TIP: The router settings most people have never changed that make a real difference to network reliability - asking for a friend

[GlassKnight]

Most people log into their router exactly once when they set it up and never return. There are settings in most consumer routers that significantly improve reliability and speed and that default to off or to suboptimal values.

Enable DHCP reservation for your important devices. This gives your desktop, smart TV, and NAS the same IP address every time rather than a random one. Prevents connectivity issues when the IP changes unexpectedly.

Disable WPS (WiFi Protected Setup). It is a known security vulnerability and you do not need it if you are setting up devices manually.

Set your DNS to a faster and more private option. The default DNS from your ISP is usually not the fastest. Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 or Google 8.8.8.8 are both faster for most users and trivially easy to set in the router.

Check your MTU setting. Most routers default to 1500 but some ISP connections perform better at 1492. Ask your ISP or try both.

Schedule a weekly router restart at 3am using the router's built-in scheduler if it has one. This clears the DHCP table and often fixes intermittent issues before you notice them

[Coder53]

DHCP reservation is the one I implement for every network I set up. Smart home devices in particular behave much more reliably with fixed IPs

[veritas.io]

The DNS change to 1.1.1.1 is low effort and measurably faster for most users. DNSPerf.com shows the performance difference and Cloudflare consistently wins on latency

[Outlaw92]

Disabling WPS is basic security hygiene that most guides skip. The Pixie Dust attack against WPS has been documented for years and many routers are still vulnerable

[EdgeRatedR]

The scheduled restart tip is underrated. A router that has been running for months without a restart accumulates state that causes subtle issues. Weekly restart at 3am is invisible and helpful

[NeonPhantom]

MTU 1492 for PPPoE connections is correct. Most fibre connections in the UK use PPPoE and the correct MTU is 1492 not 1500. Setting the wrong MTU causes fragmentation that slows some connections

[Foundry69]

DHCP reservation requires knowing the MAC address of each device. Most router admin pages show connected devices with their MACs which makes it straightforward

[Craig]

One to add: disable UPnP if you do not specifically need it for gaming or certain smart home devices. It is a security risk that allows applications to open ports in your firewall without your knowledge