The video walks through all three checks live on a Mac and Windows machine. This article gives you the same information in text form so you can follow along or reference it later without rewatching.
1 · Check 1: Are you on 2.4 or 5 GHz?
Most home routers broadcast two WiFi networks — a 2.4 GHz band and a 5 GHz band — often with the same name. Your laptop or phone connects to whichever it prefers, which is not always the right choice. The 2.4 GHz band has longer range but much lower throughput and is shared with microwaves, baby monitors, Bluetooth devices, and your neighbors' networks. The 5 GHz band is faster and less congested, but has shorter range.
For a home office Zoom setup, you want to be on 5 GHz. To check on a Mac: hold Option and click the WiFi icon in the menu bar — it shows the current band. On Windows: go to Settings → Network → WiFi → your current connection → Properties. Look for "Network band."
If you're on 2.4 GHz and your router is within 30 feet, force the connection to 5 GHz. The easiest way: give your 5 GHz network a different name in your router settings (add "-5G" to the end), forget the 2.4 GHz network on your laptop, and connect to the 5 GHz one explicitly. One-time setup, permanent improvement for calls.
2 · Check 2: Is your neighbor drowning you out?
WiFi channels are shared airspace. If you and three neighbors are all using channel 6 on the 2.4 GHz band, you're all competing for the same frequency. The fix: change your router's channel to a non-overlapping one. On 2.4 GHz, the only non-overlapping channels are 1, 6, and 11. Pick the one your neighbors aren't using.
To see what's around you: download WiFi Analyzer on Android, or use the free Wireless Diagnostics app built into macOS (hold Option, click WiFi, select "Open Wireless Diagnostics," then Window menu → Scan). You'll see every nearby network and which channel it's on. Set yours to the least congested option. On 5 GHz, there are many more non-overlapping channels — your router's auto setting usually handles this well, but if it doesn't, pick a channel in the 36–48 range that your neighbors aren't using.
3 · Check 3: Router firmware
An outdated router firmware can cause intermittent drops that look like WiFi instability but are actually software bugs that have since been patched. Log into your router admin panel, find the firmware update section, and check when it was last updated. If it's been more than six months, update it. Most routers can do this automatically — enabling auto-update takes about 30 seconds and is worth doing.
If none of the above resolves your Zoom drops, plug an ethernet cable directly from your router to your laptop for calls. A $15 USB-C to ethernet adapter and a $20 flat ethernet cable is a permanent fix for call quality issues. WiFi is convenient. Ethernet is reliable.
4 · If none of that works
If you've checked all three and calls still drop: the problem is likely ISP node congestion during peak hours (covered in detail in the slow internet at night post) or a genuine hardware issue with the router. At that point, a 15-minute call with me is faster than continuing to troubleshoot alone — and I can usually diagnose it remotely before scheduling a visit.