Dealing with a weak WiFi signal is quite frustrating because a slow and spotty connection can disrupt your productivity and entertainment. A weak WiFi signal is a common issue in households worldwide and many people assume that the only solution to this problem is to buy a new WiFi router but there are ways by which you can effectively extend the range of your WiFi network and improve the performance of the entire network without spending much. In this post, we have discussed several practical and effective ways by which you can extend your WiFi range without buying a new router.
Optimize Router Placement
It is the simplest and most effective way to improve coverage inside your home. Many people are unaware of the fact that proper router placement is important to extend the WiFi range and they place their routers in corners, behind furniture, or even inside cabinets, which can drastically reduce the signal strength.
The best way to place your router inside your home is by placing it in a central location to evenly distribute signals across the house. Placing the router on a high shelf can improve signal reach and reduce obstructions. Avoid placing the router close to thick walls, metal appliances, or wireless electronic devices.
Adjust Antenna Position for Better Coverage
All WiFi routers these days come with external antennas and their positioning has an important impact on the signal strength. Router antennas broadcast their signals in a direction that is perpendicular to their orientation, meaning that if you keep the antennas vertical, then their horizontal signal spread would be maximum, whereas if you keep them horizontal, then their vertical signal spread would be maximum.
For single-story houses, keeping antennas vertical is the ideal position of antennas to maximize the horizontal signal spread while for multi-story houses, positioning one antenna vertically and the other horizontally improves both horizontal and vertical signal distribution. You can experiment with antenna positions to find out which position is the most effective for your house.
Change the WiFi Channel
WiFi routers, like other wireless devices, operate on different channels. If there are other routers or wireless devices nearby that are operating on the same channel, then it can lead to interference, slower speeds, and poor signal strength. To avoid this issue, you can change to a less crowded channel in your router settings through 192.168.1.1. For a router operating on 2.4 GHz, channels 1, 6, and 11 are considered best for the least interference.
Use an Old Router as a WiFi Repeater
If you have an old router lying around in your home that you are not using, then you can use it as a WiFi Repeater or Extender to extend the range of your WiFi network and improve the WiFi signal around the house. Converting an old router into a WiFi repeater is quite easy, you just have to visit the default gateway address http://192.168.0.1 and log into your old router. Then, enable the Access Point Mode or Repeater Mode from the settings and connect the old router to the WiFi network. After that, just place the old router in an area with poor signal strength to extend the coverage.
Update Router Firmware
Sometimes the issue of poor signal strength is because of an outdated router firmware. A router running on outdated firmware can have performance issues, security vulnerabilities, and weaker signals. This can be avoided by visiting the admin panel of the router and checking for firmware updates. In case there is an update available, it should be installed. The benefits of updating firmware are that it fixes bugs, improves the network’s stability, enhances WiFi performance and range, and fixes security vulnerabilities.