So I recently swapped out my old router for a newer model, hoping to get faster internet around the house. But strangely, my Wi-Fi feels slower than before, especially on my laptop and phone. I’ve tried rebooting the router a few times, moved it to a more central spot, and even updated the firmware, but no luck. I’m not super tech-savvy, but I did notice the new router has both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Not sure if my devices are connecting to the best one. Also, I’m using the same ISP and plan as before, so it can’t be that. Has anyone else run into this after upgrading their router? Any easy settings I should check or tweaks to boost Wi-Fi speed without buying another gadget? Would love to hear what worked for you!

Sounds like you’re on the right track with checking the bands. One thing to try is making sure your devices are actually connecting to the 5 GHz band, which is usually faster but has a shorter range than 2.4 GHz. Sometimes devices default to 2.4 GHz if the signal is weak, even if 5 GHz is available. You can usually see which band you’re connected to in your device’s Wi-Fi settings.

Also, some routers let you name the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks differently (like “HomeWiFi_2.4” and “HomeWiFi_5”). That way, you can manually pick the faster 5 GHz on your laptop and phone. If your router uses the same name for both bands, it might be confusing your devices.

Lastly, interference from other electronics or neighbors’ Wi-Fi can slow things down. You might want to try changing the Wi-Fi channel in