How to Improve Your Home Network Performance
Three Ways a Professional Network Installation Boosts Your Home’s Connectivity
If it hasn’t become all too clear in these times, we are all very dependent on our data links to the world at large. From online shopping to Zoom video conferences, our home networks have become vital links to staying connected with everything important in our lives. While the effects of the pandemic and Zoom calls will subside over time, there's no question that reliable connectivity is and will continue to be a necessity.
With all the strain current home networks are under, it might be a good time to review your system. Is it keeping up with all the high-resolution video streaming for video conferences and entertainment? Are your security cameras delivering you a quality feed when you want to see something? If not, you might be in need of some upgrades. Keep reading for three ways a professional home network installation can keep your Chicago, IL home connected in the fast lane.
3 Ways a Stronger Network Improves Home Technology
Wired vs. Wireless Connections
It may be a wireless world, but wires provide the infrastructure for most wireless devices to work. Generally, a wired connection is more reliable than a wireless one, as wireless frequencies are subject to interference from other devices or can be affected by walls and other obstructions. Where might you want a wired versus a wireless connection? Wired connections are excellent for high throughput devices like desktop computers, networked drives for backup and media libraries, network video recorders and cameras for video surveillance, and some smart TVs and video streaming devices.
What happens when running wires to some devices is not feasible for aesthetic or architectural reasons? The solution is to boost the wireless network signal to get higher performance in distributed parts of your home, including outdoors. Wireless Access Points (WAP) can help your wireless devices achieve stronger connections to your router. For optimal performance, these should be hard-wired back to your router, and they can be discreetly installed in less visible locations around a home. Other solutions may also work, like mesh networks and multiple networks if a property is large. The right solution involves professional assessment of devices, connectivity, bandwidth, typical usage, and many other factors.
Upgrade the ISP Setup
Many homes rely on their Internet Service Provider (ISP) for home networking, Wi-Fi, and internet connection. Those functions are often consolidated in one piece of equipment, and rarely is that equipment of the highest performance. These one-size-fits-all solutions may not serve the needs of your decidedly non-average home well.
One way to improve performance is to start by replacing the ISP-provided router. Professionally installed equipment provides higher performance, from higher capacity, faster processing, better antennas, and other robust features. Routers are special-purpose computers with specialized software, and just as with regular computers, there's a wide variance in capabilities. New routers include support for updated standards like Wi-Fi 6 that offer higher wireless speeds and improved device handling capacity, which lead to better performance for all your connected devices.
Establishing Priorities
Network routers and other associated equipment manage resources, just like computer operating systems. All your devices in your home are competing for the network bandwidth resources available. Some of those devices need higher priorities than others. Consider voice calls. If your call drops bits here and there, because a conversation is interactive and continuous, dropped bits lead to garbled conversations. When your cell phone connection does it, you understand the frustration. Modern router software and professional tuning can adjust the priorities for different types of links in your home, so everything runs smoothly – voice calls, video conferences, 4K Netflix entertainment, your computers, and all your smart home devices – at the same time.
Want to learn more about the benefits of a professionally installed and configured home network? Call us at (630) 898-2850 or contact us here to get started. We look forward to working with you!
