The Complete Guide to Faster Internet and Better Wi-Fi at Home

Everything you need to know about improving your internet speed and Wi-Fi performance explained in plain English.

TL;DR – Quick Takeaways

• Your internet speed and your Wi-Fi speed are two different things and fixing one won’t always fix the other
• Most ‘slow internet’ problems are actually Wi-Fi problems happening inside your home
• Walls, distance, and other devices can all slow down your Wi-Fi even if your internet connection is perfect
• Simple changes like router placement and reducing interference can make a huge difference
• For large homes or thick walls, a mesh Wi-Fi system is the best solution
• Cable your most important devices whenever possible, it’s faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi

Let’s Talk About Speed (And Why It Gets Confusing)

You’re paying for fast internet. You deserve fast internet. But somewhere between your internet provider and your laptop, things get… frustrating.

Here’s the thing: when your internet feels slow, it’s usually not your actual internet connection causing the problem. More often than not, it’s your Wi-Fi – the invisible network inside your home that connects your devices to your router.

Think of it like this: your internet connection is the water flowing into your house through the pipes. Your Wi-Fi is the tap in your bathroom. If the tap is blocked or far away from the main pipe, you’ll get a trickle, even if there’s plenty of water flowing to your home.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to figure out what’s slowing you down and what you can do about it. 

First Things First: Internet Speed vs Wi-Fi Speed

Before you start troubleshooting, it helps to understand what you’re actually dealing with.

Your Internet Speed

This is the speed your internet provider delivers to your home. It’s the connection coming through your phone line or cable. This is what you pay for on your plan, whether that’s 50Mbps, 100Mbps, or 1000Mbps download speed.

Your Wi-Fi Speed

This is the speed you actually get on your devices around your home. It’s controlled by your router and affected by everything from walls to other electronics. Your Wi-Fi speed can never be faster than your internet speed — but it can definitely be slower.

The key insight: Even if you’re paying for super-fast internet, you’ll only experience slow speeds if your Wi-Fi can’t keep up.

How to Tell If It’s Your Internet or Your Wi-Fi

Here’s a simple test:

1. Connect your device directly to your router with an ethernet cable
2. Run a speed test (search ‘speed test’ in Google)
3. Disconnect the cable and run the same test on Wi-Fi

If the wired speed is fast but the Wi-Fi speed is slow: it’s a Wi-Fi problem. Keep reading, we’ll fix it.

If both speeds are slow: it might be your internet connection. Contact your provider to check if there’s an issue with your service.

What’s Actually Slowing Down Your Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is basically radio waves travelling through your home. And just like a radio signal, lots of things can interfere with it or weaken it. Here’s what’s probably affecting yours:

1. Distance from Your Router

The further you are from your router, the weaker your Wi-Fi signal gets. It’s like trying to hear someone shouting from the other end of a football field; technically possible, but not ideal.

What you’ll notice: Full bars right next to the router, but one or two bars in your bedroom upstairs.

2. Walls and Obstacles

Wi-Fi signals struggle to pass through solid objects. Some materials are worse than others:

• Brick and concrete: major Wi-Fi blockers
• Metal (like filing cabinets or fridges): complete signal killers
• Plasterboard walls: not too bad, but they still weaken the signal
• Water (fish tanks, water heaters): surprisingly effective at blocking Wi-Fi

3. Interference from Other Devices

Your Wi-Fi shares radio frequencies with other electronics. These can create ‘noise’ that interferes with your signal:

• Microwaves (serious Wi-Fi disruptors when they’re running)
• Baby monitors
• Bluetooth devices
• Cordless phones
• Your neighbours’ Wi-Fi networks (especially in apartments)

4. Too Many Devices Connected at Once

Every device on your Wi-Fi shares the available bandwidth. Your router can only handle so much at once. Think of it like a highway. The more cars (devices) using it, the slower the traffic moves.

Between phones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, gaming consoles, smart home devices, and everything else, many households have 20+ devices fighting for Wi-Fi. That’s a lot of traffic.

5. Old or Outdated Router

If your router is more than 3-4 years old, it might be struggling to keep up with modern demands. Newer routers use better technology, handle more devices, and broadcast stronger signals.

How to Optimise Wi-Fi 

Right, enough theory. Let’s fix this. Start with the easiest solutions and work your way down the list.

