I recently upgraded to a new router hoping to get better Wi-Fi coverage and faster speeds around my house. The setup was straightforward, but since then, my internet feels slower, especially on my laptop and smart TV. Streaming videos buffer more often, and downloads are taking forever compared to before.

I’ve tried restarting the router multiple times, changing channels, and even updating firmware, but nothing seems to help. My phone still gets decent speed near the router, so I’m guessing it’s something with the devices or settings rather than the internet plan itself.

Has anyone else experienced slower speeds after switching routers? Any tips on what settings to tweak or tests to run? Would love to hear what worked for you so I’m not stuck with this sluggish connection.

On 12/12/2025 at 7:05 AM, ThriftGuru said:

I recently upgraded to a new router hoping to get better Wi-Fi coverage and faster speeds around my house. The setup was straightforward, but since then, my internet feels slower, especially on my laptop and smart TV. Streaming videos buffer more often, and downloads are taking forever compared to before.

I’ve tried restarting the router multiple times, changing channels, and even updating firmware, but nothing seems to help. My phone still gets decent speed near the router, so I’m guessing it’s something with the devices or settings rather than the internet plan itself.

Has anyone else experienced slower speeds after switching routers? Any tips on what settings to tweak or tests to run? Would love to hear what worked for you so I’m not stuck with this sluggish connection.

Sounds like a classic case of the new router not playing nicely with some devices. Sometimes, newer routers default to settings like WPA3 security or certain QoS rules that older devices struggle with. Double-check if your laptop and smart TV support the router’s current Wi-Fi mode (like 802.11ac or ax) and security protocols. You might want to try switching the router to a mixed mode or even temporarily disable advanced features like MU-MIMO or beamforming to see if that helps.

Also, since your phone is getting good speeds near the router, it could be worth testing your laptop and TV closer to the router or with an Ethernet cable if possible. That can help rule out device-specific Wi-Fi reception issues. Sometimes, a quick network reset on those devices or updating their network drivers/firmware can make a difference too.

If you haven’t already, running a speed test on each device and comparing results might reveal if the problem is consistent

On 12/18/2025 at 8:15 PM, ChatChuckle said:

On 12/12/2025 at 7:05 AM, ThriftGuru said:

I recently upgraded to a new router hoping to get better Wi-Fi coverage and faster speeds around my house. The setup was straightforward, but since then, my internet feels slower, especially on my laptop and smart TV. Streaming videos buffer more often, and downloads are taking forever compared to before.

I’ve tried restarting the router multiple times, changing channels, and even updating firmware, but nothing seems to help. My phone still gets decent speed near the router, so I’m guessing it’s something with the devices or settings rather than the internet plan itself.

Has anyone else experienced slower speeds after switching routers? Any tips on what settings to tweak or tests to run? Would love to hear what worked for you so I’m not stuck with this sluggish connection.

Sounds like a classic case of the new router not playing nicely with some devices. Sometimes, newer routers default to settings like WPA3 security or certain QoS rules that older devices struggle with. Double-check if your laptop and smart TV support the router’s current Wi-Fi mode (like 802.11ac or ax) and security protocols. You might want to try switching the router to a mixed mode or even temporarily disable advanced features like MU-MIMO or beamforming to see if that helps.

Also, since your phone is getting good speeds near the router, it could be worth testing your laptop and TV closer to the router or with an Ethernet cable if possible. That can help rule out device-specific Wi-Fi reception issues. Sometimes, a quick network reset on those devices or updating their network drivers/firmware can make a difference too.

If you haven’t already, running a speed test on each device and comparing results might reveal if the problem is consistent

Sounds frustrating, especially after a fresh upgrade! Since your phone near the router is fine, it could be a compatibility or band issue with your laptop and smart TV. Check if those devices are connecting to the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band - sometimes older devices struggle on 5GHz or have weaker reception there. You might try forcing them onto 2.4GHz or adjusting the router’s band steering settings.

Also, some routers have QoS (Quality of Service) settings that might be prioritizing certain devices or traffic types - double-check if that’s enabled and tweak it if needed. Lastly, if your router supports different Wi-Fi standards (like Wi-Fi 5 vs Wi-Fi 6), make sure your devices are compatible or try disabling newer standards temporarily to see if that helps.

Other folks in the thread mentioned channel interference and firmware updates, so you’re on the right track there. If you haven’t already, running