In this article, we’re going to discuss some of the tips to increase WiFi signal at home.
It’s your moment of the day. You make yourself comfortable with your tablet to take a look at your Facebook profile, or to catch up on Twitter. You lie on the couch, facing TV, to resume the series you are following on the pay TV platform to which you are subscribed or subscribed. Or you sit down to play Xbox Live .
It is a leisure time more than deserved, after a hard day. However, it turns out that a plan as modest and as simple as having a good time in front of a screen, is in danger. And it is that the WiFi signal is weak. The line time of Twitter does not load, the TV looks bad and online games are interrupted.
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Why Does The WiFi Reach You So Poorly? What’s Going On?
There are many reasons that can explain these signal availability problems. In this way, if the house is very large, the WiFi signal may be facing different types of difficulties to reach the most remote corners well. But the source of poor coverage can be as simple as the wrong location of the router.
The Home, An Ecosystem Of Devices Dependent On WiFi
Most homes use the router’s WiFi to connect to the network. Yes, it is true that there is usually a space enabled for a laptop or desktop to connect to the internet through cable. However, today the different members of a family have several mobile devices. And all these computers use the WiFi signal emitted by the router. Therefore, in recent years the accessibility of smartphones and tablets to WiFi from any room in the house has become very important.
Of course, we cannot fail to mention Smart TVs, which access the content of the platforms ( Netflix , HBO , etc.) via WiFi. Smart TVs have become popular, and many households have two or more Smart TVs. In this way, the WiFi signal has become an absolutely strategic resource for series fans, for the most couch potato and for the most intensive users of online content platforms.
With signal enhancers and PLC devices, the signal quality can be improved. But many times, as we have said, things are simpler. With a little strategy, with common sense and with some guidelines, we can improve the distribution of the WiFi signal throughout the home. One of the key points is the location of the router.
First Check: Turn The Router Off And On Again
First of all, it is good to reboot the router. When the signal reaches your devices connected via WiFi with difficulty, the first action you should do is turn off the router for a few minutes. At the very least, and to be precise, you should leave the computer off for 30 seconds. After that time, you can start it up again.
Why this waiting time, before turning the router back on? The reason is that if you turn it off and on immediately, the system does not reboot as it should.
With this simple action, you could recover the WiFi signal. Anyway, it is a good idea to check if your router is in the right place in your home. In this article, we offer you some guidelines to optimize the placement of the device that distributes the WiFi signal throughout the home.
Put The Router In A Central Place In The House
If possible, it is always better to place the router in the center of your home, and not at one end. This ensures that the WiFi signal doesn’t have to go through so many walls. Yes, solid surfaces (walls and other obstacles) slow down the speed of wireless internet.
On the other hand, and seen from another perspective, if you locate the router in a corner of the house, a significant percentage of your wireless internet coverage, of your WiFi, is going out. Or to the houses of your neighbors.
If you want to be really thorough or thorough, you should look not only at the geometry or plan of the house, but also at other aspects. For example, decoration, elements that can act as an obstacle and the distribution of load-bearing walls.
It is clear that, beyond the search for that centrality, you have to think about the rooms in which you will make the most use of WiFi. What areas are preferred? It is probably time to have a family meeting and put the question to a vote.
Keep It Away From Thick Walls
Locate the router away from very thick walls. The wider the wall, the more difficult it will be for the WiFi signal to break through.
The construction material of the walls also plays an important role. For this reason, it is preferable to keep the router at a distance from walls with insulation materials. Or at a distance from brick, concrete, steel, metal or glass walls. Don’t ever put the router in a sink, the place with the most mirrors in the home.
Do Not Place The Router On The Ground
Ideally, you should place the router on a table or shelf. The WiFi signal is directed both up and down. For that reason, if the router is left on the ground, some of that bandwidth will be wasted.
Given the choice, it is better to place the router in a high place, such as a shelf. And it is that the routers tend to project the signal downwards.
Make Sure You Have The Device In Sight
The more and better you see the router, the better the signal quality will be. If you place the equipment something hidden in the shelf of a furniture, the WiFi signal will suffer. It will be slower and will reach shorter distances.
Avoid Windows
If you place the device near a window, part of the signal will go outside. On the other hand, that window or that opening towards the street or towards an interior patio, is a threshold through which other signals from the outside can enter. And those signals can interfere with the WiFi signal.
