How to Improve WiFi Reception: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

Download Commodity

Download Article

This wikiHow teaches you how to improve bespeak strength and minimize interference on your home wireless network. Your power to maintain a consistent connection to Wi-Fi depends on many factors, including the physical location of your wireless access point. Placing your router in the best possible location and minimizing interference (both physical and wireless) tin can profoundly improve network functioning.

Steps

1. 1

   Remove physical obstructions between your computer and the router. A Wi-Fi signal tin usually travel nearly grand anxiety, but every wall drops that by virtually 100 feet. To maintain the about reliable connexion, make sure your computer has line-of-sight access to the router. If that's not possible, you tin still amend reception by minimizing some barriers:

   • Identify the router high upwardly, such as on a wall mount or high shelf.^[ane] If the router is on the floor or on a low table, you'll be wasting much of the router's betoken 360-degree range.^[2]
   • Glass from mirrors and windows reflect Wi-Fi signals dorsum around the room. 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 rock, seriously touch bespeak strength. Yous may as well encounter trouble if your walls contain metallic 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 equally close to it as possible.
   • Tall furniture and appliances can block signals, especially when leaning against thick walls. Avoid setting upward your wireless router in rooms with lots of tall objects.

2. 2

   Switch to five GHz. ^[3] If yous have a dual-band router (ii GHz and 5 GHz), log in to your router'due south admin website and switch the wireless band setting to 5 GHz.^[4] Considering fewer devices operate at this frequency, this ring is less crowded, resulting in a speedier and more than reliable wireless connection.^[5]

   Advertizing

3. three

   Eliminate ii.four GHz wireless interference. If you're using v GHz you can skip this step. If your simply option is 2.4 GHz, interference from common household electronics and neighboring networks can lead to dropped connections and ho-hum speeds. Effort minimizing interference from the following sources:

   • Your neighbor'southward wireless network. Move your router closer to the middle of your home or office if your neighbour's router is also close to yours.
   • two.4 GHz cordless phones and Bluetooth accessors.
   • High-voltage household items like air conditioners, microwaves, refrigerators, and washing machines.
   • Baby monitors and wireless security equipment.

4. 4

   Connect the Wi-Fi router to a less-busy aqueduct. If too many of your neighbors are using the same Wi-Fi channel, your connectedness is likely slow and/or spotty.^[vi] Try a free Wi-Fi scanning tool like inSSIDer by MetaGeek to place the least crowded channel to connect to.

   • If you have a ii.4 GHz wireless router, yous'll want to make sure information technology is connected to one of the three non-overlapping channels—1, half-dozen, or 11. This can exist done in your router's administration portal in the Wi-Fi or Wireless section. Look for a sub-bill of fare called Radio or Channel.
   • If yous take a 5 GHz router, there's less chance of a crowded channel resulting in a slow connection, though it's still possible.

5. 5

   Add a wireless range extender or additional antennas. If information technology's not possible to be within 50 to 100 feet of your router and/or there are concrete obstructions, yous can use a range extender to rebroadcast your router'southward Wi-Fi point in other parts of your habitation or office.^[vii] You lot can also try calculation more antennas.^[8] For example, you might have one antenna at a 45° angle, one at 60°, and 1 at 35°. That fashion, the signal will blanket the area.

   • See this wikiHow to learn how to set up a range extender.
   • Another choice is a mesh router.^[9] This blazon of router consists of multiple access points placed throughout the domicile to boost signal in those locations. The advantage of a mesh router to a range extender is that you tin can manage all of the admission points from 1 central admin interface.

6. 6

   Restart your router at least one time a month. To practice this, plow off the router, wait for xxx seconds, and so plow it back on. Allow it run for near five minutes, and then cheque your cyberspace speed.

7. vii

   Create an aluminum foil reflector. If you're unable to boost your Wi-Fi point far enough and don't have a repeater or mesh router, y'all can make a parabolic reflector out of aluminum foil to place behind your router'south antennas. Here's how:

   • Cut near xi" of aluminum foil from the curl.
   • Tightly wrap the foil around a 2-liter soda canteen.
   • Unwrap the foil later a few seconds—it should now exist curved.
   • Place the curved foil backside the antennas of the router so the open part of the curve is facing the direction you want to send a higher level of indicate.

8. eight

   Disconnect unused computers and accessories from the network. If you have multiple computers, phones, tablets, printers, Smart TVs, and other accessories using your wireless network at once, you might be slowing downwardly your wireless network. Turn off or disconnect the devices y'all aren't using to improve network speeds for those yous are using.

   • You can limit the number of devices your router will allow to connect at a time. This is typically done by logging in to your router's administrator website and adjusting settings in the LAN or Local Network expanse.

9. nine

   Update your router'due south firmware. If you're still experiencing poor reception, your router may be in need of a firmware update. This can usually be done in your router's admin portal, but some routers crave additional steps. Encounter this wikiHow to learn the basics of updating your router's firmware.

