We love our WiFi and use it more than any other way to connect to the internet at home. With that love comes the pain for some as WiFi signals cannot reach everywhere at home or even keep a strong signal when we venture away from the WiFi router.

There are solutions for you to make your web, streaming TV or gaming experience a breeze. A WiFi Booster or a WiFi Extender is specifically designed to help low signal areas to make them as strong as the WiFi signal, while standing next to your router. WiFi Extenders can double your coverage area, reaching far into your home office or bedrooms, separate floors, even giving coverage into your backyard.

Let’s take a quick look first though, to see if you are experiencing poor signal issues.

• Router Height makes a Difference.
  • If you left it where it was installed, or trying to hide it, say behind a bookshelf, sofa, TV stand etc, you are definitely not getting the best signal you can. WiFi routers should be placed as high as possible. Perhaps at the top of your book case or wall shelf. You are now giving the signal an easy path over and hopefully above any objects that may slow the signal down.
• Interference
  • Concrete, metal and glass tend to block WiFi signals the best. Signals can even be blocked by Microwave ovens and other electronics. If you live in a house, avoid the basement as your WiFi router location. Surrounded by all that concrete, your router will not stand a chance to give your home its optimum signal.
    If an apartment or condo life is your thing then rest assured, your signal is competing with many above, below and to each side of you. You see, WiFi uses ‘channels’ to set their best signal out. Given your neighbors use WiFi as well, the channels may sometimes broadcast at the same frequency.
    Bluetooth Devices have been known to interfere with around the 2.4GHz range, competing with low band WiFi signals. Newer devices can deal with this by switching to another signal ‘channel’ but not all are equipped that way.
    Even Christmas lights can interfere. These lights can emit an electromagnetic field that will affect your router if it is sitting next to the lights.
• Distance
  • It is simple, the further away from your router, the weaker the signal strength. This is the main issue of most households.
    Even if your router is placed in the correct position and nothing is in the way, signals will still have a hard time moving through floors, competing with neighbors and/or around many corners.
• How You Use the Internet
  • So, you are streaming TV, someone else is gaming or a major update needs to be downloaded all at the same time. These are called ‘bandwidth heavy activities’ and will affect the homes WiFi. If you are further away from the router while this is going on, simply surfing the web will be a chore. WiFi Boosters and WiFi Extenders will definitely help get your signal out to more areas to make that surfing and email easy.
    As for all the ‘bandwidth heavy activities’ all at once, perhaps you can reschedule the major download of files to ease the traffic congestion.
    There is even a Quality of Service setting on your router to help (link here to the page that explains this if you are doing a newsletter)

Fun Fact 1: The vibration of large, leafy palm trees, can send out a low signal to interfere with your WiFi connection. Windy days and water will interfere as well.

Fun Fact 2: Since people are made up of about 72% water, a crowded room will no doubt affect WiFi. This is only a fact and not an excuse to kick everyone out of the house to enjoy Netflix.

If any of the above sounds familiar, then a WiFi Booster or Wifi Extender may be what you need to help make your internet life easier at home.

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