Step 1: Move Your Router to a Better Spot

This is the single biggest fix most people can make.

Your router should be:

• Central: Put it in the middle of your home, not tucked away in a corner
• Elevated: Place it on a shelf or mount it on the wall –  Wi-Fi broadcasts better from higher positions
• In the open: Don’t hide it in a cupboard, behind the TV, or under your desk
• Away from interference: Keep it away from microwaves, metal objects, and thick walls

Step 2: Restart Your Router

Yes, the classic ‘turn it off and on again’ advice, and yes, it genuinely works.

1. Unplug your router from the power
2. Wait 30 seconds
3. Plug it back in
4. Wait a few minutes for it to fully restart

This clears out temporary glitches and can improve performance. Do this once a month for best results.

Step 3: Switch to the 5GHz Network

Most modern routers broadcast two WiFi networks:

• 2.4GHz: Better range, but slower speeds and more interference
• 5GHz: Faster speeds, less interference, but shorter range

If you’re close to your router (same room or next room), connect to the 5GHz network. You’ll usually see it listed as ‘YourNetworkName-5G’ or something similar in your WiFi settings.

If you’re far away or have thick walls between you and the router, stick with 2.4GHz for better coverage.

Step 4: Reduce the Number of Connected Devices

Disconnect devices you’re not actually using. That old tablet that auto-connects whenever you walk in the door? The smart plug you never use? Your kid’s gaming console that’s downloading updates in the background?

All of these take up bandwidth. Fewer devices = more speed for the ones you actually care about.

Step 5: Update Your Router’s Firmware

Router manufacturers regularly release updates that improve performance and fix bugs. Check your router’s settings (usually accessed by typing 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 into your web browser) and look for a firmware update option.

If that sounds too technical, contact your internet provider, they can walk you through it.

Step 6: Change Your Wi-Fi Channel

If you live in an apartment or densely populated area, your Wi-Fi is probably competing with dozens of your neighbours’ networks. They’re all trying to broadcast on the same ‘channels’ (think of them like radio stations).

Most routers automatically choose the best channel, but sometimes they get it wrong. You may be able to manually change the channel in your router settings, or use a Wi-Fi analyser app to see which channels are least crowded.

Step 7: Consider Upgrading Your Router

If your router is old (3+ years), it might be time for an upgrade. Modern routers are:

• Faster
• Better at handling multiple devices
• More reliable
• Equipped with newer Wi-Fi standards (look for Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E or even Wi-Fi 7)

Mate has a recommended list of BYO modem/routers.

Your Wi-Fi Has a Secret Limit (And Why It Matters)

Here’s something most people don’t realise: your Wi-Fi can only move data so fast, and it’s often slower than your actual internet speed.

For example, if you’re paying for a 100Mbps internet plan but your router only supports Wi-Fi speeds of 50Mbps, you’ll never get faster than 50Mbps on Wi-Fi, no matter how good your internet connection is.

This is especially true for older routers and devices. A five-year-old laptop might have Wi-Fi hardware that simply can’t keep up with modern internet speeds.

The fix: Make sure your router and devices support the speeds you’re paying for. If they don’t, it’s time to upgrade.

The Best Solution for Whole-Home Wi-Fi: Mesh Systems

If you’ve got a large home, thick walls, or multiple floors, a mesh Wi-Fi system is hands-down the best way to get solid Wi-Fi coverage everywhere.

What Is a Mesh System?

Instead of one router trying to cover your whole house, a mesh system uses multiple units (usually called ‘nodes’) that work together to create one seamless Wi-Fi network.

Think of it like having multiple Wi-Fi routers strategically placed around your home, but they all talk to each other and act as one network. You walk from room to room and your devices automatically connect to whichever node has the strongest signal. There’s no manual switching between networks, no dropouts.

Why Mesh Systems Beat Traditional Routers

• Complete coverage: Put nodes where you need them; upstairs, in the home office, out in the granny flat. No more dead zones.
• Seamless roaming: Your phone stays connected as you move around the house. No disconnecting and reconnecting.
• Better performance: Each node has a strong signal to its area, so you get fast speeds throughout your home, not just near the main router.
• Easy to expand: If you add an extension or need coverage in the garage, just add another node.
• Smart device management: Modern mesh systems handle lots of devices really well, perfect for homes full of phones, tablets, smart speakers, security cameras, and everything else.

How Easy Are They to Set Up?

