The big day has arrived. Your all-time favorite flick has finally come out on Netflix. You’ve even planned a little get together to watch it with that special someone. Just you start getting into the intriguing plot, your WiFi signal drops. It might even be so dastardly as to flicker in and out for awhile before it totally cuts out for the evening. Routers are finicky little devils. Sometimes, all you have to do is threaten to walk over to it and it will kick back in. Until you go sit back down. Then out it goes again.
Irritating issues like this don’t have to occur. Today’s technology still needs the occasional tender loving care of a human to function properly. The folks here at Dave’s Computers can offer you some awesome recommendations on how to improve your wifi signal so that they won’t cut out on you again.
A WiFi signal should be able to reach every nook and cranny of your home. Some issues that may prevent it from doing that are location, the need for an antenna or upgrading to a newer more powerful router.
DIY: How to Improve Your Wifi Signal
The first thing you should do is check out if the router is properly set. If the router that you have has settings with 802.11g, you’re using outdated equipment. The more common, quicker routers have settings of 802.11n. If you happen to be renting your router from a service provider, request an upgrade immediately! Once you’ve ensured your router is up to date, consider putting a password on your network. This will keep unwanted users out and speed up your device. Networks that have numerous users run slower.
If you’re still running into issues after completing the first two steps, check to see if the router will perform better in a different location in your home. This may take a little experimenting, but it’s worth the effort. Moving it to a centralized place in your home is a good place to start. If your router and your main tv is in or near the middle of your house, you should be getting pretty good signals. If your home is a two-level building and your router is on the lowest level, move it closer to the ceiling for optimum effect. If it’s on the top level, move it to the floor. This should enhance the signal for both levels. Take notice of other items that are near your router. Items such as cordless phones, microwaves, baby monitors, and Bluetooth devices also send out signals. Their signals can tremendously interfere with your router’s signals.
As with all technological gadgetry, routers run on bandwidths. The most common bandwidth is 2.4Ghz. Other devices in your household might not be able to be changed to another bandwidth, but routers can. Consider using a dual bandwidth router. The dual unit can split signals easily. Your router could use a 5.0Ghz band while other devices would remain on the 2.4Ghz band. This would help add more strength to your signal.
If you’re particularly fond of your router and don’t want to replace it, perhaps you could add on to it. If you live in a remote area, range might be the problem. You can improve this by adding on a high-range antenna. The majority of routers have external antennas that can easily be used. If not, there is the option of either a range extender or a network repeater.
Range extenders are awesome gadgets. For a small investment, you can purchase an extender and plug it into an electrical outlet. Extenders are capable of transferring speeds of up to 750MBps over a dual bandwidth.
Contact Dave’s Computers to Boost Your Wifi Signal
So there you have it, folks. Utilizing the suggestions above should help you solve any issues you’re having with your WiFi connection. But, if you’re a little nervous about doing them on you own, we’re here for you! The staff at Dave’s Computers will gladly help you through your WiFi and router issues, and give you great tips on how to improve your wifi signal. You’ll get to watch that awesome flick yet!
