Should I turn my router off at night?
The intuitive answer is wrong on some connections. What it saves, what it costs, and why nightly disconnections can make a copper-based broadband line permanently slower.
beginner15 min6 min read
Internet & WiFi
Making a home network fast and reliable.
55 guides in Technology
Should I use my provider's router or buy my own?
When the supplied router is genuinely the limit, what you gain by replacing it, and the cases where you cannot.
intermediate30 min3 min readWhy do I have two routers, and is double NAT causing my problems?
Keeping the provider's box and adding your own leaves your devices two translation layers from the internet. What that genuinely breaks, what it does not, and the three ways out in order of preference.
advanced40 min4 min readWhy does my phone stay connected to the far mesh node?
Mesh systems do not decide which node your phone uses — your phone does, and most phones hold on far too long. What actually causes it, the instant fix, and the two changes that stop it recurring.
intermediate20 min3 min readWhat is port forwarding, and do I need it?
The router setting people are told to change for cameras, servers and consoles. What it actually does, the fixed address you need first, why it may not work on your connection at all, and the safer alternatives.
advanced35 min6 min readIs a travel router worth it?
A pocket router that joins the hotel wifi once and gives your own devices a private network behind it. The four problems it genuinely solves, the ones it does not, and who should not bother.
intermediate25 min6 min readHow do I set up guest wifi?
Why a separate guest network is worth the five minutes, and how to set one up on a typical home router.
beginner15 min2 min read
Going deeper: DecisionHQ
Product and option comparisons with explicit criteria, rather than a single recommendation.