Why does my wifi keep dropping?

'Wifi keeps dropping' covers three different faults: the wifi link between device and router, the router itself, or the broadband line beyond it. They have different fixes, and the fastest way forward is to identify which one you have before changing anything.

What you'll need

• Router access
• Ethernet cable (optional)
• Phone (optional)

Step by step

1. Check whether it affects every device or just one.Every device points at the router or the line. One device points at that device's wifi adapter, drivers or settings.
2. Test with an ethernet cable if you can.If a wired connection is stable while wifi drops, the broadband line is fine and the problem is definitely wifi.
3. Look at the router's lights during a drop.If the broadband or internet light changes, the line is dropping, not the wifi. That is an issue for your provider.
4. Move the router into the open, high and central.Out of a cupboard, off the floor, away from the wall. Routers are directional in practice and enclosures cost a lot of signal.
5. Move it away from interference sources.Microwaves, cordless phones, baby monitors and Bluetooth speakers all use 2.4GHz. So does every neighbouring router.
6. Change the wifi channel.In router settings. On 2.4GHz use 1, 6 or 11 — they are the only non-overlapping channels. A wifi analyser app shows what your neighbours are using.
7. Separate the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks with different names.Combined 'band steering' often causes drops as devices switch between bands. Separate names let each device stay put.
8. Restart the router properly, then update its firmware.Off for thirty seconds, then on. Then check for a firmware update in its settings — routers are rarely updated and often need it.

Tips

• 5GHz is faster but travels less far and passes through walls poorly. 2.4GHz is slower but more reliable at distance — use each for what it suits.
• If the connection drops at the same time every day, something on a timer is causing it: a neighbour's device, a scheduled reboot, or a power-saving setting.
• Mesh systems solve distance problems that no amount of router repositioning will, particularly in long or thick-walled houses.

Common mistakes

• Buying a new router before diagnosing — If the broadband line is dropping, a new router changes nothing at all.
• Hiding the router in a cupboard or behind the TV — Enclosures and large metal objects absorb signal dramatically. Position is free and often the biggest single improvement.
• Leaving the default channel — Every router in the street ships on similar defaults, so they all compete on the same crowded channel.

Questions people ask