Boost wifi signal reception

We're happy to share answers, best practices, and ways to improve your Internet connectivity. You can also yell at us if that makes you happy. We're from Philly, we can take it. Short and Sweet Headlines are Best! Your Internet should perform best when the WiFi signal is full. The better your connection, the more quickly and reliably you will be able to surf online on your laptop or tablet.

Move your router to a more central part of your home , so the Wi-Fi range covers all the areas. If there are still areas with poor WiFi coverage in your home or maybe on the patio, use a WiFi repeater - see how you can create one using your Windows PC. Make sure the WiFi signal from your router to your laptop is not obstructed. Adjust how close your router and laptop lie to walls, mirrors and other objects that may block the WiFi signal path.

Eliminate wireless interference - here are some common sources. Make sure any of those devices are not near the router or the laptop, to avoid WiFi interference.

Change the WiFi channel. Sometimes one channel can be stronger than others, and by simply switching channels from your router or laptop you'll increase signal strength for better connectivity to the Internet. The signal from my extender is worse than the signal from my original router in the same location. Why is that the case? I have two houses 50 feet apart, can the signal be extended from one house to the other?

Place your router in a window that faces the other houses window. Keep the blinds open no metal blinds and the signal should pass through. We get strong signals from the neighbors houses all the time. Experimenting with placement of the Wi-Fi transmitter and devices that need reception will yield results. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0. Unless you've got a lot of money, no.

Using a mesh would be too expensive, and using boosters would make your network too slow. Even a cabled connection would be very difficult with the m limit for standard ethernet cables. Using a mixture of boosters and cables may be possible. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 0. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Some Wi-Fi hardware companies produce "mesh" network items, which are essentially networks of two or more miniature wireless routers that you place throughout your home.

While expensive, mesh networks provide equal coverage and prevent dead zones. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Older and traditional homes have walls made from wooden studs, while newer construction in office buildings, malls, and condominiums are often constructed with metal studs in the wall. Metal studs can interfere with a router signal quite badly, so consider your building type when diagnosing your signal. Boosting your router's signal without following your country's procedure regarding wireless signals can result in a fee.

Check your area's legislature to make sure what you're doing is legal. Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0. You Might Also Like How to.

How to. About This Article. Written by:. Co-authors: Updated: August 10, Categories: Wi Fi. Article Summary X 1. Nederlands: Het signaal van je router versterken. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,, times.

Reader Success Stories Anonymous Oct 17, The tinfoil reflector looks like it acted as well as a barrier to interference from neighbors routers. More reader stories Hide reader stories. Is this article up to date? All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.

Remove physical obstructions between your computer and the router. A Wi-Fi signal can usually travel about feet, but every wall drops that by about feet. To maintain the most reliable connection, make sure your computer has line-of-sight access to the router. If that's not possible, you can still improve reception by minimizing some barriers: Place the router high up, such as on a wall mount or high shelf. If the router is on the floor or on a low table, you'll be wasting much of the router's signal degree range.

If you can't move the router away from glass, try covering the glass with a curtain or cloth. Thicker walls, such as those made of brick, concrete, or stone, seriously impact signal strength.

You may also run into trouble if your walls contain metal ducts, studs, and pipes. If your walls are impeding the Wi-Fi signal, open the door to the room where your router is, and place the router is as close to it as possible.

Tall furniture and appliances can block signals, especially when leaning against thick walls. Avoid setting up your wireless router in rooms with lots of tall objects. If you have a dual-band router 2 GHz and 5 GHz , log in to your router's admin website and switch the wireless band setting to 5 GHz. Eliminate 2. If you're using 5 GHz you can skip this step. If your only option is 2. Try minimizing interference from the following sources: Your neighbor's wireless network.

Move your router closer to the center of your home or office if your neighbor's router is too close to yours. High-voltage household items like air conditioners, microwaves, refrigerators, and washing machines.

Baby monitors and wireless security equipment. Connect the Wi-Fi router to a less-busy channel. If you have a 2. This can be done in your router's administration portal in the Wi-Fi or Wireless section.

Look for a sub-menu called Radio or Channel. If you have a 5 GHz router, there's less chance of a crowded channel resulting in a slow connection, though it's still possible. Add a wireless range extender or additional antennas. That way, the signal will blanket the area. See this wikiHow to learn how to set up a range extender. Another option is a mesh router. The advantage of a mesh router to a range extender is that you can manage all of the access points from one central admin interface.

Restart your router at least once a month. To do this, turn off the router, wait for 30 seconds, and then turn it back on. Let it run for about 5 minutes, and then check your internet speed.

Create an aluminum foil reflector. If you're unable to boost your Wi-Fi signal far enough and don't have a repeater or mesh router, you can make a parabolic reflector out of aluminum foil to place behind your router's antennas. Here's how: Cut about 11" of aluminum foil from the roll. Tightly wrap the foil around a 2-liter soda bottle. Unwrap the foil after a few seconds—it should now be curved.

Place the curved foil behind the antennas of the router so the open part of the curve is facing the direction you want to send a higher level of signal. One of the two units is meant to connect to your WiFi router, while the other unit connects wirelessly to the first one, seamlessly extending your WiFi network to other parts of your home. Together, the two units can cover up to 5, sq.

