When browsing the Internet through wireless networks, we may have problems with coverage, speed or stability. It is something that increases even more when we connect to a public Wi-Fi. What can we do to avoid it or at least make it work better? We are going to talk about it in this article. We are going to give some interesting tricks to ensure that there are no cuts when you connect to a public network.
How to avoid cuts when using a public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi networks, such as in a library, shopping center or airport, can be dangerous. It is a reality that problems such as information leakage, entering sites that have been modified, stealing passwords, etc. can appear. To avoid this, we can use programs like a VPN that encrypt the connection. However, in addition to being insecure, they can also be unstable or have poor speed.
Change the VPN
The first thing you can do to avoid dropouts when using a public network is to change the VPN if you’re using one (highly recommended when entering a public Wi-Fi network). They usually have different servers, so by simply switching to another one and trying to see if it works better, you can achieve a considerable improvement.
In addition, our advice is to use VPN applications that are not free, that offer guarantees and that will not only be reflected in security, but also in a notable improvement in the quality of the connection. There are many options, but some of the most popular are ExpressVPN or NordVPN.
use another band
You can connect to Wi-Fi through the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. We can say that the first is the best for connecting from a greater distance. It is more stable, possible obstacles do not affect it as much, although it is also the one that offers the least speed.
On the other hand, the 5 GHz band is the one that allows you to have a higher Internet speed. The problem is that it is much more sensitive to distance and possible obstacles. We’re going to have more problems if we go too far from the access point. Therefore, it is convenient to choose the correct band and, in case of problems, change to another.
Use an external adapter
Do you connect to Wi-Fi through the internal card of the laptop? The cuts may be because that receiver is not very powerful and as soon as you connect a little further from the access point you may have difficulties. Therefore, in this case our advice is to try an external adapter to improve coverage.
There are many models that we can use. They connect through the USB port and have a better antenna than internal cards. You must make sure that it has a high maximum speed, works by USB 3.0 and has a good antenna to achieve optimal coverage.
Update and protect your equipment
Another trick to avoid cuts when connecting to a public Wi-Fi is to keep the equipment in good condition. This means that you must have the latest versions installed, both of the operating system and of the drivers for the network cards. This will allow it to improve performance and solve certain problems that may appear.
But beyond having the equipment updated, you must also have it properly protected. For this, you must always have a good antivirus, as well as other security tools such as a firewall or browser extensions. An example is Windows Defender, which works very well.
