
• Large metal objects (filing cabinets, refrigerators) that reflect signals
• Electronic devices (microwaves, cordless phones, baby monitors) that cause interference
• Water features like fish tanks that absorb signals

– Consider multi-storey homes: In two-storey homes, place your router near the ceiling of the ground floor or on the floor of the upper level. This helps signal distribution between levels.

– Antenna positioning: If your router has external antennas, position them vertically for better horizontal coverage (where most devices are located) or at 45-degree angles for multi-storey coverage.

– Distance from your nbn connection box: Position your router near your nbn connection box (formerly called the Network Termination Device or NTD) to minimise signal loss in connecting cables.

Even modest adjustments to router placement can dramatically improve coverage throughout your home without any additional cost.

Understanding Your Router’s Capabilities

Different routers offer varying features and capabilities. Understanding what your router can (and cannot) do is essential for maximising its performance.

Key Router Specifications

– Wi-Fi standards: Modern routers support different Wi-Fi standards, each with different capabilities:

• Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n): Now considered outdated, with maximum theoretical speeds around 450-600 Mbps
• Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac): Supports speeds up to 3.5 Gbps theoretically and operates on the less congested 5GHz band
• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax): Provides significantly better performance with many connected devices and theoretical speeds up to 9.6 Gbps
• Wi-Fi 6E: Extends Wi-Fi 6 capabilities into the 6GHz band for even less interference

– Router age considerations: If your router is more than 5 years old, it likely uses outdated technology that cannot fully support modern internet speeds and security protocols, regardless of your nbn plan.

• Frequency bands: Most modern routers are dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) or tri-band (2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands or 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz):
  • 2.4GHz offers better range but slower speeds and more interference
  • 5GHz provides faster speeds but shorter range
  • 6GHz (newest band) offers the highest speeds with the least interference but shortest range

– Processing power: Your router’s CPU and RAM significantly impact its ability to handle multiple devices and complex tasks. Budget routers often struggle with multiple simultaneous connections.

– Beamforming capability: Advanced routers use beamforming to focus Wi-Fi signals directly at connected devices rather than broadcasting equally in all directions, improving performance for active devices.

Router Configuration Optimisation

Beyond physical placement, proper configuration can significantly improve your router’s performance.

Essential Configuration Tips

• Update firmware regularly: Router manufacturers frequently release updates that improve performance, add features, and patch security vulnerabilities.

– Choose appropriate Wi-Fi channels: In congested areas with many nearby networks, selecting less crowded channels can reduce interference. Most modern routers can automatically select optimal channels, but manual selection may be beneficial in some situations.

– Enable Quality of Service (QoS): This feature allows you to prioritise certain activities (like video conferencing or gaming) over others (like downloads or backups). Properly configured QoS can dramatically improve performance for critical applications during periods of network congestion.

• Secure your network properly: Use WPA3 security if available, or at minimum WPA2. Avoid WEP, which is easily compromised.
• Create strong, unique passwords: Both your router’s admin password and Wi-Fi password should be strong and not shared with other accounts.

– Optimise for device types: Some routers allow you to configure settings based on the types of devices in your home. For example, you might prioritise lower latency for gaming devices and higher bandwidth for streaming devices.

Extending Your Wi-Fi Coverage

Even with optimal placement, some homes—particularly larger ones or those with complex layouts—may experience Wi-Fi dead zones. There are several approaches to extending coverage, but not all are created equal.

Coverage Extension Options

– Traditional Wi-Fi extenders/repeaters: These devices capture and rebroadcast your existing Wi-Fi signal. While inexpensive, they have significant limitations:

• They typically create separate networks with different names
• They often reduce bandwidth by up to 50%
• They require manual network switching as you move through your home
• They add latency to your connection

– Mesh Wi-Fi systems: These systems use multiple nodes that work together to create a single, seamless network throughout your home:

• All nodes broadcast the same network name
• Your devices automatically connect to the strongest node
• They maintain more consistent speeds throughout the coverage area
• They’re easily expandable by adding more nodes

– Wired access points: For the best performance, consider connecting additional access points via ethernet cables:

• This provides the most reliable and fastest performance
• Ideal for areas where consistent high-speed connections are crucial
• Requires running ethernet cables, which may be challenging in some homes

– Powerline adapters with Wi-Fi: These use your home’s electrical wiring to extend internet access to areas with poor Wi-Fi coverage:

• More reliable than wireless extenders in many situations
• No need to run new cables through walls
• Performance varies based on your home’s electrical wiring

For most modern homes, mesh Wi-Fi systems represent the best balance of performance, coverage, and ease of use, particularly for properties larger than 150-200 square metres or with multiple levels.

