Coming off yesterday's webcast, I wanted to spend a bit more time discussing some of the tips Rob mentioned yesterday on creating a fast and efficient home network with the Xfinity Wireless Gateway.

1. Location, location, location!

  • Ideally, your Wireless Gateway should be centrally located to the household's wireless devices. Make sure your Xfinity Wireless Gateway is in the right location. The more distance between the gateway and the WiFi device, the slower the speeds.
  • Try to avoid obstructions that could adversely impact your connection and performance. Keep the number of walls and ceilings between your router and the wireless devices to a minimum, as they could have a negative effect. Also, large metal objects, such as filing cabinets, have been known to degrade the signal quality and speed.
  • Try to place the Xfinity Wireless Gateway at least ten feet from items that might interfere with your wireless network. Electronics, particularly ones that also broadcast a signal such as microwaves, cordless phones and baby monitors, can cause interference and degrade the performance of your network.

2. Keeping your network secure

  • Make sure to password-enable your network. This will ensure neighbors and others can't access your network — and adversely impact your connection speeds — without you knowing. Your Wireless Gateway already comes with a default password, but it's fine to change it to something that's easier for you to remember.
  • Security settings can impact performance. An important safety feature, encryption technology scrambles messages sent over wireless networks so they can't be easily read by humans. However, it can also affect speeds and effectiveness of your network. The Xfinity Wireless Gateway defaults to WPA2, the latest encryption technology that will result in the fastest, most secure network.

3. New routers can offer simplified set-up. The WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) button is located on the Xfinity Wireless Gateway and is a quick and simple shortcut to connecting WPS-compatible devices to your home network, without having to input network keys and worry about proper security configurations. Look for the WiFi Protected Setup sticker or label on the device to determine if it is WPS-compatible