wifi Archives - Page 4 of 5 - Rick's Daily Tips

What to do if your hotel room has a weak WiFi signal

Posted on January 4, 2022

If you do a lot of traveling you have probably found yourself stuck in a hotel room with a weak WiFi signal on more than one occasion.

Several variables control the strength of the WiFi signals in any building, and many older hotels (and even some newer ones) have rooms with weak signals and poor connections.

If you really need to use the Internet during your stay, there are several things you can try in order to get a better connection when you’re stuck in a room with a poor WiFi signal: [Read more…]

Q&A: Do I need to upgrade to a WiFi6 router?

Posted on December 27, 2021

Question from Carrol: The other day there was a man on the news talking about new routers that use something called WiFi6.

To be honest I didn’t really understand what he was talking about because he was using a lot of technical terms that went right over my head.

The takeaway from that interview was that some people could benefit from upgrading to a WiFi6 router right away while others can wait a while.

The thing is I don’t know whether I need to upgrade or not. What do I need to know in order to decide? [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I keep the WiFi from disconnecting in Windows 10?

Posted on March 11, 2021

Question from Aaron S: Hi Rick. I really like your blog and appreciate all the help you give to so many people.

I hope you can help me with an issue I’m having with my HP laptop.

Ever since I updated it to Windows 10 the WiFi automatically disconnects after about 30 minutes and I have to reboot the computer to get it turned back on.

How can I keep the WiFi working until I actually shut the laptop down?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Why can’t I connect my Wi-Fi devices to my new Xfinity Modem/Router?

Posted on May 9, 2014

Question from Bethany Y.: Comcast just replaced my old cable modem with a new Xfinity Modem/Router (Model # SMCD3GNV). The wired connections work perfectly, but I can’t get any of my wireless devices to connect via Wi-Fi.

The Wi-Fi signal is very strong and I’ve checked the Wi-Fi settings several times and everything seems to be correct. But I just can’t get any of my devices to connect.

Any idea how to fix this? I called Comcast tech support 3 times and the foreigners on the other end of the line can’t help me.

They finally scheduled a service call from a technician but they won’t be here for almost a week! I need my Wi-Fi working ASAP!! I really hope you can help me.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Prevent Android 4.3 from continuously scanning for available Wi-Fi networks

Posted on August 3, 2013

Do you keep the Wi-Fi setting on your smart phone turned off when not in use in order to conserve battery life? If not, you should, because your phone’s Wi-Fi radio is a major battery hog.

If you have a phone running Android 4.3, did you know that it continuously scans for available Wi-Fi networks even when you have Wi-Fi turned off? This isn’t good, and not just because of the battery drain.

Some major retail establishments now track your phone’s Wi-Fi radio to keep tabs on your exact location while you’re inside their stores. And if the private sector finds that capability useful, can you imagine what uses the government might have for it?

There is a way to turn this continuous scanning off, but it’s hidden within the bowels of Android 4.3’s settings menu. Follow these steps to disable it: [Read more…]