If you enjoy an excellent internet connection when you are in the living room at home, but as you walk down the hall it seems to you that you have entered a subway tunnel, we have the solution! Open your eyes wide because we are going to tell you some easy tricks to expand the WiFi signal at home.
Although our fiber rates are going like a rocket and their coverage is very wide, if your home is large, with more than one floor or with a lot of walls, you will surely want to try these tips to expand Wi-Fi coverage at home.
First steps to extend WiFi coverage
Before starting, the most essential part of having a good Wi-Fi connection is the location of the router, because without realizing it we may be limiting or hindering the effectiveness of the device and, therefore, there is not a good signal or it may even be lost.
1. Choose the best place to place the router
The ideal position would be the center of the house , in a high place. Think of the emission of waves as a kind of lamp that illuminates an entire room, and that if there are many obstacles that cover it, it will not be able to illuminate as it should and therefore the light will be dimmer in certain areas than in others.
If you put the router on one side of the house, a good part of the emission of the waves will pass through the wall that faces the street. So, since we are not talking about how to improve WiFi coverage across the street, or the neighbor’s house, place the device as central as possible and never on the ground or very low.
Therefore, for the Wi-Fi signal to be broad , the router must go in a central and clear area of your house to guarantee that it distributes the waves to the whole house.
2. Clear the way to your WiFi
If you place your router on a shelf so that it is somewhat elevated, do not put obstacles around it, clear books and nearby objects.
Even if you think that the shelf will be more beautiful if your router is not visible, you will inadvertently be hindering its radius of action. As in the example above, if you have a lamp, it is not logical to put an object in front of it because then you are limiting the entire radius of light.
To improve the WiFi signal you have to try not to place the device near cordless phones, plugs or microwaves because they can interfere with the broadcast. This is key!
3. Change the channel
In order to have a wide Wi-Fi network, we recommend that you take a look at the channel that your router uses, to check if said channel is saturated or not , because if it is, the solution is very simple.
A brief explanation of what this means is that your router emits radio waves on a certain channel as if it were a road. Ideally, in order not to interfere, it would be that he was not broadcasting on the same channel as everyone else, that is, that the road was completely clear for him.
When this is the case, that channel is saturated and the speed is not optimal.
How to know which WiFi channels are less busy?
You can check it using some simple mobile applications. WiFi Analyzer for Android is free and very good. If you have an iPhone, try Network Analyzer . Among other things, you will see how busy the different channels are.
4. Update the firmware
Checking and updating the firmware can be a good option to extend the Wi-Fi signal at home.
The firmware is a program that the router has that optimizes its operation, let’s say that it is like its application and, as with everything, there are times when it is out of date and that is why it is slower than normal.
In general, it is installed inside the router and its update is usually automatic, but sometimes it is not.
To find out, you have two options:
- Look at the router’s instruction manual.
- Write to the router configuration page in which case we recommend visiting the following link where they explain it step by step: 192.168.1.1
Also Read: How To Select An Internet Provider For Your Home
5. Change the arrangement of the router’s antennas
Another factor that helps the connection to be wider are the antennas of the router. Some do not have antennas but those that do, you just have to put them at a 90 degree degree, or what is the same, one vertically and one horizontally.
This helps to make the distribution of the waves more balanced . This is not going to significantly change the range of Wi-Fi, but it is going to be an improvement.
6. Free up the network of devices
Many times we do not even realize it, but there are times when the Wi-Fi connection is very slow, it is not because the router is badly located or hidden in a closet, but because there are too many devices that are connected and even if you are not using them at the moment, yes they are using your wifi.
Therefore, it is important to check which devices are connected and dedicate yourself to disconnecting those that are not necessary.
7. Select the appropriate Wi-Fi band
Selecting the Wi-Fi band is only possible if you have a Wi-Fi that offers 2 types of bands. Currently the new Wi-Fi has two types of bands with different features, so one band is better for some things and the other for others . Knowing what kind of band to connect to helps to have a wider internet connection.
The first band is 2.4 GHz: it’s slow, but it reaches all parts of the house.
The second is 5 GHz, which has a higher connection and speed but does not have much range.
This means that, for devices that need a greater connection and speed, such as laptops, it will be more appropriate to connect to the 5 GHz band and for devices in which coverage is more important, the 2.4 GHz band.
If all else fails, bet on a WiFi repeater
Although it could well have been one more trick, the truth is that this solution is a little more technical. eye! That does not mean that it is difficult… And that is why we wanted to dedicate an extra section to it.
Have you heard of WiFi repeaters ? It is one of the best solutions to extend the network signal. Pay attention because next we are going to put you in this unknown world.
How does a WiFi repeater work?
Before talking about repeater names, we believe it is important to explain what the WiFi repeater is and how it is connected at home .
In short, it is a device that works as an independent router and is capable of capturing the signal from the main router and repeating it from the room where it is .
It is important that the WiFi repeater is connected at a point where the signal still arrives fluently so that it can capture it and repeat it in the rest of the nearby rooms. Easy, right? Now let’s get to the tricky part… which one to choose?
How much does a WiFi repeater cost?
In general, WiFi signal repeaters are not expensive. Relax, your piggy bank can continue to live. It is clear that, as in almost everything, there is a high, medium and low range, but the price of a good quality amplifier can be between 20 and 70 euros .
Best WiFi repeater brands
Most WiFi signal repeaters are configured through a WPS button (method for pairing devices to your WiFi) or from the brand’s own App. At this point there are no major differences between the companies, just as there are not if we talk about the option of connecting devices to their USB ports.
Despite all these possible similarities, there are two brands that stand out , both for their variety of products and for their quality and finish, and they are: TP-Link and NETGEAR .
If you are looking for a better-known name, Xiaomi also offers this accessory or, one of the most competitive quality-price is Tenda.
Now that you have all the information in your possession, that we have made you tear down two walls of the house and change part of the distribution, you are ready to make your home the largest known WiFi hub with your extended signal at home.
Also Read: Is The Internet Slow For You? Find Out How To Fix Speed Issues