LIfehacker's Complete Guide to Wifi

Wireless networking is complicated, but it doesn't have to be. In this special series, we'll show you everything you need to know to get a great connection at home.

Use This Wifi Band for Your Devices

Should you connect your devices to your router's 2.4GHz or 5GHz band? Spoiler: You should use both, and we'll show you when it makes sense to switch back and forth.

Your Devices Don't Have to Be on the Same Wifi Band

You should absolutely think about whether you should use 2.4GHz or 5GHz for different devices, but not because they won't be able to communicate with one another. That's just silly.

How to Find the Best Channels for Your Wireless Networks

Most people let their routers pick the best channels for their wifi networks (across 2.4GHz and 5GHz). If you want to make this selection manually—or have to—here's how you can find the right channel to give your devices the best possible performance.

How to Make Your Wifi Router More Secure

Whether you're setting up a new router or checking out the settings on your old workhorse, here's everything you need to do to protect your home network from harm.

Windows: Use WiFi Analyzer to Optimize your Wireless Network

This free Windows app is great for seeing how other wireless networks might be interfering with yours. Fire it up, and you'll get a lovely real-time graph of the signal strength and channels every nearly wireless network takes up.

Mac: Use Wifi Explorer to Optimize your Wireless Network

Second verse, same as the first. At $20, this app is hardly cheap, but Wifi Explorer is one of the best and easiest-to-use wifi scanning apps. Fire it up and tweak your wireless network's settings if your neighbors are blasting interfering networks.

The 10 Best Ways to Boost Your Wifi

If you're feeling like your wireless network is getting slower, but you're not sure why, we've got you covered. Try these tips to get your downloads back to where they used to be: fast.

Arrange Your Wi-Fi Networks in Order of Preference

If you use multiple wireless networks at home, make sure your laptop is set to connect to the best network first.

How to Extend Your Wifi Network With an Old Router

If you can't get a solid connection in the farthest reaches of your house (or, say, upstairs), try using older gear you have sitting around instead of buying new stuff—at first.

Why You Should Regularly Check Your Internet Speeds

If your downloads and uploads feel slow, it might not be your router's fault. By regularly checking your internet speeds, you'll know if your ISP might be having some issues instead.

How to Buy the Right Network Switch

A great network switch can help you extend your home network to even more devices—or more locations around your house, if you connect a few wireless access points. Though a switch is a "dumb" device, here's what you need to know to make sure you're purchasing the right one.