How to amplify the WiFi signal? Effective solutions

Amplify WiFi

WiFi has become as essential at home as toilet paper, water or electricity. But Like all types of wireless connection, it can cause us range problems or interferenceEither because of the distance or because between the router and our device there are many walls in between. There are many solutions to these problems, although some are more complex than others.

The failures in the WiFi connection is not only a headache to play online or watch Netflix, it is also important in the workplace, especially taking into account the current situation we live in. In this article we are going to see the most effective and simple solutions that we have without having to go to a professional. From the placement of the router, antennas or some devices that help us increase the range distance.

Router placement

Let's start with the simplest, the placement of the router seems a truism but it is very common for the vast majority of people to leave the router in the place where the technician on duty who comes home to install the ADSL or fiber optics leaves it. This as a general rule is not what is best for us, since the technicians work piecework and the more installations they carry out in a day, the more they will charge. In general, everyone leaves the router installed next to the phone or computer you use.

Amplify wifi

The objective we want to achieve is to place the router in the center of our flat or houseIf you have a house with more than one floor, it would be advisable to use signal amplifiers, something that we will explain later. If, for example, we have two floors but the devices that we are going to use frequently are on the same floor, we will try to place the router between the two devices that are farthest from each other.

Let's say that the signal will have the same distance for all directions, but if we find that even putting it in the center one of the devices suffers to reach a decent connection, we will move the router until we achieve a minimum quality. This may be due to a wall that or some electrical interference that causes a signal drift. For example, if we have a bathroom between device and device, the signal will be greatly affected, both by the water and by the thickness of the tiling.

Router antennas placement

Something that is not usually the objective of our attention or of the technician on duty, is the placement of the router antennas. The wifi signal makes a circle around the antenna, but if it is tilted, the circle will not cover the entire areaIf not, it will be covering the floor and ceiling. For this reason, it is recommended that the antennas have a totally vertical location.

Amplify wifi

Yes, If our home has more than one plant and we have devices both above and just below, the recommendation would be to tilt one of the antennas enough to get a good signal upstairs. We would leave the other antenna totally vertical. In the end it will be a matter of trial and error until we find the most suitable placement.

Zone, WiFi antennas
Related article:
Best Long Range USB WiFi Antenna (TOP 5)

Dual 2,4GHz and 5GHz WiFi Routers

If you have fiber optics at home, you almost certainly have a dual router installed. Specifically, it is about the 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. At first it may seem that one is superior to another, but it is not like that, they are different and while one is better in one thing, another is better in another.

Differences

The 2,4 GHz band is the one that usually suffers the most interference, since it is the one used by the vast majority of devices and this is aggravated if we live in an apartment with neighboring neighbors, since the interferences are greater, therefore the quality will be affected. In turn, it is a band with a lower maximum transmission speed. Even if its range is well above 5 GHz.

If you have an old router, you will only have the 2,4 GHz band, so you won't have that headache. But where this band is most recommended is in large houses, since although the speed is not the best, it is sufficient and in the vast majority of occasions the distance is much more important.

Amplify wifi

The 5 GHz band for its part is a band with a short range and susceptible to walls or bathrooms. So much so that if the kitchen is at a medium distance from the router, you will see how the signal is very weak. If we are lucky enough to have all the devices near the router, without a doubt the 5 GHz band will allow us to enjoy the maximum speed of our fiber optics, in my tests achieving 600 MB speed without problems. Meanwhile in 2,4 GHz it is difficult to exceed 80 MB.

WiFi amplifiers and PLC

Even following all the above guidelines, you may still not have a stable WiFi connection, do not give up because there are more aggressive options to force that good signal we crave. There are devices to amplify the signal or switch it to take it to more places in our home.

PLC

A device that allows us to transmit the internet signal through the electrical network of our house. If we have a large house or with many rooms we can bring the internet connection or the Wi-Fi signal through a plug.

We only need to connect the transmitter to a socket, this transmitter is connected to the router via network cable. While we will plug the receiver in the area where we lack internet connection. This ensures that we have a mini router in the area where we have placed the receiver. The method to connect to this receiver is exactly the same as the one we use to connect to the normal router. You will have your own name and password.

Amplify WiFi

WiFi repeaters

These devices simply pick up the WiFi network of our router and extend it into the distance. Unlike PLCs, WiFi amplifiers do not need a device pack to install. With the amplifier we have enough, so it is the most economical option, although its effectiveness is less.

If our problem is that we have an isolated bedroom where the signal does not reach us or we simply consider that it is not good enough, with this device we will be able to give it that extra push to achieve our goal.

Wi-Fi Mesh

To finish we have wireless accesses with Mesh technology. The operation is very similar to that of the PLC, taking our internet connection through the electrical network of our home. With a big difference and that is that this network is managed intelligently, therefore it works efficiently.

This means that if we have several devices around the house, the devices do not connect to the closest network, but to the one with the highest bandwidth. This is achieved with emitters that communicate with each other, thus obtaining a much more efficient operation. The only but of this system would be the price, which is much higher than that of a conventional PLC.


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