WiFi Troubleshooting Guide
WiFi is great – when it works!
The convenience of moving around quickly with a laptop or mobile device is sometimes offset by the fact that WiFi can be less reliable than a traditional wired network connection. Below are a few tips that might help you to resolve your WiFi problems as quickly as possible.
Roaming? Toggle your WiFi on/off
Sometimes when moving from one location to another, your mobile device will remain attached to a weak signal instead of roaming over to a strong signal. If you have moved locations and having spotty WiFi problems, try toggling your WiFi off for moment, then back on. The device will reconnect to the strongest possible signal. Click for instructions for doing this on Mac (scroll to Turn Wi-Fi on or off) or Windows.
Is your signal strong?
Sometimes your WiFi connection indicator will show you only 1 or 2 bars – it might be that you need to move closer to the wireless access point to receive a stronger signal. If you encounter an inconvenient “dead spot” in your office, let Kinetix know so we can troubleshoot.
Are you on the best network?
If you have a choice between a 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz network, the 5 GHz is usually the better choice. Sometimes wireless networks will indicate their frequency in the name that they broadcast – look for “5” or “2.4” in the name.
Have you rebooted recently?
“Have you tried turning it off and on again?” It’s no secret that there are countless problems that can be cleared up with a full system restart.
Are others having problems?
Ask around—are other people having similar problems? It might not just be you. Maybe there is an interference problem, or an Internet outage that is affecting others, too. It’s particularly useful to know whether others having problems are also on WiFi or if they are plugged into a network cable, since that might identify it as a WiFi problem vs. a network-wide problem. If you encounter a problem like this, call Kinetix right away and provide us will the info you’ve gathered so we can catch any potential outages right away.
Is this mission critical?
Due to the nature of WiFi technology, sometimes elements out of your (and our) control can cause a disruption. If you are hosting a critical conference call, or participating in a very important discussion, the best option is a wired connection.
Working, but slow?
An even more common problem than a full loss of WiFi is network slowness. First, note that your office has an internet connection that is shared among many people. If others are using lots of bandwidth by downloading/uploading large files, streaming video or music, using videoconferencing, or handling simultaneous phone calls, everyone is going to see slowness. This bottleneck can happen across the entire office, or even just among a smaller group sharing the same wireless access point. To some extent, everyone should expect a bit of variability in network speeds, especially on WiFi. But if the slowness you experience happens consistently, or significantly affects your productivity, let Kinetix know.