How to speed up the Internet on Xiaomi Redmi: from MIUI settings to hardware tricks

The speed of the Internet on Xiaomi Redmi is often a headache for users — pages load forever, video is constantly “hung” on buffering, and online games suffer from high ping. The reasons can lie both in the settings of MIUI and in the hardware limitations of budget models of the Redmi series (for example, Redmi Note 10 or Redmi 9A with a weak Qualcomm Snapdragon 4xx modem). In this article, 12 proven ways to speed up mobile Internet and Wi-Fi, including hidden settings that Xiaomi does not advertise.

It’s important to understand that if your Redmi is running below 10 Mbps on 4G or 50 Mbps on Wi-Fi (at 100+ Mbps), the problem isn’t always with the operator. Often the MIUI background processes, the wrong network mode, or even the hardware restriction on the LTE Band 3/7/20 frequencies used by Russian operators are to blame.

1. Real speed check: tests and norms for Redmi

Before optimizing, you need to understand what speed is normal for your model. For example, the Redmi Note 11 on the Snapdragon 680 in ideal conditions gives up to 150 Mbps on 4G, and the Redmi 9C on the Helio G35 – a maximum of 50 Mbps.

• 📊 Speedtest.net (app or website) - shows ping, download/return. Run 3 times in a row and take the average.
• 🌐 Fast.com (from Netflix) – Tests video download speed (relevant for streaming).
• 📡 CellMapper (app) - shows which LTE-ranges use your phone and signal strength (in dBm).

Standards for Redmi (4G/LTE):

If your scores are 30%+ below normal, move on to the next steps: If the speed is normal but subjectively slows down, the problem may be in the DNS or background processes (see section 4).

2. Optimization of mobile Internet: network selection and modem settings

By default, Xiaomi Redmi often chooses a suboptimal network mode (for example, 3G instead of 4G) or uses outdated modem settings.

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → [yours SIM] → Type of network.
2. Select LTE Only (if available). If you don't, select 4G/3G/2G (auto), but turn off the VoLTE option (it may slow down on some carriers).
3. Enable Enhanced 4G (LTE+) if available on the menu (available on Redmi Note 10 Pro and later).

For advanced users, MIUI has a hidden modem menu to get there:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter ##4636## (Menü Testing opens).
3. Select Phone Information → scroll down to Network Type Installation.
4. Select LTE only or LTE/TD-SCDMA/GSM auto (depends on operator).

Select the “Only” regime LTE"|Turn off VoLTE (if the speed drops)|Insert "Improved" 4G" (if)|Check the signal in CellMapper (should be higher) -95 dBm)-->

Attention! If the Internet is gone after the change of mode, return the settings to the Auto and restart the phone. Some carriers (for example, Tele2) block access to LTE if the device is tied to 3G.

3. Wi-Fi Acceleration: Choosing Channel, Standard, and DNS

On Xiaomi Redmi, Wi-Fi issues are often related to automatic channel selection or the outdated 802.11n protocol.

• 📶 Change the Wi-Fi range: in the router settings, select 5 GHz (if your Redmi supports it). 9A Redmi 8 is only available 2.4 GHz – in this case, select channel 1, 6 or 11 (they are least crossed).
• 🔄 Turn off the “Smart Wi-Fi Switch” in Settings → Wi-Fi → This feature often breaks the connection for no reason.
• 🌍 Change it. DNS: Go to Settings. → Wi-Fi → [your network] → Change the network → Show additional parameters → DNS and type: 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) 8.8.8.8 (Google) DNS)

If the speed on Wi-Fi is below 50 Mbit / s (at a tariff of 100+ Mbit / s), check:

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If your Redmi doesn’t see a 5 GHz network, upgrade the router’s firmware. Older versions (e.g., the TP-Link TL-WR841N) don’t support modern standards.

4. Cleaning of background processes and MIUI cache

MIUI aggressively caches data and stores background processes that eat up traffic, such as Mi Video, which can download updates in the background, and Mi Cloud, which syncs files without your knowledge.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Sort by cache size.
3. Clear the cache from the applications: Mi Video, Mi Cloud, Browser, Download Manager.
4. Turn off autoboot for unnecessary apps: Settings → Battery and Performance → Bootdown Management.

