Intro
So you’re quarantined, I’m quarantined, we’re all stuck at home. The kids are doing online school. You remote into work. Then the power goes out.
Alternatively someone starts watching Netflix and your internet turns into a turtle, a very slow turtle that can’t get you to virtual work on time. Your video call freezes. The voices sound garbled, or they keep telling you they can’t understand what you’re saying.
This wasn’t such an issue until everyone was at home. Seeing as we’ll be doing this for a little while I got thinking about how to toughen up my own home network. Here are some options.
Get a battery backup for your router and WiFi device
If the power blinks your whole internet has to restart, taking 2-3 minutes to come back online. Get one of these, then plug in your internet router and WiFi router to it. Depending on the size of the UPS it will carry your internet connection longer (15 minutes up to maybe an hour).
Get a better WiFi router
My WiFi needed an upgrade. The unit I had would choke once a day and that wasn’t working with everyone at home depending on a stable internet connection. The units below all have some parental controls and something else called QoS. What is QoS? You want to have a WiFi unit allowing you to prioritize a device (like your work laptop) if you’re competing with Netflix/Hulu/Amazon/etc. for bandwidth. These devices give easy ways to accomplish this.
Get a WiFi extender
Here are 3 different devices you can expand your existing WiFi home network. Why would you get this instead of a WiFi router? Maybe you have good coverage near your WiFi router, but the other end of the house is terrible and someone needs better coverage from their bedroom or other living area. It can help extend that WiFi to work better in those ‘dead zones’ where it doesn’t reach as well.
Making Choices
These can all be done together or in parts depending on what your need is. Make your internet more reliable and survive the quarantine with all your other occupants.
thanks Josh. As usual, good info!