As I’ve written elsewhere, Wi-Fi is an underrated consideration when you’re building a home theater. The focus tends to be on choosing a TV with the right size and the right technology, followed by a soundbar or other multi-channel surround-sound system for audio. Some people might even focus on their lighting or furniture before they get around to thinking about networking.
If you pause for just a moment, though, you’ll realize that your Wi-Fi router can be a make-or-break component. A slow or unreliable connection can lead to buffering or visual artifacts in video, or delays and dropouts in wireless audio systems. Heck, smart home accessories might fail to respond, sabotaging that slick lighting automation you spent so much time and money on.
I’m going to try to avoid being too technical in this piece. At the same time, if you take home theaters seriously, you may need to brush up on networking jargon as much as concepts like HDR10+ Advanced or Dolby Atmos.
Connecting via Ethernet whenever possible
Be bulletproof
This might be anathema to those of you who prefer a clean setup with minimal wiring. Using your router’s Ethernet ports provides two benefits, however, the first being reliability. On the scale of a home theater, Ethernet is essentially immune to range or interference issues, so you’ll get consistent speeds with zero dropouts — as long as your router and internet provider are behaving.
The other perk is bandwidth. Devices (and cables) that support gigabit Ethernet will transfer data faster than the vast majority of Wi-Fi connections, reducing buffering times for audio and video. On top of that, you’re freeing up the airwaves for devices that do need Wi-Fi.
On the scale of a home theater, Ethernet is essentially immune to range or interference issues, so you’ll get consistent speeds with zero dropouts.
As a rule, it’s best to use Cat 6 Ethernet cables. While you may never max out their 10Gbps capacity, Cat 6 isn’t very expensive, and will allow you to go above the 1Gbps limit of Cat 5e when hardware is compatible. That can be handy for things like network-attached storage (NAS) and other media servers.
With complex home theater setups, you may need to invest in an Ethernet switch if your router doesn’t have enough jacks. Most of you can get away with a cheaper unmanaged switch. I’d recommend avoiding managed or smart switches, in fact, unless you’re technically savvy and have unique interests in mind.
Forcing TVs and speakers onto the 5 or 6GHz bands
When possible, that is
Routers based on Wi-Fi 6 are equipped with two frequency bands: 2.4 and 5GHz. Wi-Fi 6E and 7 add a 6GHz band into the equation. These numbers might initially sound academic, but higher frequencies carry more data — so if you want the fastest downloads and response times, the 5 and 6GHz bands are always preferable. Just be aware that they also have limited range. 6GHz isn’t much good outside the room your router is in, as even your walls may weaken it too much.
Most standalone routers should have settings options (in their web or mobile interfaces) that allow you to create separate SSIDs (network IDs) for different bands, for instance “MyHome-2.4G” and “MyHome-5G.” Once you’ve set that up, you can go into the settings for your TV, speakers, and other devices and select the bands that work best.
This may not be possible with some mesh routers. Mesh systems default to a unified SSID, since this makes it easier to hand off connections from one router to another. You’ll have to investigate your router’s settings to see if splitting bands is a possibility. Don’t panic if it’s not, though — chances are your devices will default to 5 or 6GHz whenever they can.
Except perhaps security cameras, most smart home accessories should be forced onto 2.4GHz. Lights, sensors, and thermostats don’t consume much data, and 2.4GHz will ensure enough range while reducing congestion on the 5 and 6GHz bands.
Turning on Smart Queue Management
Rare yet valuable
Smart Queue Management — SQM for short — is complicated to explain in detail. In short, then, it helps prioritize certain kinds of traffic over others, guaranteeing better performance for them. Specifically it favors real-time traffic, including games, voice and video calls, and most importantly for a home theater, video streaming. Functions like email sync and web browsing get pushed to the back of the line.
There’s only one catch to SQM: availability. Most routers aren’t equipped for it, given that it requires a (relatively) high amount of processor power, and it’s not strictly necessary for good performance. The most popular brands with the feature are Eero, Netgear, and Ubiquiti. Doublecheck a router’s compatibility before you assume you can switch the option on, and especially before buying a new model.
It is possible to enable SQM on some otherwise unsupported routers if you can install OpenWrt. Don’t attempt this, though, if the idea of flashing your router’s firmware sounds intimidating or confusing.
Positioning your router and devices in the right places
The simplest possible hack
Okay, I’m cheating a bit here, since you’re not really configuring anything. Placement is extremely important however, and not just for general range issues or connecting Ethernet cables.
My concern is obstruction. It can be tempting to stuff a router behind your TV or receiver, or inside a cabinet, but you should avoid this whenever possible. It can degrade signal quality within a matter of inches, particularly if there’s any metal in the way. An analogy I like to use is a radio station, since that’s what a Wi-Fi router is, effectively. If a station puts its tower on top of a hill near the city, everyone will hear the broadcast. But if the tower is on the other side of a mountain, it’ll be radio silence, no matter that the tower is a few miles away.
The ideal spot for a router is off the floor, away from walls, and out from behind anything that might block it. You don’t need to sit it on a podium in the center of your room, mind. Just try to arrange the best placement you can within a layout that works for your theater setup.
Keeping visitors on a guest network
Try not to be stingy
As the name suggests, the main purpose of a guest network/SSID is to accommodate visitors without granting them full access to your router. This prevents them from accessing shared files and settings, controlling connected devices, or accidentally spreading malware.
That’s all valuable for a home theater, but what really matters is throttling. On many routers, once you’ve created a guest network in settings, you can cap its bandwidth. This will reserve more capacity for your own devices, which might be critical if you’re trying to stream 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos on a 200Mbps internet plan.
On many routers, once you’ve created a guest network in settings, you can cap its bandwidth.
At the same time, have mercy. You might like the idea of capping friends below, say, 25Mbps, but that’s slow compared to many cellular connections, let alone what people are used to with landlines. If you really trust them, the ceiling should be much higher, and there’s probably no reason your closest friends can’t use your regular Wi-Fi login.
