Boosting your wifi range

This way, even the second floor will receive consistent coverage. Once a malware infects a router, it can steal bandwidth and spread itself across the network to other devices. But even without a presence of a dangerous malware, routers with old firmware perform worse than routers that are properly updated. Most WiFi routers come with small, weak antennas. Compared to the antenna that came with your router, which probably is just a few inches tall and has around 4 dB gain, a dB antenna can be anywhere between 10 to 15 inches tall.

Such antennas use the same RP-SMA connector, and there are many different models available on Amazon and other online stores. Some even come with a handy extension cable that allows you to place the antenna farther away from your router to achieve optimal signal distribution. To boost WiFi signal, you need to purchase an antenna with more gain than your current one.

The gain of an antenna system relative to an isotropic radiator at radio frequencies is expressed in dBi, or decibels relative to isotropic.

Most home routers come with small antennas, whose gain tends to be between 4—5 dBi. Replacing such antenna with a 9 dBi antenna should provide excellent signal boost. An encrypted, password-protected WiFi is a must in this day and age. With more people than ever relying on WiFi, the hunger for open, fast WiFi networks is real. A strong password should:. If you have lots of guests, create a separate guest network and either significantly limit its range or protect it with a different password and change the password on a regular basis.

Even though they are referred to by many names, WiFi boosters, repeaters, and extenders are basically the same thing. WiFi repeaters are relatively simple devices that take an existing signal from your WiFi router and rebroadcast it as a new network. This new network is just an extension of your main network, and all data that go through it also go through the main network.

WiFi boosters and extenders are very similar, but they also amplify the existing signal before rebroadcasting it to create a second network. Because WiFi boosters typically have greater range than WiFi repeaters, they make sense in situations where the original signal is very weak.

You can find a list of the top 5 WiFi boosters at the end of this article. Just like lanes on the highway, there are multiple WiFi channels on which a WiFi router can broadcast.

Even though most countries have six non-overlapping channels 1, 6, 11, and 14 , many users leave their router set on the default channel, which is usually either Channel 1 or Channel 6. This results in a WiFi traffic jam as too many packets are trying to drive on the same line. The solution is simple: find out which channel is occupied the least and switch to it.

This can be done with the help of NetSpot, a professional and easy-to-use WiFi analysis and surveillance tool. You can now verify that your router is broadcasting on the new channel using a WiFi network analyzer like NetSpot. It takes just one bandwidth-hungry application or a client to make download and upload speeds come to a crawl for everyone else on the same WiFi network. Luckily, modern routers support services like QoS Quality of Service , which allow users to prioritize certain applications over others.

Some routers make it very easy to configure QoS settings, while other routers are far from intuitive. When in doubt, consult the manufacturer of your router. The newest wireless technology, IEEE To take advantage of the latest WiFi technologies to boost home WiFi, you need to make sure that both your home router and your WiFi-enabled devices, such as smartphones and laptops, support them. A good router should be able to serve you well for at least five years, which is approximately how long it usually takes for a major new WiFi technology to become mainstream.

Near the end of this article, we recommend five best WiFi routers from leading manufacturers, so all you need to do is pick one that fits your budget. The 5 GHz wireless frequency provides faster data rates at shorter distances and is typically much less busy than the 2.

If your router supports it, consider switching to it for an instant short-range speed boost. That way, you can get the best of both worlds.

A simple reboot is often enough to considerably improve your WiFi speeds. To reboot your router, either press the restart button located on the back you may need a pointy object like a pen to get to it because many router manufacturers use recessed restart buttons or simply disconnect the router from power and turn it on again. To do that, you need an Ethernet cable and a laptop or desktop computer with an Ethernet port. We recommend you repeat the wired internet performance test several times, preferably at different times of the day.

Some of the most popular mesh WiFi systems available today come from Asus, Eero, Orbi, and Google, and we offer some recommendations later in this article. This means that you can start with just one main router and one satellite unit and upgrade only if your WiFi is still not performing up to your expectations.

The good news is that most modems let you change your DNS address, which is often the easiest way how to boost WiFi performance. This free Windows application offers features designed to enable serious DNS performance investigation, and you can use it to find the fastest DNS server in your area with just a few clicks:. From computers and mobile phones to various smart home products and appliances, these WiFi-connected devices consume a substantial amount of bandwidth, and not all internet plans can provide it.

You might even be able to save some money since the prices of fast internet plans have gone down substantially since the early days of broadband internet. Last but not least, consider contacting your internet service provider and asking for help. If the ISP truly cares about their customers, they will help you remotely diagnose your WiFi performance issues or even send over a technician to measure your WiFi signal strength and help you boost wireless signal.

