Contents
We all want the fastest internet connection in our homes. For most people, this means that they result in either changing the internet service provider (ISP) or changing the equipment for internet connection. The equipment here refers to modems, routers, Wi-Fi extenders, and Ethernet cables.
However, what most people don’t know is that you can easily boost the Wi-Fi signal in your home using some easy to implement methods. These methods may require changing some equipment or not.
It is important to understand what is causing the problem of a poor signal in your home. You may have the best home router, the best modem or other internet connection devices but still end up with a poor signal. A poor signal may be as a result of one or several of the following causes:
- Having a router that is not up to the needs of your home
- Your home may be having thick walls
- You may have positioned the router in the wrong place
- Interference from other devices
- Having too many users or devices on your network.
Therefore, to mitigate against these causes of poor connection, we may apply the following solutions.
1. Place the router in the right place
The positioning of the router in your home may make your home to have a strong signal everywhere or have several dead spots. In order to get the best connection, it is great to ensure that your router is positioned in a more central place.
However, it should not be surrounded by thick walls. This is because Wi-Fi signals do not penetrate the concrete walls easily. Therefore, placing the router in a place where there are fewer obstacles in the pathway of signal movement will ensure that your home gets a better connection.
Finding the right spot may also need you to move the router around until you get the right spot. However, you may also decide to place it in a place where there is a direct flow of signal to most of the devices.
2. Avoid interference
There are several devices that can cause interference to the wireless signal in your home. Some devices emit signals that interfere with the Wi-Fi signal especially on the 2.4GHz frequency. These devices include microwaves, baby monitors, and other routers.
Therefore, as you are positioning your RangeXTD Wifi extender, kindly ensure that it is not near these devices. However, if you can’t avoid, use the 5GHz band for your devices for people with dual-band or tri-band routers. Moreover, you can switch off those devices when not in use to prevent interference.
If you live in a place with several routers like in apartments, you can change the channel to prevent interference/ congestion.
3. Get better equipment (routers, modems, and Wi-Fi extenders)
If you are consistently getting a poor signal even after working on the location and avoiding interference, then it may be the time to get a better device. If you are using an older device, it may not have advanced capabilities like the current devices.
The device may be a Wi-Fi range extender if you have one of the best routers and the home has many obstacles. You may also get the best router for thick walls if your home has many obstacles. However, as you choose the WiFi extender or another router, it is important to do some research to ensure you get the right device for your home.
A Wi-Fi extender picks up the Wi-Fi signals generated by your router and broadcasts it to wider coverage. Therefore, the devices help to improve the Wi-Fi range for your home. Additionally, you can also change the antennas if your router gives you a chance to change them.
4. Update the router’s firmware
The router’s firmware for most routers undergoes several technological improvements during the life of the router. Getting and updating the firmware is an easy way of ensuring that your router can keep up with the current technology.
Updated firmware ensures that your router runs at optimal speeds. Some routers have a simple upgrade button. Others, however, require logging into the manufacturer’s website and manually downloading and updating the firmware. Whichever way that you apply to update the firmware, it will make your router to perform better.
Another way of ensuring your router can give you a great signal is by using Open-source firmware. The firmware includes OpenWRT, DD-WRT, or Tomato firmware. The firmware enables better control and also improve the performance of your router.
5. Prioritize and keep your network private
Making sure that your network has a few devices or many devices but with a few prioritized ones will go a long way in getting a better signal for your home. Most of the current routers have Quality-of-Service which enables you to prioritize the devices that require more bandwidth as compared to others.
In a way, you can get the devices that require a better bandwidth to perform better. The activities requiring more bandwidth include online gaming, 4K streaming, and VoIP calls. With this in mind you can ensure large downloads are done at low peak hours.
In addition, you can restrict the number of devices connected to your network by keeping the network private. This ensures that all the available bandwidth is shared by the devices in your home rather than by others. One way of doing this is setting up a Guest network for your home and also having a password for the main network.
To wrap it up
Getting the best out of your network is everyone’s dream. If you have subscribed to one of the best internet plans from your internet service provider, there is no need to settle for less. You, therefore, require to get a good quality signal for your home.
To get a good signal for your home you can follow the 5 easy tips described in this article. In other routers, you may have the option to increase the transmission power. Making sure you have the right equipment for an excellent internet connection is paramount for good connections.
