How to speed up the Internet on Xiaomi Redmi 9: from basic settings to hidden chips MIUI

Xiaomi Redmi 9 is one of the most popular budget smartphones, but its owners often face the problem of slow Internet. The reasons can lie in hardware constraints (MediaTek Helio G80 processor, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi module) and in the software settings of MIUI, which are not optimized by default for maximum speed. In this article, we will discuss 10 proven ways to speed up mobile and Wi-Fi Internet, including little-known tricks with protocols, DNS and hidden menus of engineering mode.

It’s important to understand that if your Redmi 9 is running below 10 Mbps on 4G or 50 Mbps on Wi-Fi (with a faster-enabled tariff/router), the problem is precisely solvable. We won’t advise “just reboot your phone” — instead, focus on deep optimization, including changing the type of network, turning off background processes, and even manually configuring antennas through the engineering menu.

So let's go into a little bit of detail, and start with the simple methods, and then we get to the advanced ones, and pick the appropriate level of complexity.

1. Checking the current speed and diagnosing problems

Before you can optimize, you need to understand where the Internet is slowing down. On Redmi 9, the speed can drop because of:

• 📶 Weak signal (mobile network or Wi-Fi)
• 🔄 Overloaded channel (especially on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi)
• 📱 Background apps that devour traffic
• 🔧 Incorrect settings APN or DNS

For accurate diagnosis:

1. Install the Speedtest by Ookla or nPerf app.
2. Run the speed test 3 times in a row (to exclude random jumps).
3. Compare the results with your operator’s rate or router speed (specified in the contract).

If the speed is 30-50% lower than stated, the problem is the phone settings. If the difference is greater than 70%, it may be the operator or router who is to blame. In the latter case, first restart the router (pull the fork for 30 seconds) and repeat the test.

2. Optimizing the mobile Internet (4G/LTE)

Redmi 9 supports 4G LTE Cat.4 networks (up to 150 Mbps), but can default to 3G or 2G mode to save battery life.

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Choose yours. SIM-map.
3. Click Network Type and set "LTE Only" (or "4G/3G/2G (auto)" if LTE is not catching).
4. Activate the option Improved 4G (VoLTE) – this will increase the stability of communication.

If the Internet is gone after the changes, return the settings back and check the APN (access point). For most Russian operators, standard settings will suit, but sometimes they get confused. For example, for MTS APN it should be Internet.mts.ru, for Beeline - Internet.beeline.ru.

A critical detail for Redmi 9: if the Network Type menu does not have the option “LTE Only”, then your MIUI firmware limits the choice: the decision is to update the software or use the engineering menu (section 5).

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

Redmi 9 is equipped with a Wi-Fi module 802.11 b/g/n (maximum 150 Mbps at 2.4 GHz). If your router supports 5 GHz or Wi-Fi 6, the phone will not be able to use these standards — this is a hardware limitation. However, even within 2.4 GHz, you can squeeze the maximum:

To change these settings:

1. Open the router’s web interface (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).
2. Go to the section "Wireless" (Wireless).
3. Set the parameters from the table above.
4. Save your settings and reconnect Redmi 9 to the network.

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If after the changes Wi-Fi began to turn off, try manually specifying channel 6 and disable the option "Automatic channel selection" in the router.

4. Disabling background processes and optimizing MIUI

MIUI is known for aggressively controlling background processes, but sometimes it harms Internet speed, such as system applications (Mi Video, Mi Browser) that can consume traffic in the background.

• 🚫 Turn off auto-update apps: Open Google Play → Settings → Auto-update applications. Select "Never».
• 🔄 Limit background activity: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management. Select an unneeded app (e.g. Mi Music). Click Limit background activity.

1. Settings → Connections and Sharing → Traffic Savings
2. Activate the option and add only messengers to the exceptions.

It is also worth checking the “Special Permits” for applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions → Special Access.
2. Disable Unlimited Data Access for all applications except browser and instant messengers.

Turn off auto-update in Google Play|

Limit background activity of unnecessary applications|

Include traffic savings |

Check special permissions to access data-->

5. Engineering menu: hidden settings to speed up the network

Redmi 9 has a hidden engineering menu where you can manually configure mobile network and Wi-Fi settings. Careful: improper changes can lead to loss of communication!

To open the menu:

1. In the phone app, type the code: ##4636##
2. Select "Phone Information".
3. Scroll down to the Set preferred network type block.

Recommended settings for maximum speed:

• LTE only is a forced 4G mode.
• LTE/WCDMA auto – Automatic choice between 4G and 3G (if LTE is unstable).

For Wi-Fi:

1. Go back to the engineering menu and select “Wi-Fi information”.
2. Look at the Wi-Fi signal strength setting – if the value is below -70 dBm, the signal is too weak.
3. Try changing the channel on the router (as in Section 3).

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Engineering menu allows you to force on 4G, If you have a network in your area LTE It's unstable, it could lose all connection, so you can return the settings to the phone. LTE/WCDMA auto.

6. Alternative DNS and VPNs to bypass restrictions

Sometimes the slow internet on Redmi 9 is not connected to the phone, but to the operator’s locks or overloaded. DNS-servers. solutions:

• 🌍 Shift. DNS: Install the app DNS Changer. Choose. DNS 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 (Google).Reboot your phone.

VPN to bypass throttling

1. Download ProtonVPN or Warp from Cloudflare.
2. Connect to a server in your country (for minimal speed loss).

⚠️ Note: some operators (e.g. Tele2) block traffic when using the service VPN. If the Internet is missing after connecting, turn it off. VPN and check the settings. APN (section).

It is also worth checking whether the phone is enabled “traffic saving mode” in the settings. SIM-It limits the speed to 64 Kbps, making the Internet virtually unusable.

7 Hardware Restrictions: What Cannot Be Fixed Software

Despite all the optimizations, Redmi 9 has hardware limitations that can’t be circumvented.

• 📡 Lack of support for 5 GHz Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi 6.
• 📶 Module LTE Cat.4 (maximum 150 Mbps, while modern smartphones support Cat.12-16 before 1 Gbps).
• 🔋 Economical processor Helio G80, which, when loaded with high load (for example, when loading large files), can trottl (reduce performance).
• 🔄 Update or roll back firmware: Check relevance MIUI: Settings → The phone. → Update. If a new version is available, upgrade. If you have problems after the update, consider rolling back the old firmware through Fastboot.