Fix unstable Wi-Fi

First: is it the Wi-Fi or the line?

Plug a laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable and run the Health Check again. If the wired result is much better, the problem is your Wi-Fi and the steps below will help. If it's just as bad, the problem is your plan, modem or ISP.

Quick wins

1. Use 5 GHz or 6 GHz when you're within a room or two of the router. 2.4 GHz reaches further but is slower and far more crowded.
2. Move the router out of cupboards, off the floor and away from microwaves, fish tanks and thick walls. Central and high is best.
3. On 2.4 GHz, use channel 1, 6 or 11, whichever neighbours use least. Other channels overlap and make things worse.
4. On 5 GHz, try a 40 or 80 MHz channel width instead of 160 MHz in crowded apartments. It's often more stable.
5. Restart the router and update its firmware. Old firmware is a common cause of drops.

Bigger fixes

• For a large home, a mesh system with wired backhaul (or a powerline/MoCA link) beats a single powerful router.
• For gaming PCs and consoles that don't move, use a cable. Nothing wireless matches it for jitter.

To open your router's settings, try these addresses (one of them usually works): 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1, 10.0.0.1, 192.168.50.1. The login is often printed on a sticker on the router.