The holidays are a busy season; they may be festive, but they're only sometimes relaxing. We know plenty of us have family coming around for the holidays, and we're scampering around making sure everything is picture perfect so that Nan can't critique our choice of furniture, or the kids can't complain "there's nothing to do!" when we've got them living in our guest rooms.
These days, wherever we go, we expect the net to be ready for us, and your family's likely expecting the same. To avoid bandwidth bundles or streaming strife, we've put together this list of steps to help you get the network ready for relies this Christmas.
1. Figure out how to share your Wi-Fi password
If you've got it memorised, great! That makes it nice and easy. However, reading it out can still be a pain. That's why it's great that there are more and more easy ways to connect. On iPhone, you can share your password with the touch of a button to other Apple devices using the Share Wi-Fi feature.
On Android, you can share with other Android devices via a QR code by heading to your Wi-Fi settings and selecting QR code from the network options. All they'll need to do is scan the code to connect to the network.
You'll still need the password for other devices, like laptops or consoles. If you're using the default password, it will be on the bottom of Pentanet routers for your easy reference.
2. Router positioning
You'll have a lot of people relying on your Wi-Fi, so it'll be best to ensure your router is well-positioned. This can have a significant impact on the performance of your Wi-Fi. Put it somewhere central but not too close to fridges or microwaves, which can cause interference. The fewer walls and other obstructions between users and the router, the better an experience they'll have, so putting it close to where it'll be used the most is a good idea.
3. Check if you'll need Wi-Fi extenders
After setting up your router in the best position, check for any dead zones in your Wi-Fi around the home, such as in guest rooms or the next floor. These can be easily handled with a Wi-Fi extender or by adding a second router. The Pentanet Prism Edge is an excellent router for Wi-Fi, as you can always add more to increase the size and coverage of your network, ensuring quality connections throughout the home, as you can with several of our other routers.
4. Setup your streaming devices beforehand
Taking a little time before everyone arrives to make sure all your TVs, especially the ones in guest rooms, are logged into Netflix and the like can save a lot of headaches late at night when everyone wants to settle in to relax.
If your family will bring their own devices to watch on, maybe write a list of your logins somewhere easily accessed before they arrive. Just remember they'll probably take those logins with them when they go, so if that's not something you're comfortable with, consider changing your password once the holidays are over.
5. Create a GeForce NOW Powered by CloudGG account
Not everyone's a gamer, but these days, most kids are. You'll never hear the end of it if there's nothing for the nieces and nephews to play, but buying a console or making them lug theirs just for the holidays would be ridiculous. That's where GeForce NOW Powered by CloudGG comes in.
GeForce NOW is Australia's premiere cloud gaming platform, transforming almost any device (including many TVs that now support it) into the high-powered gaming PC of any kid's dreams. A 1-month subscription to a Casual membership or above will be enough to see the kids happy throughout the festive season, especially with the vast array of free-to-play titles, such as Fortnite and Rocket League.
Click here to learn more about supported devices on the service to see if the service works with your TV.
If you need more advice about getting your home ready for the holidays, don't hesitate to contact our team. We're always happy to help avoid those Wi-Fi woes and set you up with a good connection to help support the good connections with the family over Christmas.
