Activate a second WiFi network to improve connection stability

Unless you have a very old router, this most likely supports two WiFi connections, one at 2.4 GHz and one at 5 GHz. Almost all routers are dual band today, those that support the 802.11n standard (but not all 802.11n routers are dual-band) and all 802.11ac routers. Activating both wifi networks could be an advantage not to be underestimated, especially if you work at home and have multiple devices connected to the internet (for example smartphones, TV, computers etc.).
We have seen in another article the difference between 2.4 GHz wifi and 5 GHz wifi and we can make this summary: the 2.4 GHz network has better reception and a signal that goes further; the 5 GHz network, on the other hand, even if it has a less penetrating signal, is faster and does not suffer from interference because its band is much wider.
Therefore, activating a second Wifi network on the router, the one with the 5 GHz band that is usually disabled by default, you can connect home devices to different networks and obtain better connection stability. For example, the devices used to make video calls or to watch movies in HD quality can be connected to the 5 GHz network, while the smartphone and computer used to surf the internet and all other wireless devices (lights, Alexa, wireless cameras etc.) of they can sit on the 2.4 GHz network which is already active.

Activate the 5 GHz wifi

To activate the second Wifi network, it is necessary to access the router settings and search, in the configuration of the home network, the option to activate the 5 Ghz wi-fi interface, giving a name and password to access the network, which are different than the 2.4 GHz network already used.
One thing to keep in mind is that not all devices support 5GHz Wi-Fi, so it doesn’t necessarily mean that our smartphone or tablet can connect to the internet from this network.
In addition, some routers combine the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands in a single Wi-Fi network and do not allow you to create two separate networks, which have two different names and passwords to access. From the router settings you can find out if we have this limit or we can activate a second wifi network at home.
Finally, consider that the internet connection, even if it is divided into two wifi networks, is always the same, so there will be no increase in the speed of streaming or downloads. If possible, however, some routers allow you to temporarily disable the 2.4 GHz network by giving priority to traffic on the 5 GHz network when used for streaming or video conferences.

Other ways to activate a second internet connection at home

Ethernet

If your router does not support 5 GHz wifi, you can still get a second home network using Ethernet cables. This is the ideal solution for connecting PCs and laptops and other devices, such as TVs, to the Internet if they have an Ethernet port.
As we have already pointed out in the past, the wired Ethernet connection is more stable and faster than the wifi connection, although it will take up a bit of space due to the presence of cables that go from the router to the computer or other devices. Cables are always a better option than wireless, because it has no interruptions and does not suffer from weak signal or interference. It is also possible to amplify a cable network using a 5 Euro network switch or even Powerline repeaters that use the electrical network.
Also, while using an Ethernet connection, you can disable the router’s Wi-Fi (from the settings) to take full advantage of the bandwidth of the connection and download or stream videos at the maximum network speed allowed by the connection.

Enable the guest network

Ethernet cables are not useful for connecting a phone or tablet to the second network. Another solution, therefore, is to activate the guest network which is a feature of many routers, even if old. Among the router configuration options, you can find the guest or guest network that should be used to connect guests who come to visit us to the internet.
The interesting thing about the host network is that there is usually an option to limit the bandwidth it can use. Nothing prevents, however, from using the guest network to connect some of the devices that do not require particular bandwidth to operate to the internet.

Use repeaters or powerline adapters with Wi-Fi

If none of the above methods can be applied, an idea to improve your wifi network is to buy a new router that supports the guest network or, even better, a Wi-Fi mesh system, which I talked about in the guide to 5 GHz Wifi repeaters and Mesh Networks. Mesh kits greatly improve Wi-Fi coverage and speed in most homes and many have the ability to pause the network connection on specific devices.
Another option is to buy a powerline kit with Wi-Fi: The powerline is a pair of adapters to be attached to electrical outlets: one that connects near the router to which it is connected with a cable, the other instead attached to any other electrical outlet at home, which works as a wifi repeater by taking the signal from the electrical wire inside the wall.

READ ALSO: Connect two wireless routers to increase WiFi range