Campus Wi-Fi is a necessity during the school year. To ensure the best internet experience, follow these tips!

1. Turn off “Power Save” to strengthen Wi-Fi 

Though it’s common to leave laptop chargers at home, you might want to start packing it in your backpack. Using “power save” mode slows down your Wi-Fi substantially, as it slows the connection to the network and draws less signal strength to save battery.

2. Install updates when prompted

Device drivers identify how other internal software respond to pieces of hardware. Drivers from vendors such as Intel, HP and Dell  are notable for providing a notification to users when updates become available. Instead of hitting “remind me later,” prioritize these updates as outdated drivers can be the leading cause of network failure and connectivity issues.

3. Add a USB Wi-Fi adapter 

If your device is still not maintaining consistent connection to Wi-Fi, you can purchase an affordable USB Wi-Fi adapter. Wi-Fi adapters can range anywhere from $5-$20 varying on brand and are inserted into any USB slot. These wireless networks adapters can upgrade Wi-Fi speeds and improve connectivity while not straying too far from your budget. Students can find Wi-Fi adapters at Amazon, Walmart or Best Buy.

To identify whether your device can benefit from upgrading its Wi-Fi connection, run a Speed Test. Available both on Google Play and the App Store, apps such as Speedcheck  and Speedsmart are free and determine the strength of your connection. If your speed test concludes your connection is below 5Mbps, try a few of the above tips to speed up your connection. Still have trouble? Contact Help Desk Central.