Are your browsing and surfing slowing to a crawl? Unable to stream? Unable to actively participate in your team video conferences or audio meetings? Amidst this Coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns, we have no option but to work from home. While some people are already familiar with and prefer telecommuting, others, who have mostly worked in offices, may find it challenging.
If your Wi-Fi signals are dropping a little too often and too much, the situation can become even more testing. While we all believe that wireless internet is the biggest development in the evolution of the internet. Still, this astounding evolution doesn’t ensure smooth, stable, and consistent speeds. Even before this pandemic, a sluggish internet was a major put off. But back then, it was more about the entertainment. Now the FOMO (fear of missing out) has largely shifted to your official commitments and tasks. And of course, news and latest developments about COVID-19.
If you are experiencing weak signal strength, recurrent interruptions, and internet outages, let’s help you boost your internet. Skim through the following popular hacks to boost your Wi-Fi signal strength.
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Set Your Router’s Antennas Right
Do you know that Wi-Fi signals essentially spread out perpendicularly to your Wi-Fi router? If the signals have to travel through walls at particular angles, they are weakened. We are aware that not all Wi-Fi routers come with antennas. Some are omnidirectional too.
But if yours does have external antennas, angle them the right way. The best practice would be positioning one antenna vertically and orienting the other antenna horizontally. This will ensure the maximum spread of the Wi-Fi signals and bump up the coverage in your house. This hack will improve your wireless signals immensely and unlike public Wi-Fi, without compromising security protocols.
Optimal Placement of Your Wi-Fi Router
It may sound obvious, but the placement of your router largely impacts the signal strength. Position the router in an elevated and open space. Make sure there are limited obstructions to ensure better signals. Since the signals travel perpendicularly, keeping the router on the ground will make the signals travel along the floor and they wouldn’t reach all parts of your home.
If you live in a multi-level home, placing your router on the second floor may raise your bandwidth speeds and improve the signal strength. Don’t place your router very close to walls and dense objects because it will result in signal loss.
Also, place it somewhere in the center of the house instead of relegating it to the far end of your house. Remember it’s not DSL internet, the placement does matter when it’s wireless internet.
Consider Adding an Internet Extender
Just like a Wi-Fi repeater, a Wi-Fi extender helps in boosting your home Wi-Fi signals to all the areas of your house. An extender is perhaps a more complex solution. But the advantage is that an extender is less likely to limit the bandwidth of your Wi-Fi as compared to repeaters.
Since it is wired, it doesn’t require additional bandwidth to work. You can use a power line Ethernet kit to boost your internet signals for devices, gaming consoles, and equipment in your basement and garage. This may resolve your Internet outage issue in rooms located far from the router.
Invest in a Wi-Fi Repeater
Add a Wi-Fi repeater or repeater in various parts of your house. It is a simple solution to increase the Wi-Fi signal strength across your house. The repeater keeps the same password and SSID settings and helps in carrying your current Wi-Fi signals further.
The repeater essentially contains a router. It transmits and boosts the strong Wi-Fi signals to all the devices in the house. You can even create your own repeater by connecting an extra second router to your primary one using LAN ports. You can configure the settings and you will be able to leverage the extra device to carry the wireless signals.
Get Full Home Coverage
If you afford, invest in a nest Wi-Fi system. This is a bit expensive solution but it ensures full home coverage. The nest system comprises of two separate devices. Its router plugs into your primary modem directly and forms the basis of a powerful and strong home network. The second device, the Wi-Fi point essentially expands the signal coverage wherever you need it.
The nest Wi-Fi solution is the most powerful and effective solution than all the hacks on our list. It delivers around 25% better coverage. A two-pack can even deliver coverage for a home spread on a 3,800 square feet.
