How to Improve Your Wireless Signal

 

Introduction

A weak wireless signal can be intensely frustrating -- especially in your own home. There are various things you can do, from adjusting the positioning of the wireless router to adjusting the router's settings, to improve your wireless signal.

Move Router to Higher Ground

If your wireless router is on the floor, move it to higher ground. When the wireless router is on the ground, the signal that it sends out often has to pass through more objects to reach your device. Position the wireless router so it has a more direct line of sight to more parts of your house. Additionally, position your wireless router so it's not near other electronic devices or large metal objects, such as a filing cabinet. Electronic devices that send and receive any type of signal can interfere with your wireless router's ability to push out its own signal. Large metal objects or walls that are heavily insulated can also decrease the strength of the wireless signal or stop it from getting through entirely.

Make sure that your wireless router isn't tucked tucked away in a TV stand or under other items. Ensure the wireless router is elevated and in the open. | Source

Locate Router in Center of House

Locate your wireless router as close to the center of your house as possible to get the widest coverage area. If your wireless router is on one end of your house and you don't get a strong Wi-Fi signal when you're on the side side of the house, it's likely because you're too far away from the wireless router.

Point Wireless Antennas at Wireless Router

Position the antennas on both your wireless router or your wireless device so that they're pointing at each other for the best possible signal. However, bear in mind that while almost all wireless routers have antennas most Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as the iPhone, don't have an antenna that you can adjust, so this may not be possible.

For any wireless device's that have an antenna, make sure the antenna is pointed in the direction of the wireless router. | Source

Turn Off Other Wireless Devices

If you're using a 2.4 GHz wireless router, try turning off other devices that broadcast a wireless signal using that frequency. These devices include most wireless phones, and baby monitoring and Bluetooth devices. Wireless routers transmit on either a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz signal band. Check the manual that came with your router if you're unsure about what signal band it transmits on.

Turn off other Bluetooth and wireless devices to see if they are interfering with your wireless signal and resulting in reduced speeds. | Source

Change Wireless Router Channel

Change the channel your wireless router is broadcasting on. By default, most wireless routers broadcast on channel 6. Try changing to either channels 1 or 11. You can change what channel your wireless router is broadcasting on through the settings for your wireless router accessible through the software that came with your router.

Try changing the channel that your wireless router's signal band is operating on. | Source

Don't Tether Gaming Consoles to Mobile Devices

If you're tethering a gaming device to your smartphone or other mrience incredibly slow speeds, as most gaming consoles don't support 3G, 4G or satellite wireless networks. The only way to improve your wireless experience is to either connect to a Wi-Fi network or an Ethernet connection.

Change Wireless Signal Band

Change what wireless signal band you're using if your wireless router is dual band, that is, it can switch between transmitting on the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz frequencies. If your wireless router is dual band, you can switch what signal band you're using within the software that came with the device.

If you're operating on the 2.4GHz signal band, try switching to the 5GHz signal band to see if that resolves your issue. | Source

Install WiFi Signal Booster

Install a Wi-Fi signal booster. Wi-Fi signal boosters are available for both 2.5 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. Various Wi-Fi boosters are available that can boost your signal to varying degrees, from a boost of a few percentage points to a boost of 500 percent or higher.