The internet speed at home is slow, and I don't know which device is grabbing bandwidth? Three-step location of the real culprit, the router's own tools are enough

• WiFi Analytics Assistant (Android, Free)
• AirPort (iOS, free)
• Fing (iOS/Android, free)
• WiFi Magic Box (Android, Free, Full-featured)

1. open the app and scan the surrounding WiFi network
2. view the channel distribution map of the 2.4 GHz band
3. find the three non-overlapping channels 1, 6, and 11
4. see which channel has the least signal strength (number of grids

 channel 1: ████████████████░░░░░ (7 routers, severe congestion) Channel 6: ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░ (4 routers, relatively smooth). ✅ Channel 11: ████████████████████░ (9 routers, extremely congested)

1. General settings → wireless networks
2. 2.4GHz → channel → change to fixed channel (do not select "Auto"
3. choose 1/6/11 of which takes up the least
4. 5GHz → The same operation, the domestic recommended fixed channel 149 (cleanest)

Don't believe the "Auto Channel " : The channel automatically selected when the router is turned on does not represent the current optimal. Over time, the network environment around you will change. It is recommended to set up a fixed channel manually and check again every few months to see if adjustments are needed.

Step 3: Check the connection list (whether it has been rubbed on the Internet)

1. Is the number of
   devices compatible
   1. write down the number of all the devices in your home: a few mobile phones× tablets, computers, TVs, smart devices......
   2. If there are more unfamiliar devices on the list, deal with them immediately
2. Are the device names familiar
   1. Normal device name: iPhone, MacBook-Pro, Xiaomi phone, HUAWEI-P30
   2. Unfamiliar device name: Android-xxx, unknown, XXPhone
   3. be more vigilant about devices without names
3. Is the connection time abnormal
   1. when no one is at home at 3 a.m., is the device still online?
   2. a device is online for a long time and takes up a lot of bandwidth?

1. kick unfamiliar devices in the router
   1. Device List → Strange Devices → disable / removal
2. change WiFi password
   1. router background → wireless settings → change a strong password (more than 12 digits, letters + numbers + symbols)
   2. After
      modification, all normal devices need to be reconnected

Advanced: Router Performance Self-Check

ASUS router performance check

• CPU occupancy : 5-30% normally, and being above 80% for a long time will cause the router to slow down
• memory occupies : 30-60% normally, and stuttering may occur above 90%

• restart the router first (unplug the power supply for 30 seconds before plugging it in)
• turn off unnecessary features (e.g., AiCloud, AiDisk, FTP servers)
• Is
  firmware too old? Upgrade to the latest firmware
• if it is high quickly after restarting, it means that the hardware performance of the router is insufficient, and consider replacing it

Synology Router (SRM) performance monitoring

• CPU/Memory Real-Time Charts
• CPU footprint per process
• the health of the hard drive (if USB storage is available)

Quick check list of common reasons for slow internet speed

• open speedtest.net or fast.com (no registration required)
• use a network cable to directly connect to the router for speed measurement (excluding WiFi interference factors)
• have both the download tool open and the speed test→ the test is the download speed limit
• turn off all downloads and test the speed separately → is the "clean" internet speed

Router Performance Horizontal Reference

Don't just look at the wireless rate (AX5400/AX6000) : The wireless rate is the "theoretical peak", and the actual use of channel interference, the number of devices, and the broadband bandwidth are limited. Many high-priced routers are expensive in processor and memory, not wireless speed.

final reminder

• check the traffic ranking first, then check the channel, and finally check the network , and you don't have to guess in three steps
• manually set up a fixed channel and don't trust the router's "automatic" channel
• 5GHz priority , and 2.4GHz is reserved for IoT devices, each performing its own duties
• unfamiliar device kicked immediately, The WiFi password is changed immediately
• the router has been under heavy CPU/memory for a long time it's time to restart or replace it
• restart the router regularly (once a week) to clean up memory and free up performance

the essence of slow internet speed is not "insufficient bandwidth" most of the time, but "road blockage". Checking traffic is to see who is occupying the road, checking the channel is to see if the road itself is blocked, and checking the Internet is to see if anyone is secretly on the road. Once the three things are clear, the problem will naturally become clear.