Home WiFi has gotten so good in recent years, thanks to companies like Verizon, Comcast, and others offering Gigabit connection speeds at affordable prices.
However, typically devices like phones, tablets, and computers cannot take full advantage of Gigabit connection speeds. With newer innovations like WiFi 6, wireless Internet speeds have been improved and get closed to the full Gigabit speeds.
The Verge has a fantastic article on what WiFi 6 is all about. Read that here.
The problem, though, goes beyond just Internet speed. It’s also connection levels or signals – meaning how many bars of WiFi connection do you get on your device?
You can have WiFi 6, super-fast, Internet speed. But if you only get one bar of WiFi then you could still experience buffering on videos, or drops on Zoom calls.
Best WiFi for online classes
To achieve the best WiFi for online classes you need to make sure the signal strength has full bars on your device(s).
But if your router is on the opposite side of your house from where your computer is, then it is likely that your signal will not be perfect.
Here is how to solve it.
Mesh devices can solve your WiFi problems.
In the video above I shared my choice for mesh devices from a company called eero. eero devices come in multiple forms, including WiFi 6 and WiFi 5.
eero devices also have the benefit of adding network security to your home.
As an added benefit, eero devices, and other mesh network devices, offer ethernet backhauling. This means that you can plug your computer directly into a mesh device, which will provide faster Internet speeds than what WiFi can offer.
For those wondering the difference between a network extender and a mesh network, it comes down to this:
- A network extender will simply extend the reach of the WiFi signal to a dead zone.
- A mesh network will extend the reach of the WiFi throughout the house with management tools and additional capabilities.
First Step To Better WiFi
You might be thinking that I’m telling you to go out and buy an eero kit for your home. But here is the thing. If you were to go with eero or any mesh network, you’ll need the technical skills to disable the WiFi signal from your Internet provider’s router so that you do not have multiple WiFi signals competing for your device’s attention.
So instead, I suggest starting with your Internet provider. Here is why.
Some companies, like Verizon, offer modem/routers that offer their own mesh system.
I’m also not saying to pay more “to the man” but for those who do not have the technical abilities to go the mesh route on their own, sometimes paying more for the easy route is a better solution. You have to determine that for yourself.
The downside, of course, is a high price tag to purchase the mesh extenders, or paying monthly to rent the devices.
So the first step is to determine your level of technical abilities.
Once you understand your capabilities, step two is to decide on which mesh system you go with.
I know this was chock-filled with some technical things, but I tried breaking it down as much as possible.
If you have questions feel free to comment!
Cheers to having the best WiFi for online classes.
