Are you networking right?

At home, I have the opportunity to fix friend's and families computers and networks, handling the most common problems and systems.  One of the most common problems that I see is within network, more specifically routers.  Here is a short guide to make sure you are up to date with your home network.

1. Upgrade/Add Equipment (Most peripherals run on the Wireless N standard and have the capability of being wireless
2. Move the router to a better location (centralized in a the central most room, 4 feet off the ground, if not running on the 5GHz band, away from cordless phone, microwave. etc)
3. Change the channel! (Trying running the router on Channel 11 Extension 3)
4. Upgrade Firmware (Most routers continually receive updates that boost performance.
5. Increase Security (Get off the old WEP standard and run WPA2 security with a strong password.

Most simple network setups can be setup to run efficiently by following these five steps.