A lot of things depend on the strength and reliability of your Wi-Fi network. A weak and spotty Wi-Fi signal can create excessive lag, and in the worst-case scenario, freeze your screens or crash your programs, leaving you more frustrated than ever. This is why the presence of a high-speed wireless network is critical in a modern-day household. There are hundreds of Wi-Fi services in the market, offering remarkable plans for this purpose. Get more info here regarding one such provider.
Acquiring the right network provider counts as the first step in ensuring wall-to-wall Wi-Fi reception. Next, comes the job of testing its performance. If Wi-Fi is available in every cranny and nook of your house, then congratulation, you’re ready to live out the dream of high-speed wireless connectivity. On the other hand, if Wi-Fi signals drop out in certain areas of your house, known as “dead spots,” then, worry not, we have gathered the best tips to help you enhance Wi-Fi coverage and eliminate dead spots, once and for all. Let’s dive right in.
Centrally Position the Wi-Fi Router
A router broadcasts internet signals wirelessly throughout a house. However, the hardware’s location has a huge impact on the strength, reliability, and range of the Wi-Fi signals it emits. If a router is placed closer to a wall, near a window, inside a cabinet, or next to another wireless device, it won’t broadcast signals optimally, and eventually, you’ll have to suffer endless buffering. Therefore, to avoid that, position your router in an open, centralized area of the room, so the signals can flow with equal potency to all parts of the house.
Elevate & Isolate the Network Hardware
A bonus hack is to affix your router on an elevated shelf, so the signals can cascade down like a waterfall on your laptop or other connected devices. Furthermore, make sure to remove all sorts of physical objects or obstructions away from the router, as they can absorb the Wi-Fi signals and throw them off their path. Keep the route clear between your device and the router to experience faster speeds with an extended range.
Adjust the Router’s Antennas
Antennas fine-tune the direction of your in-home network signals and impart them towards a certain zone. Most of the long-range routers, nowadays, come with antennas. If you possess a router with adjustable antennas, then try pointing them upward or in the direction of a dead spot. These external antennas will direct the Wi-Fi signals to where they are pointed, while also spreading Wi-Fi connectivity in weak corners and enhancing the range of your router.
Direct Wi-Fi Signal with Foil
A quick and simple tip to extend Wi-Fi coverage in a specific direction, for instance, the room in which you’re working, is to take a piece of aluminum foil, wrap it around something rounded, and set it up vertically behind the router or its antennas. This will block the signals from heading in every direction or being absorbed by walls. Consequently, the Wi-Fi signals will reflect off the foil and travel with more impetus towards a certain area of the house.
Disable Unnecessary Apps, Devices, or Programs
Distraction is never a good thing, especially for a router. A surefire tip to strengthen the Wi-Fi signals and to extend their coverage throughout the house is to de-clutter the network.
The more devices, apps, or programs a router has to connect to the web, the lesser is its capacity to broadcast signals over a wider range. So, disable the Wi-Fi setting on the devices you or your family are not actively using. Force-close all background applications, which continue to consume data under the radar and slow down the network speed, preventing the signals from traveling long distances.
Switch Frequency Bands
One of the tried-and-tested ways to enhance Wi-Fi coverage is to change the frequency band of your router to 2.4 GHz. Why? Because the 2.4 GHz band has the power to push internet signals through walls and over extended distances, though they may come out weaker on the other end. Whereas, the 5 GHz frequency band gives you a stronger signal throughput but not the best range. Therefore, if you wish to increase the network range of your wireless router, then switch to the 2.4 GHz band and you will receive internet signals across the floors.
Bring a Wi-Fi Extender
Wi-Fi extenders are compact devices, which are built with the very purpose of extending the range of your Wi-Fi network. How do they accomplish this? By receiving Wi-Fi signals from a router, amplifying them, and transmitting the boosted Wi-Fi signals towards an uncovered area, thus, making Wi-Fi accessible in a previously considered dead spot. You can get a Wi-Fi extender for as low as $20 or as high as $350, depending on the area of your house, the floor plan, and the speed specifications of your router.
Invest in a Mesh Wi-Fi System
You can also convert your in-home wireless network into a whole-home mesh system to boost Wi-Fi coverage. How? Grab the best Wi-Fi mesh pods or satellite routers that are compatible with your central hardware. Plug the mesh device into your router and distribute the rest of these peripheral devices throughout the house, especially in areas with no internet signal. Get them online and enjoy wireless internet speeds across your residence, courtesy of the mesh Wi-Fi system, which might cost you $100 on average but is a worthwhile investment, anyway.
Upgrade your Router
When nothing else works, upgrade your router. Experts recommend you replace your old router with newer varieties once every three years. This way you can acquire advanced gear with innovative specs and features, and not miss out on any modifications. Router manufacturers constantly roll out network hardware with improved performance and extended range. So, purchase a new router after approving the model from your ISP to delve into enhanced Wi-Fi coverage.
Wrapping Up
Since uniform Wi-Fi access is crucial for accomplishing day-to-day tasks and activities online, so apply the aforementioned hacks to enhance the coverage and extend the range of your Wi-Fi network today, in order to establish seamless connectivity and eliminate dead spots.