Since the two units broadcast the same WiFi network, you can move with your smartphone or laptop from room to room without ever having to connect to a different WiFi network. It supports both the 2. Its two integrated high-gain antennas provide surprisingly wide coverage considering their elegant design. The light turns red when you get too far away from your router and blue when the connection is good. For example, if your WiFi router is on the ground floor and you want to extend your WiFi to the attic, a traditional WiFi booster would most likely struggle.

This unique WiFi booster uses your home electrical wiring to extend your home network. You simply plug the receiver unit near your router and connect it using an Ethernet cable. You than plug the transmitter unit in any location in your home that shares the same electrical wiring and enjoy a strong WiFi signal.

The job of a WiFi extender is to extend your WiFi network beyond what your WiFi router is able to cover by grabbing the existing WiFi signal and rebroadcasting it. Because the Nighthawk X6 uses the same WiFi network name SSID as your router, it creates a seamless network, eliminating the need to switch between different networks. On the back of the Nighthawk X6 are two gigabit Ethernet ports that can provide a stable, wired connection to a desktop computer, smart TV, or any other stationary device that benefits from a rock-solid internet connection.

Despite its compact size and affordable price, it can stream simultaneously on 2. Of course, you can always simply unplug it from one outlet and connect it to a different one if you need to change its location. This wall-plug WiFi extender from Netgear surprises with its amazing performance and easy setup.

It can extend 2. Thanks to its support for Smart Roaming, your mobile devices will be able to automatically connect to it as they leave the range of your WiFi router. The Linksys Velop Wi-Fi extender is a compact device that can help you cover your home or any other building with a strong wireless signal.

The extender is designed to boost WiFi signal by connecting to your existing Velop system for a seamless connection to all your devices. Thanks to the Linksys App, controlling the Linksys Velop Wi-Fi extender and other Velop devices is a breeze, and you can, for example, create a separate, password-protected WiFi network or set up parental controls with a few simple clicks.

This WiFi range extender from D-Link extends both 2. We like that it can also function as an access point, which may come in handy should your main router ever stop working. The D-Link DAP has three external antennas that greatly improve its coverage, and it also features a single Ethernet port for wired internet access.

To set up this WiFi range extender, you need to plug it into any wall outlet and press the WPS button on your router. If so, it may be the right time to get a new one. Modern routers can broadcast on multiple bands at the same time, and they support features like Multi-user MIMO, which allows them to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously. The router also has eight gigabit Ethernet ports and two USB 3. Because this Asus router is geared toward gamers, it can super boost WiFi signal strength with its Game Boost technology, which analyzes network traffic and prioritizes gaming packets above everything else.

This award-winning WiFi router from D-Link offers combined speeds of up to Mbps, the ability to simultaneously broadcast to multiple devices, and sophisticated yet easy-to-set-up parental controls that can protect the youngest members of your family from inappropriate content. Created to satisfy the needs of heavy internet users who spend a lot of time streaming 4K content, playing online games, and downloading files from the internet, the Netgear Nighthawk X10 is one of the fastest routers in the world.

This relatively affordable router as far as powerful dual-band routers go is equipped with a 1. The app works on both Android and iOS, and its simple and intuitive user interface lets you quickly and painlessly accomplish all common router management tasks, including installing firmware updates.

You can get the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 System with two or three units included in the box and expand it by purchasing an additional satellite unit in the future. The only downside is the steep price of the system. WiFi mesh systems are one of the best ways how to improve WiFi signal strength in large buildings. Here are the top 5 best WiFi mesh systems that you can purchase right now. Even in the most basic configuration, Google Nest Wifi is able to handle up to connected devices and stream multiple 4K videos at a time.

Each Wifi point doubles as a smart speaker powered by Google Assistant, so you gain the ability to play your favorite songs or find answers on the web with natural voice queries. The Netgear Orbi 6 is a high-end mesh WiFi system designed with ultimate performance in mind. Thanks to its support for the latest generation WiFi 6 technology, it offers 4x increased capacity compared with WiFi 5 and the ability to connect as much as devices at the same time. Included with the Netgear Orbi 6 is an online threat protection solution called NETGEAR Armor, which can protect all connected devices from the latest malware and send instant alerts to your smartphone or computer to keep you informed.

You can conveniently manage your security and WiFi settings using the Orbi app, which is available for Android and iOS devices. The eero is one of the most affordable mesh WiFi systems available. A single unit can provide up to 1, sq. The Linksys Velop is an entire family of mesh WiFi systems that can seamlessly cover any home with a strong WiFi signal regardless of its shape or size. If you want the strongest WiFi signal you can get, then you should check out the Velop AX, which is ideal for large households looking for the latest WiFi 6 technology.

Regardless of which Linksys Velop mesh WiFi system you choose, you can always download the Linksys Mobile app to your smartphone and use it to set up parental controls, create a guest WiFi network, change your password, and more. With these ten tips, you should have no problem boosting your WiFi network without buying a new router. Make sure to have NetSpot at hand to check whether our tips helped each time you try one.

We guarantee that by the time you get to the number ten, your WiFi will feel faster than ever before. For example, you can use a WiFi signal analyzer to determine a more suitable place for your router, or you can switch to the 5 GHz band for an instant boost in performance, especially if you live in a densely populated urban area. If you want to boost your WiFi without purchasing a new router, you can start by tweaking your settings. You should also make sure that your router uses the least cluttered channel possible, especially when using only the 2.