Is it you, or is it the internet?

Most routers ship with bugs that the vendor quietly patches. Log into its admin page once a year and check for updates.

DSL and cable providers can remotely 'retrain' your line. It takes 5 minutes and often fixes mysterious slowdowns the tech otherwise can't explain.

Radio waves spread sideways, not downward. Elevating the router 3–5 feet improves Wi-Fi coverage by 20–40%.

2.4 GHz reaches farther but is crowded with neighbors' Wi-Fi, microwaves and baby monitors. 5 GHz is much faster and cleaner — use it for laptops, TVs and phones in the same room as the router.

Gaming console, work PC, 4K TV — a $5 Ethernet cable beats any mesh network. Wi-Fi is for phones and tablets.

Memory leaks are real — even good routers slow down after weeks of uptime. A scheduled weekly reboot keeps things crisp.