How to Maintain Your Wireless Router?

Almost every office and household these days has a wireless router because of how high-speed internet has become important for us. The internet availability all over the world is increasing due to which wireless routers are becoming popular. Although most people own a wireless router, they are not quite satisfied with its performance after a while. In the start, like any piece of technology, a wireless router performs quite well but after a while, its performance starts to deteriorate.

This is because after buying a router, most people don’t pay much heed to the maintenance of a wireless router but like any piece of technology, a wireless router needs occasional maintenance. So, here are some tips to properly maintain your wireless router to ensure that it performs optimally.

Prevent Router Overheating

Wireless routers produce heat while they are running, which is normal but overheating can affect their lifespan and deteriorate their performance. To ensure the longevity of your wireless router and its performance, try to keep your router in a cool and ventilated space, especially in summer. By placing your router in a cool, open, and ventilated space, you are making it easier for the air to circulate freely and dissipate the excess heat.

Upgrade Router Firmware

Another thing that is paramount in maintaining the performance of your over time is the router’s firmware. Firmware can be considered as the operating system on which a router runs and performs its functions. Router manufacturers release firmware updates on a regular basis to ensure optimal performance of the routers, address security vulnerabilities, enhance performance, and fix bugs. You should visit 192.168.1.1 on a regular basis and check for firmware updates. If updates are available, then you should regularly update the firmware.

Maintain the Router Security

Security is paramount to maintain your wireless router over time and secure the network from unwanted and malicious actors. Therefore, you should not only change the WiFi SSID and password but also the login password for 192.168.0.1 so that no one can access the admin panel. Ensure that you have a strong and unique password for your WiFi network as well as the admin panel to safeguard your data and prevent unauthorized users from connecting.

Regularly Clean the Router

One very important point when it comes to maintaining your wireless router is to regularly clean and dust the router. Over time, dust may accumulate inside the router and its external vents, which can slow down the cooling system and cause the router to overheat. As mentioned, overheating can decrease the performance and lifespan of the router. To prevent this, you should regularly clean your router using a soft brush or compressed air to clear the dust from the inside. Before cleaning the router, unplug the router to avoid any damage.

Reboot Your Router Periodically

Lastly, don’t forget to restart your wireless router periodically because a simple router reboot can resolve most connectivity issues. Restarting your router can clear its cache, improve its performance, and refresh the connection. After every few weeks, consider rebooting your router or whenever you notice that your router is not performing as it should be.