OStatic

By Janet Ku on Jul. 02, 2009

Some basic things you can do to start:

1 - Position your wireless router as far away as possible from devices that can cause interference with the Wi-Fi signal. Such devices include microwave ovens, cordless phones, intercom systems, baby monitors and halogen lights.

2 - Always change the channel used on your wireless router. Most people never change this and it results in many routers using the same channels. If you have other wireless router signals in your area, change the channel to reduce the chance that you are using the same change as another Wi-Fi router in your area.

3 - Place your wireless router centrally and on an upper floor (I have mine in the attic). If you are on a single floor, place it as high as possible by putting it on top of a piece of furniture.

4 - Try to place the wireless router in a location that minimizes the number of walls and hard surfaces (fish tanks, windows, mirrors, metal surfaces) that the signal needs to go through before it reaches your computer.

By Ketan Zhaveri on Jul. 02, 2009

Try Air Radar (http://www.koingosw.com/products/airradar.php) it wont do everything you need but helps you identify whether your router is running slow or giving a weak signal..

By Peter Brook on Jul. 03, 2009

This is not automated, but you can use http://speedtest.net. They save previous tests too, I believe. This will tell you how slow/fast your network is for pings as well as up/down speeds.

I found that I had a shitty router because my speeds were significantly different on my wireless network as opposed to a direct-connect. When I replaced my router, lo-and-behold - much faster speeds!

Make sure you have upgraded firmware on your router too.

HTH