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How To Prioritize Devices On Wifi? [Complete Guide 2023]

The WiFi network in your home is connected to at least one device for every family member. There are many additional smart devices, like televisions, tablets, smartwatches, and other gadgets. So, how to prioritize devices on WiFi network devices or change device priority on a network so that those who require more internet bandwidth take precedence over those who do not or require less bandwidth? Examples include your work computer, mobile, or printer.

To make the most of the Network’s throughput and speed and to give the device priority router, Quality of Service (QoS) is used to assign Priority to specific devices, services, or applications through the router. We carry it out utilizing the router’s QoS function. Go to the web interface for your router, click Configuration, choose Security, then click QoS and set the appropriate options. Make Internet Access Priority available, Create a Name for the device you wish to prioritize, input the Port Range, choose the appropriate Priority level, and then click Apply to save the adjustments.

Now that you know the answer, let’s read about the solutions in depth.

Table of Contents

Find the device’s MAC address.

How to give a device priority on a router. Prioritization of a WiFi network requires knowledge of its MAC address. Skip to the second subsection if you know a MAC address and how one can find it. Be aware that certain routers show the MAC address of the WiFi networked device. Skip to the next section if your router supports this.

A device connected to a network can be Media Access Control or MAC; identities are used to identify devices. Here’s where to look for it on various operating systems:

Windows 11

To access the System Tray, click the WiFi icon in the Taskbar. Now choose Go to Settings from the context menu when you right-click the WiFi button.
Select the WiFi network you are presently using. You might have given your Network this name.
Scroll a little to locate the Windows computer’s MAC or physical address.

For earlier Windows versions, the procedures varied significantly.

macOS

How to prioritize devices on WiFi, Before prioritizing your Macbook on the WiFi network, you must determine the computer’s MAC address.

By selecting the Apple icon on the uppermost edge of the mobile, select System Preferences.
Go here and click Network. Choose Advanced in the right-hand column.
Under the Hardware tab in the pop-up that appears, you may find your Macbook’s MAC Address.

Android

Depending on the make and type of the device, Android smartphone steps can vary a little. For this example, I’ll use a Samsung Galaxy phone.

To select your WiFi network name, go to Settings > WiFi settings and tap Advanced.

iOS

Here is a guide for finding the MAC address on iOS.

Navigate to Settings > General > About. The MAC address serves as the WiFi address.

Similar to computers, gaming consoles also have a MAC address. It should be located inside Settings > About on the majority of consoles.

How to set priorities on the router

How to prioritize devices on WiFi using your favorite browser and a connection to the WiFi connection, either remotely or by a LAN cable; it is simple to sign into your router. The router’s back has a white sticker with the IP address. Enter the router’s IP address directly if you know it. If a link exists, simply follow the QR to launch a browser immediately. If not, enter the IP address by hand. Some users type 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 into their browsers directly. The default login and password are admin, but if you or your administrator changed them.

Many routers differ slightly. You’re searching for quality of service or QoS. It was located under Wireless > Advanced > QoS in the case of TP-Link. Here is how it appears.

You may see some sophisticated options depending on the make and model. Under the Information tab, you may discover a list of the devices currently associated with the Network and respective MAC addresses.

You may rapidly turn on the toggle for the specific device under Priority to give it more bandwidth than other devices in the list. Finally, you can specify a time frame under Timing for when the chosen device will take precedence over other WiFi network users.

If you want the device to be prioritized on the WiFi network indefinitely or until it is manually turned off, set it to Always.

How to set device priority on WiFi

Is there a way to prioritize WiFi? How to prioritize devices on WiFi depends on several things, such as the nature and importance of your task. Those of you who are new may choose to start with the following example scenarios:

Apps for video calling, like Zoom and Meet, require more data and can be given Priority when active.

You should prioritize your work and business PCs if you’re a professional. Some apps need to be refreshed often to upgrade data in real-time. Think of the stock or cryptocurrency markets.

If you are a player, gaming devices should be your first focus. They only require a little bandwidth, but low latency is necessary to avoid lags.

Streaming apps like Netflix demand more data when watching HD or UHD videos.

Since they don’t require more bandwidth or low latency, you can put the browsers and email programs at the bottom of the list.

FAQs

What happens if my router lacks QoS?

Although unlikely, if that's the case, you should connect to the WiFi network using a LAN cable. Wirelessly linked devices are automatically given lower Priority than LAN cable-attached devices. For this reason, professional gamers almost always favor a LAN cable.

How can I access my router remotely if I'm not at home?

If you are traveling and don't want to disclose your login information to anybody else, there is a way for you to access the router remotely.

How should your home network be configured for the best gaming experience?

Gaming is distinctive since it uses a significant amount of bandwidth, particularly when it comes to online gaming. Here, you can choose specialized gaming routers.

How can I increase my Internet connection's bandwidth?

The router's settings can examine Internet traffic if you need additional bandwidth on a shared or cable wireless connection.

Where can I locate my model number?

Look for a sticker outside the router to locate the model number, default network name, default password, IP address, and other information.

Conclusion

We hope you got the solution to how to prioritize devices on WiFi. We talked about using the QoS function to give connected WiFi devices Priority. What happens if you choose several WiFi networks and want your device to connect to the fastest Network automatically every time? That was, in fact, also covered. Prioritizing WiFi connections is easy on well-known desktop and mobile operating systems.