How to speed up Wi-Fi on Xiaomi: from basic settings to hidden MIUI chips

Why Wi-Fi on Xiaomi is slowing down and how to fix it

Slow Wi-Fi on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most common problems users face, and it’s not always the phone itself that’s to blame: often the root of the evil lies in router settings, congested network or even physical obstacles, such as concrete walls can reduce speeds by 30-50%, and neighboring routers on the same channel can create interference.

In this article, we will look at 12 proven ways to speed up Wi-Fi on Xiaomi devices, from basic settings to hidden firmware features MIUI. Particular attention will be paid to the Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13/14 models, where Wi-Fi problems are often associated with energy saving, and we will also touch on the optimization of Xiaomi Mi Router routers (including AX3000 and AX6000), as their settings directly affect connection speed.

Important: if your smartphone is connected to a 2.4 GHz network, but there is 5 GHz nearby, the speed can drop by 3-5 times. The first thing you need to do is check the network range in the router settings.

1. Switch to the correct Wi-Fi range (2.4 vs 5GHz)

Most modern Xiaomi routers (such as Mi Router 4A or AX1800) support two bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The first covers a large area, but is subject to interference and runs slower. The second faster, but worse passes through walls. How to choose the best one?

• 📶 2.4 GHz – Suitable for large houses with thick walls, but the speed rarely exceeds 150-200 Mbps.
• ⚡ 5 GHz is ideal for high-speed internet (up to 867 Mbps on AX3000), but the range is smaller.
• 🔄 Smart Connect – The router switches devices between ranges, but sometimes makes mistakes.

To manually select a range on a Xiaomi smartphone:

1. Open the Settings. → Wi-Fi.
2. Click on your network name and select Change Network.
3. In the Range field (if any), specify 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz.
4. If you do not have an option, the router is not divided into two SSIDs (see next paragraph).

On Xiaomi routers, you can divide networks in the web interface (192.168.31.1):

1. Go to Wi-Fi Settings → Basic settings.
2. Turn off the option to combine 2.4G and 5G into one network.
3. Think of different names for networks (e.g. MyWiFi_2G and MyWiFi_5G).
4. Save and reconnect the smartphone to the desired range.

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If your router doesn’t support 5GHz (like older Mi Router 3 models), consider upgrading to the AX1800 or AX3000 – the speed difference will be noticeable even on budget Redmi smartphones.

2. Optimize the Wi-Fi channel in the router settings

If you have a lot of neighbors with routers in your home, their networks can overlap, causing interference, especially in the 2.4 GHz band, where there are only 13 channels and dozens of devices in a city, and the solution is to choose the least congested channel.

How to check and change the channel on the Xiaomi router:

1. Connect to the router via the browser (192.168.31.1, login / password - from the sticker on the device).
2. Go to Wi-Fi Settings → Additional settings.
3. In the Channel section, select Auto or manually select the channel (recommended 1, 6 or 11 for 2.4 GHz).
4. For 5GHz, choose 36-48 or 149-165 channels (they are less loaded).

To find out which channels are free, use the following applications:

• 📱 WiFi Analyzer (Android) – shows real-time channel loading.
• 🖥️ inSSIDer (Windows/macOS) is a professional network analysis tool.

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If your router supports Wi-Fi 6 (such as the Xiaomi AX3600) but your smartphone does not (such as the Redmi 9A), the speed will still be limited to the Wi-Fi 5 standard (up to 867 Mbps).

3. Turn off power saving for Wi-Fi in MIUI

MIUI firmware aggressively optimizes power consumption, which can lead to connection breaks or slowdowns, especially on large-battery models (Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO X5 Pro), where the forcedly system limits background activity.

How to turn off energy saving for Wi-Fi:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Select Battery Mode and set Performance (instead of Balanced or Charge Saving).
3. Return to Battery Settings and click App Settings.
4. Find Wi-Fi in the list and turn off the Background Limitation option.

For models with MIUI 14+ (e.g. Xiaomi 13T), the path may be different:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three points (⋮) → Special access → Battery Optimization → Find Wi-Fi and turn off optimization

If after switching off the optimization speed has increased, but the battery goes down faster, try a compromise option:

• 🔋 Enable Battery Mode → Balanced, but add apps (like YouTube or Telegram) to the exceptions.
• ⚡ Use an Adaptive Battery (in MIUI 13+) that learns to adapt to your habits.

4. Update the firmware of the router and smartphone

More than 40% of Wi-Fi problems on Xiaomi are solved by a banal firmware update of a router or smartphone. manufacturers regularly fix connection bugs, especially in new standards (Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E).