For radical cleaning:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Click Clear (this will delete temporary system files).
3. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Do not clear the Sim Toolkit app or Google Play Services data, which may disrupt mobile network performance.

5. Update of firmware and modem drivers

Xiaomi regularly releases updates that optimize modem performance, such as MIUI 14 for Redmi Note 11 improved support for LTE Band 20 (900 MHz), which increased speed in rural areas.

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. If the update is available, download and install it.
3. After the update, restart the phone and check the speed.

If there are no updates, but the speed is low, try manually updating the modem drivers:

1. Download the latest fastboot firmware for your model from the official Xiaomi website (link).
2. Unpack the archive and find the modem.img file.
3. With Fastboot Tools or XiaomiTool V2, only run the modem (no reset!).

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Updating your modem drivers can increase speed by 15-40%, but you need to be careful. Don't ask for files from other models, it will lead to network loss!

For Redmi on MediaTek (like Redmi 10C), it sometimes helps to reset your modem settings:

Enter in the telephone application:
#36446337## → Choose "Modem Reset"

6. Hardware restrictions: what to do if iron is weak

Low-end Redmi models (e.g. Redmi 9A or Redmi A1) are equipped with weak modems (Snapdragon 439 or Helio A22), which physically can not provide speeds above 50-70 Mbps.

• 📵 Turn it off. 5G (if there is one: transition 4G Sometimes stabilizes the connection.
• 🔋 Use the energy saving mode: in Settings → Battery Select Balanced or Energy Saving – This Will Reduce the Load on the Modem.
• 🛠️ Change it. SIM-Nano-SIM card of the new sample (old cards may limit the speed).
• 📡 Buy an external modem: USB-modems (e.g. Huawei) E3372) Connect to Redmi through the OTG And they're up to 150 Mbps.

Critical information for owners of Redmi Note 8/9: These models have an antenna defect. LTE Band 20 (900 MHz, which causes the speed in the countryside to fall to 2–5 Mbps: The solution is to use a repeater or change the operator to someone who works for Band 3/7 (For example, MTS or Beeline).

7.Alternative methods: VPNs, proxies and tricks with APNs

Sometimes operators artificially limit speed (trottling), and you can get around this by:

• 🔒 VPN: Use Warp.+ (Cloudflare or 1.1.1.1 – they do not encrypt traffic, but disguise it as “normal” traffic».
• 🌐 Change of change APN: Go to Settings. → SIM-map → [yours SIM] → Access points (APN) And create a new one. APN with parameters: Name: Internet APN: Internet.mts.ru (for MTS) / Internet.beeline.ru (for Beeline) Authentication type: PAP Protocol APN: IPv4/IPv6
• 📡 Proxy: In Wi-Fi settings, specify a proxy server (e.g. 103.86.98.98:3128), but this can reduce speed.

⚠️ Attention! Use! VPN may violate your fare rules (e.g. Tele2 is prohibited from having a VPN Check the contract with the operator before setting up.

Extreme measures: network reset and flashing

If nothing works, then radical methods remain:

1. Network reset: Go to Settings → System → Settings Reset → Network reset. This will delete all stored Wi-Fi and mobile network settings.
2. Custom firmware installation: AOSP-based firmware (like Pixel Experience) often optimizes modem performance better, but this requires unlocking the bootloader and can be insecure.
3. Replacement of antenna module: In the service center, you can replace the antenna unit (cost) ~1500–2500 ₽). Relevant for Redmi Note 8/9 band-flawed 20.

Before resetting or flashing, save your phone's IMEI (type *#06#).In rare cases, it can reset to 00000000 after reset, and it will be difficult to recover it.

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Network reset is the most effective way to fix the modem’s software errors, but after that you will have to re-enter the Wi-Fi passwords and configure the APN.

FAQ: Frequent questions about speeding up the internet on Redmi