Wired vs. Wireless Connections

While Wi-Fi offers convenience, wired ethernet connections provide superior stability, speed, and security. Understanding when to use each type of connection can significantly improve your overall internet experience.

Connection Type Guidelines

– Devices ideal for wired connections:

• Gaming consoles and gaming PCs
• Smart TVs and streaming devices
• Desktop computers
• Home office equipment
• Network attached storage (NAS) devices

– Benefits of wired connections:

• Consistent speeds without interference
• Lower latency (important for gaming and video calls)
• No competition with other wireless devices
• More secure than wireless connections
• Not affected by walls or distance (within cable length limits)

– When wireless makes sense:

• Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets
• Devices that need to be moved frequently
• Areas where running cables isn’t practical
• Devices with limited connectivity options

Every device you connect via ethernet reduces congestion on your wireless network, improving performance for devices that must use Wi-Fi.

Managing Connected Devices

The more devices connected to your Wi-Fi, the more your bandwidth is divided. Modern homes often have dozens of connected devices, many of which consume bandwidth even when not actively used.

Device Management Strategies

• Audit your connected devices regularly to identify and remove unauthorised connections.

– Create device schedules for items that don’t need 24/7 connectivity, such as children’s gaming consoles or smart TVs.

– Use guest networks for visitors and IoT devices to keep your main network less congested and more secure.

• Disconnect unused devices or put them in airplane mode when not in use.

– Consider ethernet for bandwidth-hungry devices to reduce wireless congestion.

– Group similar devices on the same frequency band based on their needs:

• High-performance devices on 5GHz
• Longer-range, lower-bandwidth devices on 2.4GHz

When to Upgrade Your Router

Even with optimal placement and configuration, older routers eventually reach their limitations. Here are signs that it might be time for an upgrade:

Upgrade Indicators

– Your router is more than 5 years old: Router technology has evolved significantly, with newer models offering substantially better performance, security, and features.

– You’ve upgraded your internet plan but aren’t experiencing the expected performance improvements.

– You have more than 10-15 connected devices in your home, straining your router’s processing capabilities.

– You experience frequent disconnections or need to restart your router regularly.

– Wi-Fi speeds are significantly lower than wired speeds beyond the normal difference.

– You have dead zones despite optimal router placement.

When selecting a new router, focus on features that match your specific needs rather than simply buying the most expensive option. For most households, a quality Wi-Fi 6 router or mesh system provides the best balance of performance, features, and future-proofing.

Key Points to Remember

Getting the most out of your Wi-Fi router involves several key considerations:

• Strategic placement is crucial: Position your router centrally and elevated, away from interference sources like concrete walls, metal objects, and electronic devices. Even modest adjustments to router location can significantly improve connectivity throughout your home.
• Home setup impact: A recent survey revealed that 42% of nbn users haven’t updated their home setup in five years.* Your equipment configuration fundamentally shapes your internet experience, often having more impact than your chosen plan.
• Router age matters: If your router is more than 5 years old, consider upgrading as it likely uses outdated technology that cannot support modern internet speeds and security protocols. Modern routers often provide 3-4 times the performance of older models.
• Configuration optimisation: Keep your router’s firmware updated, secure your network properly, and utilise features like QoS to prioritise important traffic.
• Consider connection types: For activities requiring stability and maximum speeds—like gaming, video conferencing, or large file transfers—use wired connections instead of Wi-Fi. While wireless offers convenience, a direct ethernet connection provides superior reliability.
• Coverage solutions: For larger homes, mesh systems provide superior coverage compared to traditional Wi-Fi extenders. Unlike extenders that often create separate networks and can reduce overall speeds, mesh systems create a unified network throughout your home.
• Device management: Regularly audit connected devices, create schedules for non-essential devices, and consider using guest networks for visitors and IoT devices.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly improve your Wi-Fi performance and ensure that you’re getting the most out of both your router and your internet connection.

*nbn commissioned survey in 2025: residential consumers who use nbn as their main internet service at home (Sample size of 6,225)