How to update the Xiaomi router:

1. Open the Mi WiFi app (or the web interface 192.168.31.1).
2. Go to General settings → Update firmware.
3. If a new version is available, click Update (don’t turn off the router during the process!).

For Xiaomi smartphones:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. If you have a MIUI or HyperOS update, install it.
3. After the update, restart the device.

Make a backup copy of router settings|Connect the router to the UPS (or not turn off the power)|Close all active downloads on devices|Update via wired connection (if possible)-->

If the speed has not increased after the update, try resetting the router to the factory:

1. Press the Reset button on the back of the router for 10-15 seconds.
2. Configure the router again (network name, password, channel).

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Xiaomi routers with OpenWRT firmware (for example, Mi Router 4A Gigabit Edition) updates are less frequent, but they are more stable. If after the official update there are lags, roll back to the previous version.

5. Set up QoS (Quality of Service) on the router

QoS (Quality of Service) is a feature that distributes traffic between devices by priority, for example, it can give more speed to a Xiaomi smartphone during a video call, rather than a smart light bulb.

How to set up QoS:

1. Log in to the router's web interface (192.168.31.1).
2. Go to Additional Settings → QoS.
3. Turn on the option and select priority for devices: 📱 High for smartphones, laptops, Smart TV. 💡 Medium for smart devices (Xiaomi Home, cameras). 🖥️ Low for background tasks (updates, backups).

Save the settings and restart the router.

For gaming smartphones (POCO F5, Black Shark), you can turn on QoS Game Mode, which minimizes ping.

1. In QoS settings, select Game Mode.
2. Add IP- to your smartphone’s priority list (you can find IP in Wi-Fi Settings → Network Management on your phone).

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QoS is useful if you have multiple devices on the network at the same time, and if you only have a smartphone and a laptop, the effect is minimal.

6. Check the DNS and MTU settings

Incorrect DNS or MTU settings can slow down the loading of sites and applications, even if the speed of Wi-Fi is high, for example, if the router uses the DNS provider, and it is congested, pages will open slowly.

How to change the DNS on the Xiaomi router:

1. Log in to the web interface (192.168.31.1).
2. Go to Internet Settings → DNS- Servers.
3. Instead of automatic DNS, manually specify 🌍 Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 🌐 Google DNS: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 🛡️ AdGuard DNS (blocks ads): 94.140.14.14 and 94.140.15.15

Save and restart the router.

If some sites do not open after changing the DNS, try to return automatic settings or use alternative servers (for example, 208.67.222.222 from OpenDNS).

The Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) is relevant if you have a PPPoE connection (often from providers like Rostelecom or Beeline). The optimal value is 1472 (for PPPoE) or 1500 (for DHCP). You can change the MTU in Internet Settings → Additional → MTU.

7. Reset network settings on your smartphone

If all previous methods failed, the problem may be the configuration of the network on the smartphone itself, resetting network settings removes all stored Wi-Fi networks, VPNs, mobile Internet settings and returns them to factory values.

How to reset your network settings on Xiaomi:

1. Open Settings → System and device → More
2. Select Resetting → Resetting Network Settings.
3. Confirm the action (a password may be required).
4. After restarting, connect to Wi-Fi again.

⚠️ Warning: After resetting, you will have to re-enter passwords for all Wi-Fi networks, including hidden ones (SSID).If you don't remember the password from your home network, check it on the router sticker or in the Mi WiFi app.

If the reset didn’t work, try manually removing the network and connecting again:

1. Open the Settings. → Wi-Fi.
2. Click on your network name and select Remove Network.
3. Connect again by entering the password.

For models with MIUI 14+ (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Lite) after reset, an update to the operator profile may be required:

1. Open the Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Select your SIM- card and click Update profile.

How to check for hardware faults:

1. Antenna test: Hold your smartphone close to the router, and if the speed doesn't increase, you may have an antenna problem.
2. Battery check: Open Settings → Battery → Battery status. If capacity is below 80%, consider replacing.
3. Diagnostics Wi-Fi module: Enter the command in the engineering menu: ##4636### Select Wi-Fi Information and check the Wi-Fi signal strength setting. If the value is below -70 dBm, the signal is too weak.

⚠️ Warning: If Wi-Fi stopped working after falling or getting moisture, do not try to disassemble the smartphone yourself - this can lead to a short circuit.

For Xiaomi routers, hardware checks are also relevant:

• 🔌 Check the power supply — if it warms or squeaks, replace it.
• 📶 Make sure that the antennas (if removable) are tightly swirled.
• 🌡️ If the router overheats, put it in a ventilated place (not in a closed cupboard!).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Wi-Fi on Xiaomi