Much easier than you’d think. Most mesh systems set up through an app on your phone:

1. Plug in the main node and connect it to your internet connection
2. Download the app and follow the setup wizard
3. Place the other nodes around your home (the app usually helps you find the best spots)
4. Done – seriously, that’s it

The whole process usually takes 10-15 minutes. No technical knowledge required. MATE has a range of pre-configured Mesh devices you can purchase.

Is It Worth the Cost?

If you’ve got a house where Wi-Fi drops out in certain rooms, or you’re constantly fighting to get signal upstairs, absolutely. The difference between struggling with dead zones and having solid Wi-Fi everywhere is massive.

For apartments or smaller homes where a single router covers everything fine, you probably don’t need one. But for anything bigger than a small two-bedroom unit, mesh systems are a game-changer.

Bottom line: If coverage is your problem, mesh Wi-Fi is your solution.

When to Ditch Wi-Fi and Use a Cable Instead

Wi-Fi is convenient, but it’s not always the best option. For some devices and situations, plugging in an ethernet cable will give you much better performance.

Why Cables Beat Wi-Fi

• Faster speeds: You’ll get the full speed of your internet connection, no Wi-Fi bottleneck
• More reliable: No dropouts, no interference, no signal issues
• Lower latency: Better response times; crucial for gaming and video calls
• Doesn’t share bandwidth: Each cable gets its own dedicated connection to the router

What Should You Cable?

Cable these devices whenever you can:

• Gaming consoles and PCs: Wired connections reduce lag and give you more consistent speeds. If you’re playing online games, this makes a huge difference.
• Smart TVs and streaming devices: Stops buffering on 4K content and makes streaming rock-solid. Especially important if multiple people are streaming at once.
• Work-from-home computers: More reliable for video calls, faster file uploads and downloads, and won’t drop out during important meetings.
• Desktop computers: If it sits in one spot and doesn’t move, cable it. No reason not to.
• Mesh Wi-Fi nodes: If you can run cables between your mesh nodes (called ‘backhaul’), they’ll perform even better. Not essential, but it’s the ultimate setup if you’re able to do it.

When Wi-Fi Makes More Sense

Obviously, you can’t cable everything. Keep these on Wi-Fi:

• Laptops you use in different rooms
• Smart home devices (speakers, cameras, sensors)
• Anything where running a cable isn’t practical

How to Set It Up

Setting up a wired connection is dead simple:

1. Get an ethernet cable (Check it’s capable of your in – available at any electronics shop)
2. Plug one end into your router
3. Plug the other end into your device
4. That’s it,  your device will automatically use the wired connection

If your router doesn’t have enough ethernet ports, grab an ethernet switch (basically a power board for cables). Plug it into your router, and now you’ve got more ports to use.

Pro tip: Even if you can only cable one or two key devices, do it. Every device you take off Wi-Fi frees up bandwidth for the devices that need to stay wireless.

When to Actually Contact Support

You should reach out to your our Aussie based support team if:

• Your wired connection is also slow (not just Wi-Fi)
• You’ve tried all the steps above and nothing has improved
• Your connection drops out frequently
• The problem started suddenly (could be a network fault)
• You’re getting speeds way below what you’re paying for

Be ready to tell our team what you’ve already tried, it’ll speed up the troubleshooting process.

Quick Wins You Can Try Right Now

If you only have five minutes, here are the fastest fixes:

1. Restart your router (unplug for 30 seconds, plug back in)
2. Move closer to your router (or move the router closer to you)
3. Switch to the 5GHz network (if you’re close to the router)
4. Disconnect devices you’re not using 
5. Close background apps and updates on your devices

These five steps solve most Wi-Fi problems and take less time than making a cup of coffee.

The Bottom Line

Most internet speed problems aren’t actually internet problems, they’re Wi-Fi problems. Wi-Fi problems are almost always solvable without needing to call support or upgrade your plan.

Start with the simple stuff: move your router, restart it, switch networks, reduce connected devices. For larger homes or coverage issues, invest in a mesh Wi-Fi system. Cable your important devices when you can, gaming gear, smart TVs, work computers. And if you’ve tried everything and it’s still slow, then it’s time to contact your provider.

The good news? With a few strategic changes, you can turn your frustratingly slow Wi-Fi into something that actually works the way it should. And that’s worth the 20 minutes it takes to sort it out.

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