Wi-Fi Best Practices for the Best Wakey Internet Experience

A strong Wi-Fi connection depends on more than just your internet speed — proper setup, placement, and environment play a huge role in performance. Follow these best practices to get the most out of your Wakey Wi-Fi network and ensure the smoothest, fastest connection throughout your home. Consider adding a Wi-Fi Mesh system if needed. Each one of Wakey's Mesh units provides up to 1,500 square feet of Wi-Fi in ideal conditions. Additional units can be added - to a maximum of 8 total. These can be added in your Wakey Account, or by contacting us via live chat. There's a slight charge - but these should drastically improve your wi-fi issues especially in larger homes/offices.

✅ 1. Place Your Router in a Central & Open Location

Wi-Fi is affected by walls, appliances, and distance. For best coverage:

• Put the router in a central area of your home like a living room

• Avoid closets, cabinets, basements, and enclosed spaces

• Elevate the router (waist-height or higher) if possible

• Keep it away from thick walls, metal surfaces, or large electronics

Avoid: behind TVs, in utility panels, near microwaves, or next to large fridges.

✅ 2. Keep Your Router Away From Interference

Certain devices generate strong electromagnetic or radio interference:

• Microwave ovens

• Bluetooth speakers

• Baby monitors

• Cordless phones

• Older wireless cameras

• Smart appliances

• Older 2.4 GHz devices

If possible, maintain 2–3 feet of separation between the router and any of these.

✅3. Use the Best Channels (for advanced users)

Choosing clean, low-interference channels improves stability and speed — especially in apartments or crowded neighbourhoods.

⚠️ If your router (like the Aria 2210 provided by Wakey) offers an “Auto” channel selection mode, enable it. Smart routers periodically scan the wireless environment and automatically switch to a cleaner channel when needed, which can improve stability and performance without manual tuning. If this the case please ignore this best practice section.

2.4 GHz (Long-range, slower band)

Use ONLY channels 1, 6, or 11.

These are the only non-overlapping channels — anything else creates interference and slows your Wi-Fi.

• Best choice: 1 or 6 in most homes

• Avoid: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 (they overlap and cause congestion)

5 GHz (Fast, short-range band)

Use 36, 40, 44, or 48 for the most stable performance.

These four are low-interference UNII-1 channels and avoid DFS radar checks.

If you have lots of neighbours:

• Try 149, 153, 157, 161 — higher power, better range

Avoid:

• DFS channels (52–144) unless you know what you’re doing — radar events can kick devices offline.

✅ 4. Choose the Right Channel Bandwidth (MHz)

Channel width affects speed, range, and stability.

2.4 GHz Channel Bandwidth:

• Start with 20 MHz for stability and range, especially in apartments or dense areas. Most IoT and smart home devices that prioritize range and reliability over speed work better and sometimes have connection issues if 20 MHz is not used.

• In low-interference environments (rural areas), 20/40 MHz may perform better and can be tested if needed.

5 GHz Channel Bandwidth:

• 40 MHz often provides better stability and range, especially in busy Wi-Fi environments. Recommended for plans up to 300 Mbps speed.

• 80 MHz can deliver higher speeds and is recommended for 500 Mbps+ plans when interference is low. If speeds or stability degrade on 80 MHz, switching back to 40 MHz is advised.
  
  

⚠️ The ARIA 2210 provided with your Wakey internet and most modern routers supports automatic band steering, so it will move devices between 2.4/5 GHz automatically based on signal quality and device support — you don’t need to split SSIDs or turn off band steering.

✅ 5. Add Mesh Units (and Don’t Place Them Too Far Apart)

For the best whole-home Wi-Fi experience, most homes benefit greatly from adding at least one additional mesh unit, especially in larger homes, multi-level homes, or areas with multiple walls between the router and your devices.

Mesh placement best practices

• Keep mesh units within 30–40 feet of the main router (or the previous mesh unit)

• Avoid placing mesh units behind multiple walls, inside cabinets, or at opposite ends of the home

• Mesh units should ideally have line-of-sight or minimal obstructions for best performance

• If possible, hard-wire mesh units using Ethernet (wired backhaul) for the strongest and most stable connection

✅ Proper placement = strong backhaul = stable speeds + fewer disconnects

⚠️ Rule of thumb: If Wi-Fi speeds drop by 50% or more (or signal drops to 1–2 bars) in certain areas of your home, add a mesh unit halfway between the router and that weak zone — not directly inside the weak zone.

✅ 6. Restart Your Router Occasionally

Routers benefit from clearing temporary memory and refreshing connections.

We recommend:

• Restarting your router every 2–4 weeks

• Avoid unplugging frequently — only reboot when needed

⚠️ DO NOT reset to factory settings unless advised by Wakey Support.

✅ 7. Update Your Device Software

Wi-Fi issues often come from outdated software on the device, not the router.

Keep updated:

• iOS / Android

• Windows / macOS

• Smart TVs

• Gaming consoles

• Streaming devices

Updates fix Wi-Fi bugs, improve stability, and enhance performance.

✅ 8. Use Ethernet When Speed & Stability Matters

If you want the most stable connection:

• Smart TVs

• Desktop/Laptop computers

• Gaming consoles

• Streaming boxes

Wired connections offer faster, more consistent speeds and lower latency because they’re not affected by interference or distance. Wi-Fi is convenient and flexible, but it can fluctuate due to walls, devices, and congestion. Whenever possible, use wired for high-demand tasks like gaming or streaming.

✅ 9. Avoid Using VPNs for High-Demand Tasks

VPNs can:

• Reduce speed

• Increase latency

• Cause streaming apps to malfunction

• Increase buffering on TVs

For the best Wi-Fi performance, turn off VPNs unless needed.

✅ 10. Use Reliable DNS Settings for Better Stability

Your router’s Auto DNS setting will typically select the most reliable DNS servers provided by the network. This ensures the best compatibility and prevents issues with certain websites or apps.

If you prefer using a custom DNS, Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1) is a fast and privacy-focused option — but only use it if you understand how DNS overrides work, as incorrect DNS settings can affect connectivity or cause certain services to fail. For more information on DNS server settings and how to properly set it up visit the "Part 2 — WAN DNS Settings" of the “How to Use Wi-Fi Pause Scheduler and WAN DNS Settings on Hitron ARIA 2210” in the Technical Support section of our KnowledgeBase.

How Wakey Support Can Assist With Your Wi-Fi Experience

Our support team can help with the following:

• Modem signal levels and diagnostics

• Modem functionality issues

• Basic router setup and configuration

However, we are not able to assist with:

• Router placement

• Wi-Fi interference or environmental issues

• Device-specific compatibility problems

• In-home Wi-Fi troubleshooting or technician dispatches for Wi-Fi concerns

These types of issues require on-site analysis and fall outside the scope of remote support.

That said, we always do our best to go above and beyond wherever possible to point you in the right direction and help improve your overall Wi-Fi experience.

Feel free to reach us via Live Chat if you have any questions or concerns.

Note: These Wi-Fi best practices are general recommendations from Wakey Internet. Not all settings or adjustments will be suitable for every home or device. Please use them at your own discretion, and feel free to revert any changes if they do not improve your experience.