Ways to Improve Your In-Home WiFi Network

Details

Need more help with your WiFi connection? Visit our In-Home WiFi Support page or our Homeowner's Guide to Improving WiFi.

A wired Ethernet connection always provides the fastest speeds. However, in today's wireless world, it is important to know how to optimize your in-home WiFi to achieve the best speeds and connectivity. Use the following recommendations to improve your WiFi.

Equipment Placement
Security
Compatible Equipment
Using Panoramic Wifi Pods

Equipment Placement

Place your WiFi modem, wireless extender, or router in a central location in your home away from interference from metal objects, mirrors, microwaves, and cordless phones. For example, an optimal location may be on the second floor of your home, keeping the WiFi equipment up high and unobstructed.

image of the optimal wifi placement

Security

Having a secure in-home WiFi network can prevent others from connecting to your WiFi, stealing bandwidth, data, and reducing internet speeds. The recommended setting is WiFi Protected Access II (WPA2) and is the best security available. WPA2 is required for 802.11n and 802.11ac WiFi standards. Although modems do not automatically come with firewalls, you can download firewall software to your connected devices. For more information about securing your WiFi network, refer to Ways to Secure Your Wireless Network.

Note: Cox Panoramic WiFi Modems are pre-configured with WiFi and security settings.

Compatible Equipment

Slow speeds can be the result of having an older modem. Make sure you have the right equipment by checking Cox Certified Cable Modems. Below are some recommendations to improve your experience.

Topic	Suggestions
Choosing the right modem or gateway	A DOCSIS 3.1 modem is required for Ultimate Classic and Gigablast over DOCSIS, and recommended for all Cox Internet packages. Refer to Cox Certified Cable Modems for more information.
Dual band WiFi modems and routers	The primary differences between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless frequencies are range (distance) and bandwidth (speed). 5 GHz provides faster Internet at a shorter distance, whereas 2.4 GHz offers coverage for farther distances, but may perform at slower speeds. If you think about 5 GHz like a highway, it’s like having more lanes and less traffic on the highway – so you can go faster! You will first need to ensure that devices, such as tablets, smartphones, or laptops, can read the 5 GHz Network. If the device is dual band-capable, you should see two SSID / Network names; one with 2.4 or 2.4 GHz, and another labeled with 5G or 5 GHz. Use devices that can connect to the 5 GHz network in close proximity to your WiFi modem or router. If you are far from your WiFi modem or router, the 2.4 GHz is recommended. If you are renaming your Network SSID, make sure to select a different and unique name for each WiFi network that helps you clearly identify both the 2.4 GHz and the 5 GHz network. Note: If you are using a Panoramic Wifi Gateway, use only one SSID / Network name for both networks. Refer to Using a Single In-Home WiFi Network Name and Password. The optimal channel setting for each wireless network is automatic, or auto. Auto allows the WiFi modem or router to select the channel with the least amount of congestion. The differences between Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 are the maximum theoretical speeds and how each handles WiFi networks with many connected devices. With a Wi-Fi 6 gateway or router, the focus is on improving the network when multiple devices are connected.
Internet devices	Are your internet devices a few years old? As wireless technology advances, the speed and wireless performance of new devices continue to improve. Using older technology, such as a laptop, tablet, or other devices can slow down the performance of all the devices on your network.

Using Panoramic Wifi Pods

Panoramic Wifi pods are devices that pair with a Panoramic Wifi gateway and are controlled from the Cox Panoramic Wifi app to create a mesh WiFi network. Mesh WiFi networks are designed to increase WiFi coverage but not increase speeds. Pods help eliminate dead spots where WiFi coverage drops or is weak to improve your online experience. To learn more, refer to Understanding Panoramic Wifi Pods.