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Speeding up your home Wi-Fi might be as easy as changing one setting

Published Feb 8th, 2016 4:32PM EST
Wi-Fi Network Issues Bands
Image: Shutterstock

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You’ve tried everything when it comes to fixing your home Wi-Fi, but it’s still broken and the first thing you should do is check our tips, tricks and hacks to see if any of them help. There’s another issue we haven’t covered in the past that could be causing issues with your home network though, and it has something to do with the Wi-Fi bands that you’re using. Now, Apple and Cisco have just acknowledged the issue and provided some details that might help.

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The two companies released a document a few days ago that primarily targets enterprises, detailing best practices for Wi-Fi networks. The paper says that “both Cisco and Apple’s joint recommendation [is that] the use of the 2.4GHz band is not considered suitable for use for any business and/or mission-critical enterprise applications.”

However, if you live in a crowded area, the same problem might affect your home Wi-Fi setup.

In other words, your slow Wi-Fi network might be fixed by using a simple trick the two companies have suggested. “Cisco and Apple strongly [recommend] a 5GHz-only (802.11a/n/ac) wireless network for Apple devices.”

While the document targets businesses and specifically mentions Apple gear, this is a good tip for all home wireless networks, and any other kind of hardware that supports both bands.

Meanwhile, we’ll remind you that Apple and Cisco announced a major partnership not so long ago, and this document is likely a result of that. The question is, how long are we going to have to wait until Apple and Cisco kill the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band completely?

Posted on Cisco’s website, the 37-page document can be seen in full at the source link below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.