Getting the most out of your BT Home Hub 5 router and WiFi speeds takes some tweaking of settings and optimal placement around your house. Follow these tips to boost speeds and expand coverage.
Table of Contents
Router Placement
Where you place your BT Home Hub 5 router is critical for getting maximum WiFi speeds.
- Central location: Place the router as centrally in your home as possible, so the signal can easily reach all areas[3]. This balances signal strength across rooms.
- Elevate: Position the router at waist height or on a shelf rather than the floor. WiFi signals radiate in all directions so ceiling mounting also works[4].
- Avoid obstacles: Keep the router in open space, avoiding thick walls, metal objects, and appliances that emit electromagnetic interference like microwaves[5]. Even bookshelves and windows can weaken signals.
- Away from cables: Ensure router cables are untangled and loose cables are secured as these can cause interference[3]. Use short, high quality modem cables.
Tweak Router Settings
The BT Home Hub 5 has some default settings that you’ll want to optimize for faster speeds:
- Split bands: Separate the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, so you can manually connect devices to the optimal band[1][9]. The 5GHz band is faster but has less range.
- Set channels: Try different wireless channels for the bands to reduce interference from neighbors[4]. Channels 1, 6, and 11 are common 2.4GHz choices.
- Enable QoS: Quality of Service prioritizes traffic for applications like gaming and video streaming when bandwidth is constrained[14].
- Set up guest network: Adding a separate guest SSID allows you to isolate guests from your main network and files[14].
Upgrade Devices
The WiFi speeds you experience also depends on your connected devices. Newer devices with updated WiFi chipsets and antennas will connect at faster speeds:
- Laptops and phones from the last 2-3 years can handle much faster speeds than models from 5+ years ago[3].
- Consider newer devices or WiFi adapters to take advantage of router capabilities.
- Connect devices via ethernet cable whenever possible, as WiFi introduces a speed bottleneck.
Extend Coverage
If your router WiFi can’t reach all corners of your home, there are options to expand coverage:
- WiFi extenders: Cheaper extenders plug into outlets to amplify and rebroadcast the router signal[5][13]. Position between the router and weak coverage areas.
- Mesh systems: A mesh kit with multiple access points to blanket larger homes is more robust and seamless but costs more upfront[5][19].
- Powerline adapters: Use existing electrical wiring to connect wired access points in far rooms back to your router[5].
- Run ethernet: For a room with no WiFi, run an ethernet cable from the router location and connect an access point[16][19].
Final Tips
- Update router firmware when new versions are available for bug fixes and performance improvements[4].
- Periodically reboot your router, devices, and modems to clear any software issues slowing things down[3].
- Consider third party router firmware like DD-WRT if you want more advanced features and controls[14].
With some strategic tweaks and placement, you can maximize your BT Home Hub 5 router performance and enjoy faster WiFi speeds in every corner of your home. Analyze your coverage with WiFi analytics apps, and upgrade devices or extend the network as needed.
References
[1] https://www.techadvisor.com/article/727318/bt-home-hub-5-how-to-get-maximum-speed.html
[2] https://www.netgear.com/hub/wifi/extenders/how-to-extend-home-wifi-coverage/
[3] https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/fix-a-problem/broadband-and-wi-fi/five-steps-to-improve-slow-bt-broadband-speeds
[4] https://business.bt.com/help/article/broadband-and-internet/broadband-speed/fixing-slow-broadband-and-wi-fi-speeds/
[5] https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/10-ways-to-boost-your-wi-fi-signal
[6] https://www.iow.gov.uk/azservices/documents/2909-improve-your-home-wi-fi-1-pdf.pdf
[7] https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/technology/1404887/bt-smart-hub-settings-make-your-router-faster-and-less-annoying
[8] https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/write-seo-friendly-content
[9] https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/wireless-routers/1403054/bt-home-hub-5-settings-guide-how-to-make-it-faster-and-less-irritating
[10] https://www.popsci.com/how-to-get-wi-fi-to-every-corner-your-house/
[11] https://store.ee.co.uk/guides/ideas-inspirations/how-to-improve-home-wifi-speed-and-connectivity
[12] https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-set-up-and-optimize-your-wireless-router-for-the-best-wi-fi-performance
[13] https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/bt-home-hub-5-performance-value-verdict-page-2
[14] https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/hbd1vh/best_solution_to_increase_wifi_range/
[15] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U22eWLXS7_A
[16] https://www.reddit.com/r/smarthome/comments/16r6ye3/best_and_most_cost_effective_way_to_increase_wifi/
[17] https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-make-your-wifi-better-faster/
[18] https://forum.openwrt.org/t/bt-home-hub-5-type-a-slow-dsl/117451
[19] https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/hbd1vh/best_solution_to_increase_wifi_range/
