7 ways to boost your router's Wi-Fi signal

 

The eternal problem that our internet networks suffer from is often beyond our control, such as continuous interruption, the inability to surf the web in the evening periods due to intense pressure on the service provider, speed drops during downloading and uploading files, slow and delayed ping while playing network games, and many other problems that we can do nothing about. However, there are some settings in the router that need to be manually adjusted to increase network efficiency and ensure better internet speed. There are also some places in the house where an internet router should never be placed. Also, make sure that the internet cable is intact and that there are no welds or many cuts in the wires. You can check its condition from the router settings.

 

But after you did everything, you could, you still suffer from poor wireless range for all your devices connected to the router or drop in the Wi-Fi signal at certain times of the day. In this topic, we will try to offer additional tipsthan the ones we have reviewed before in order to enhance the WIFI coverage range and improve the Internet speed on your connected devices.

 

      1-     Replace place of the router

This is the most important step, not only in order to enhance the range of wireless coverage, but also in order to improve the performance of the Internet in general and all devices connected to it. The better positioned the router is in the house, the more bandwidth and better stability all connected devices will benefit from.

 

Sometimes we hide the router behind doors, under the sofa, or inside a narrow closet to keep it from the hands of strangers and children, but all these places, including the floors, cause the signal to be blocked and the frequency waves emitted from the router antennas to be absorbed before they reach the devices connected to it.

 

The router should be positioned as central and open as possible, with an eye toward minimizing obstacles in the way between you and the router, particularly metal obstacles, nameplates, mirrors, and concrete walls. While floors, walls and wooden obstacles can be considered "somewhat" friendly to radio waves and do not impede the coverage range.

 

If you want to get the best coverage from your router, try installing it on a high shelf or installing it directly on top of the wall, but don't raise it so that it sticks to the ceiling, just put it on a high shelf. You can try to enhance the coverage range by changing the direction of the two antennas as well, so that one is vertical and the other is at an angle of 90 degrees. In this way, the router ensures that you distribute the signal centrally and will be able to reach all the neighboring rooms in the house.

 

2- Changing the wireless communication channels

 

Most wireless routers try on their own to find and settle on the best wireless channel or switch between each other in pursuit of the strongest channel. A good router always looks for the best and settles on it, and when it encounters a drop on a channel, it will automatically switch its destination.

 

However, with the increase in the number of devices connected simultaneously to one of the channels, interference will occur in the radio waves emitted from the router to these devices at a very large rate, which results in many defects and interferences in the coverage range and the deterioration of the Internet speed.

 

The easiest way to check it yourself is to download the WiFi Analyzer or FRITZ!App WLAN app on your phone or laptop and it will show you the channel you are currently using to connect to your wireless router, as well as the channels your neighbors are communicating with their routers. If you see a strong frequency of an unused channel, you should switch to it immediately as long as it is not being used enough.

 

3- Change the frequency from 2.4GHz to 5GHz

 

Since you are still in the router settings, you should check the frequencies as well. If you have a modern router, then you have a 2.4GHz band and a 5GHz band. In fact, 5GHz isn't the fastest, but it's the least crowded, and it's rare that your neighbors in the same building can count on it. This way, you can switch to it to benefit from a better coverage range for all your connected devices.

 

This feature is very necessary when you have media streaming devices such as smart TV or media streamers. In this way, you get individual radio waves free from any other interference from routers in the same building with you or from your neighbors in the apartments and houses nearby.

 

4- Buy a new router

 

This is the most important point, especially for those who suffer from the inability to connect their phones or laptops to the wireless Wi-Fi network, no matter how hard they try. The problem is probably because your device is using a different WiFi standard than the connection standard set by your router.

 

Fortunately, most modern devices support modern communication standards and protocols for wireless communication. But they are many and different, it is possible to have a piece of WiFi or a separate antenna or even a laptop WiFi on the 802.11g protocol while your WiFi standard in the router is fixed on 802.11n. The N standard is supposed to be the newest, fastest, and most stable standard that desktops, tablets, and smartphones support — or at least most of them are.

 

There are also other standards A, B, C, AC and AX. So, if you are facing an issue with not being able to connect your phone or laptop to the router wirelessly, it is likely that the standards are not compatible with each other. Try to replace the connection standard from within the router settings to suit your mobile device or phone. You can also find out the standard of your mobile device first through its technical specifications on its official page.

 

But seriously, we need to move to AC at least because it's 6 times faster than the N band that most of the routers supplied by internet companies operate. But again, first make sure that your devices are able to take advantage of modern wireless standards. Especially laptops, tablets, smart TVs, and digital media streaming devices. Consider leading brands when buying a new router, such as ASUS, TPLink, NetGear, and more.

 

5- Buying a signal distribution network or using an old router

 

 

If you have an old router in your home or office, or you are going to buy a new router, do not throw away the old router. You can use it as a Wi-Fi signal repeater and boost its coverage in your home.

 

 If you have a high WiFi speed, of course, the old router can be a good and less expensive option than buying a new router, since it will expand the coverage of the wireless network in your home.

 

But if you live in a large house or your house has several interior floors, then perhaps your best option is to purchase an integrated wireless network system. These systems are a group of small devices that are distributed throughout your home, often consisting of 3 small devices. These devices receive the signal from the main distributor (router) and then distribute and extend its range throughout its surroundings.

 

The latter option may be more expensive, but it is necessary in some cases. It may also cause a slight decrease in speed, but not to a great extent. This network will enhance your ability to play network games and stream video on your smart TV much better. The best solutions might be Eero or Google Mesh, but they are quite expensive, but they are worth the price.

 

6- Update the router firmware

 

Most manufacturers offer an update from time to time in order to strengthen the router's protection against potential attacks from hackers and intruders and fill gaps that cause network leakage or password theft. These updates reach the router and install themselves without you noticing them, but in some other cases you will need to confirm and approve them manually.

 

Also, these updates may fix many problems. There is another possibility, which is relying on updates and external drivers, but it is similar to the process of flashing the smartphone ROM, as it requires concentration and making sure that the update is compatible with the router before flashing so that you do not encounter any problems, or you can certainly read some explanations on YouTube.

 

7- Manipulate the QoS feature and prioritize your devices on the network

 

If you have a modern router, you have Quality-of-Service. The feature in QoS is that it allows you to control the amount of bandwidth that different applications or services use. For example, if there are a different number of devices connected to the router (the devices of your siblings who use the Internet to download huge files and fast direct links) you can give your device priority over the rest of the others. As long as you use the Internet, it means that you have the best share of the service.