10. x

    Go a new router nearly every three years. ^[10] If y'all've had your router for 3 or more years, information technology's probably fourth dimension to supervene upon it. That'south about their boilerplate lifespan, since they're typically on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they're oftentimes exposed to things similar power outages or surges.

    Advertisement

Add New Question

• Question

  Which wireless channel to use?

  

  This answer was written past ane of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer.

  When choosing a wireless channel to use for optimal WiFi signals, try to discover one that people effectually you lot are not using. Many routers choose a default for yous but if that appears to be getting interference in your home, then try channels ane, 6 or 11 instead considering these are known as non-overlapping channels. On other channels, co-channel interference tin occur where other WiFi devices are trying to use the same channel, which can slow down the transfer while each device "takes its turn." Yous volition still need to work out if the neighbors are also using ane, half dozen or xi and there are tools that let you to do this, so download i, employ it, then choose the channel with the least or no other users on information technology.

• Question

  How can I boost my WiFi signal?

  

  This answer was written by 1 of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched reply.

  Ways to boost your WiFi signal include: Using a WiFi booster, either a commercial or bootleg ane; shifting your router's position to notice an optimal placement in your home or office; shifting large furniture to external walls, to prevent indicate blocking; reducing the amount of mirrors in your abode; if you accept a two-story house, identify the router on the top floor to permit the radio waves to travel downward; and locate the router centrally. Supercede your router after several years too, as the older it gets, the less effective it is likely to be. Details for these suggestions and more are fully explained in the steps above.

• Question

  Do WiFi boosters really work?

  

  This answer was written by ane of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  

  Support wikiHow past unlocking this staff-researched answer.

  Yes, the WiFi booster will piece of work, provided you lot buy a quality booster that has had adept reviews. It volition work to increase the range of WiFi throughout a residential building or other edifice. Be sure to follow the instructions that come up with the booster and use it within the spatial area it is recommended for. No booster can solve a WiFi trouble in an area larger than what it'southward designed for.

• Question

  Can I add another router abroad from the other router to proceeds distance?

  

  Aye, just you lot need to set them up as a wireless bridge. Settings vary based on the router.

• Question

  My TV ears interfere with the WiFi frequency. Can I fix this?

  

  Yep, you should look for your router web settings; unremarkably you tin can access this via your explorer by typing this address : 192.168.0.i. So expect for wireless settings and switch the transmission channel to 1 or 11 (it is probably set up at channel half dozen by default).

• Question

  How do I get WiFi for my laptop while traveling?

  

  A cellular telephone can be used equally a WiFi hotspot if it's available in your phone plan. If you are traveling on an airplane, many airlines offer WiFi during the flight.

• Question

  How do you know if someone is hacking into your Wi-Fi?

  

  The speed volition be a bit slower and after some time, the proxy address might change.

• Question

  Why would my WiFi connection brainstorm to get slower and slower when I play games, but it works fine with regular web browsing?

  

  Probably because people from unlike countries join your game, making the sever process multiple information from thousands of miles away. However, with browsing, information technology'south only you and the website.

• Question

  Can the computer itself be the cause of weak WiFi if the problem is new?

  

  The more devices you add together to a network, the more the router has to distribute. Some WiFi routers tin can only handle 5 devices. Maybe bank check to see if your router is helping too many devices.

• Question

  What if I'm far from the WiFi box, and I'thousand using a phone?

  

  The aluminium foil around the router's antenna will all the same practise. But more often than not there's non much you're left with but ownership another router or installing one of those bigger Chinese antennas from eBay to replace the one on your router.

Bear witness more than answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

• Brand sure that your router is set to full transmission power.

• The addition of a "high gain" (higher dBi) external antenna will often provide increased reception signal and functioning. Note that a college dBi increases the signal horizontally, but decreases vertically. If y'all need to cover several floors, a college dBi volition probably not help. In this case, y'all might consider buying a Wi-Fi amplifier, which will boost your signal.

• Depending on your brand and model of wireless router, you may exist able to supercede the built-in software with a replacement open source solution that adds much more capabilities and the selection to increase the ability to your wireless antenna.

• The estimator case itself tin be a significant bulwark to the Wi-Fi indicate - try positioning the case so it doesn't come betwixt the network card and router antennas.

Advertisement

• If y'all turn the power up as well high on a modified wireless router information technology may suffer permanent damage.

• If you replace your router'south firmware, it may void your warranty. If not washed properly it tin can harm your router irreparably.

Advert

About This Article

Article Summary X

one. Remove physical obstructions.
two. Switch to 5 GHz.
iii. Eliminate network interference.
4. Log into the router and alter the channel.
5. Keep router far from cordless phones and microwaves.
6. Use a repeater or attempt a mesh router.
7. Place a curved canvass of foil behind the router.
8. Update the router firmware.

Did this summary help you?

Thank you to all authors for creating a page that has been read 3,360,803 times.

Is this article up to date?

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Improve-WiFi-Reception

Berbagi :