Most WiFi boosters are designed to be plug and play, making it possible for anyone to install them on their own to enjoy a strong and reliable WiFi signal everywhere. When selecting a WiFi booster, make sure you have at least a rough idea of how large is the area that you want to cover. You can use a network analyzer like NetSpot to create a signal heatmap of your space. Then you need to set a budget and evaluate the potential candidates based on their features.

To make the selection process easier for you, we selected the top 5 best WiFi boosters according professional reviews and real users alike. Thanks to the support for the Just keep in mind that this high-end WiFi booster is much larger than most other WiFi boosters on the market.

Its dimensions are much closer to WiFi routers, but its performance more than makes up for the bulky form factor. When you purchase and open the box, you discover two units inside. One of the two units is meant to connect to your WiFi router, while the other unit connects wirelessly to the first one, seamlessly extending your WiFi network to other parts of your home.

Together, the two units can cover up to 5, sq. Since the two units broadcast the same WiFi network, you can move with your smartphone or laptop from room to room without ever having to connect to a different WiFi network.

It supports both the 2. Its two integrated high-gain antennas provide surprisingly wide coverage considering their elegant design. The light turns red when you get too far away from your router and blue when the connection is good. For example, if your WiFi router is on the ground floor and you want to extend your WiFi to the attic, a traditional WiFi booster would most likely struggle.

This unique WiFi booster uses your home electrical wiring to extend your home network. You simply plug the receiver unit near your router and connect it using an Ethernet cable. You than plug the transmitter unit in any location in your home that shares the same electrical wiring and enjoy a strong WiFi signal.

The job of a WiFi extender is to extend your WiFi network beyond what your WiFi router is able to cover by grabbing the existing WiFi signal and rebroadcasting it.

Because the Nighthawk X6 uses the same WiFi network name SSID as your router, it creates a seamless network, eliminating the need to switch between different networks. On the back of the Nighthawk X6 are two gigabit Ethernet ports that can provide a stable, wired connection to a desktop computer, smart TV, or any other stationary device that benefits from a rock-solid internet connection.

Different providers offer different speeds, and you may not have the package that is the best fit for your connectivity needs. Three main factors impact the speed of your Internet connection—the placement of the router, the technology, and the devices that are connected to it. Place your router in an open spot. Because Wi-Fi is just that—wireless—its connection speed is affected by distance, obstacles such as walls, floors, and ceilings , electronic interference, and the number of users on the network.

All these things contribute to the slow-down of Wi-Fi connection speed. For the best signal, put the wireless router out in the open on the main floor of your house, away from walls and obstructions. Keep it away from other electronics that might cause interference, like microwaves, baby monitors, and cordless phones.

You might also try pointing the antennas perpendicularly, with one horizontally and one vertically. Want to know where the wireless dead spots are around your house? It can also help you identify where the signal strength is best, so you can find a good spot for your router.

Think of it as Wi-Fi feng shui for your wireless router. Use current Wi-Fi technologies. Technologies change rapidly, and one of the best ways to speed up your wireless network is to use the latest hardware.

Wi-Fi 6 Older, lower performance technologies like Wireless-N Limit devices and optimize settings. Playing online games, conducting video chats, and streaming movies and videos take up a lot of bandwidth, and they can slow down Internet speed and access for everyone connected to that Wi-Fi network.

Some routers have a Quality of Service QoS setting that lets you control which apps have priority access to the Internet bandwidth. For example, you may want to prioritize video calls if you have a lot of meetings, and deprioritize file downloads from the cloud. You can also fine-tune the channel selection on your router. By default, many wireless routers are set to run on channel 6.

If your router is relatively new, it should be able to switch between two radio frequencies—2. Smart wireless routers can choose the best frequency for you and your environment. Each frequency has multiple channels: 14 at 2. So, if your router has the capability to automatically switch between frequencies, it can choose among 44 channels. You can check your wireless router settings to see if it is auto-switching between channels and frequencies for the optimal setting.

Looking for even more ways to try to increase your Wi-Fi speed and extend the Internet connection range? Just like radios and t. Reboot Regularly: Just like with any other electronics you use, you may tend to leave the router running constantly without ever rebooting. My IT Project Manager hubs has used these devices in many of his projects and says they are the least complicated to set up — and affordable:.

Get a Wifi Extender. Replacement High Range Antenna. Wifi is here to stay and is going to be more and more an integral part of our lives. Keep yours working efficiently for you by tinkering a little with it and optimizing it for your location. Of course, one of the best things you could do is make sure all other electronics are turned off while not in use. Save electricity and boost your wifi range, too! Sharing is caring!

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