Wi-Fi problems? Here’s how to diagnose your router issues

Whenever someone sends me a question about how to fix their Wi-Fi, I wince. It’s not that I dislike helping people with their router problems. In fact, there are few geeky endeavours I find more rewarding than fixing Wi-Fi connection issues at a friend or family member’s home.

But Wi-Fi has always felt more like a dark art than a science, and it’s an art that’s hard to conjure without being physically present. Potential points of failure are everywhere, and what works well in one home might not in another. Even the reviewers of networking gear can reach drastically different conclusions about the very same product.

Wi-Fi is fundamentally at odds, then, with my desire to answer questions with specific recommendations.