There’s nothing more frustrating than when your WiFi drops out, gets slow or simply doesn’t work in certain areas of your house. Before your cry uncle and dig out that old Ethernet cable, here are some things you can do to improve your wireless service.
1. Out In the Open
Place your modem out in the open. Don’t position it in a closet, desk or crowded book shelf. Walls, books and furniture are made of materials that can block some of the WiFi signal. Line of sight is a good rule of thumb to go by. The more that you can see your modem, the better your WiFi performance!
2. Off the Ground
Avoid placing your modem on the ground. Most modems are built to broadcast the signal slightly downward and there is no sense in sending it into the ground. Find a nice spot on a shelf or counter with good visibility to the rest of your home.
3. Away From Other Electronics
Other electronics can interfere with the signal. Try to avoid placing your modem near devices like microwaves, computers, stereos and TVs. If your modem is behind your monitor, move it out into the open. Give it space to breath!
4. Slow Devices
If you have older devices like an old cell phone that is using WiFi it could be slowing down your whole network. Transmission signals from these devices are much slower and can bog down your modem. If possible, try to replace older devices or disable their WiFi connection. This will allow the best possible speed for the rest of your Internet connected computers and devices.
5. WiFi Extenders
WiFi extenders take your existing signal, amplify it, and then re-transmit the boosted signal. This can extend the range of your WiFi signal by placing extenders in parts of your home that are located far from your modem or have weak signal strength.
Your WiFi connection offers freedom and versatility. Good placement and appropriate settings are essential to its performance and your online experience.