With Jio entering the Indian market it is now easier than ever to get a decent broadband internet connection without breaking the bank. Adding a Wi-Fi router makes sense to fully enjoy the world wide web from anywhere in your home. But besides watching funny cat videos on YouTube or liking pictures on Facebook, there’s a lot more to do with the Wi-Fi connection at your home.
So what exactly are they? We’ve got the 7 best optimisation tricks your home Wi-Fi. Read on.
1. Stream media from any device to your TV
One of the best things a Wi-Fi network allows you to do is to watch online content on the biggest possible screen in your home. If that happens to be a Smart TV, then all you need to do is to connect that TV to your home’s Wi-Fi and enjoy YouTube videos on a larger screen.
Even if you don’t have a Smart TV, you can simply connect a device like a Google Chromecast which lets any TV behave like a Smart TV. Oh, the joys of watching of unboxing, reviews and vlogs on a bigger screen!
2. Stream audio too
Additionally, audiophiles can enjoy their music over Wi-Fi too. Google’s Chromecast Audio lets you stream your audio from your phone to any set of speakers without wires. Simply connect the Chromecast to your speakers and ‘cast’ your audio over your home wi-fi. You not only get better audio quality compared to bluetooth but a stable stream as well.
3. Use your Android phone like a remote control
Sounds confusing? Don’t be. There are apps like gmote and Unified Remote which let you convert your Android phone into a remote control. How exactly? It’s simple. Install the Android app and the corresponding computer client. This allows your phone to communicate wirelessly with your computer.
Other functionality of such apps also include using your phone as a mouse for the computer. If you have some smart appliances in your home, then you can control those with your phone. It’s quite cool, so I recommend you checking it out yourself.
4. Print wirelessly, even from your phone
Wanna print a document urgently without waiting for your PC connected to your printer to boot up? Well, print that document directly from your smartphone, as long as your printer can support wireless printing. Simply tap the Print option from the 3-dotted menu in the top-right corner.
Why connect wires just to print, when wireless printing is so convenient?
Since it will be the first time you’ll be trying this, the device might ask you to install the plugin app to enable wireless printing from your phone. Download and install the said (will differ from printer to printer) and you’ll then be able to print wirelessly.
5. Sync files between devices
You know how you download a particular file on your computer and then wished there was an easier way to get it automatically on your phone too? With sync tools, this can be done easily. All you need to do is install the Windows/Mac client and the Android/iOS version on the respective devices. Select a folder that needs to be synced (works both ways) and voila! You will be set.
Although apps and services like Dropbox also provide similar functionality, but they are cloud-based and not as secure. Also, if your bandwidth is slow, the syncing of files (especially large files) may be slow. Which is why standalone apps which sync files locally are preferred. My personal recommendation would be Seafile, although there are alternatives like Bittorent Sync (now renamed Resilio) and Syncthing are also available with more features and paid plans.
6. Get some smart devices
With every kinda device getting smarter and moving towards the Internet of Things (IoT) platform, it makes sense to start investing in some of these already. Some of these already provide great value and/or features that regular devices don’t. For e.g., the Philips Hue lighting system can be controlled via an app. From your smartphone. No remote or additional wiring needed. And it works perfectly well!
Who would’ve imagined such incredible features just a decade ago? But we’ve come a long way and soon your refrigerators will notify you if you’re low on milk, your washing machine will text you when it’s finished washing your clothes and your toaster will remind you how many loafs of breads were toasted on any given day.
Start now and thank us later
If you haven’t been using any of these features then now would be a good time. You need not try them all at once. But definitely give it a try and thank us when they work out for you.
