There is no mobile device worth its salt that does not have WiFi connectivity. Whether it's a laptop, a mobile phone or a tablet, they all offer the ability to connect to the Internet via WiFi, and when it doesn't work, oh, when it doesn't! We feel a tingling in the body that tells us that our device has just become a useless thing.
10 tips to improve the signal of your WiFi router
Therefore, if we have a wireless Internet connection at home we want it to be as stable and powerful as possible. How can we get it? That is the point! Below we have compiled some of the best methods to increase the power and range of your WiFi router. If you have any extra suggestions or recommendations, do not hesitate to visit the comments area.
1- WiFi N and AC better than WiFi A, B and G
The first tip to increase the strength and range of your WiFi signal is to use the latest technologies available to improve the range of your wireless signal. Technologies based on the 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g standards are considerably less powerful than those based on the newer 802.11n and 802.11ac. And if you have a router that supports the latest protocol, known as WiFi 6 (802.11ax), better than better. Note: WiFi 6 offers 4 times better performance than WiFi 5 (802.11ac).
Keep in mind that in order to use this type of WiFi network you will need a WiFi router and a network card that supports these technologies.
2- Find the best location for your router
We know that routers are quite ugly and that as a decoration object they leave a lot to be desired, but if you want to have a better signal quality you will have to do the following:
- Place the router in an open area.
- Move it away from the walls of the room.
- Place the router antennas in a perpendicular position.
- Raise the router as high as possible.
- Try to leave the router in the most central room of your house.
To find the most balanced point of the house it may also be advisable to take a look at this other post: «What is the mid-range range of a Wi-Fi network?»
3- Find the best wireless channel
When our router emits the WiFi signal, it operates on a specific frequency and channel. Therefore, if we have neighbors around it, it is very likely that your own routers create interference in our signal.
In order to solve this problem, we must look for a range that is free of interference and allows our router to broadcast without noise that weakens its signal. Apps like WiFi Analyzer They allow us to do a scan to see which channels are free. So we can configure our router to work through those less saturated channels.
This app lets you know which are the most saturated channelsFor more information on how to deal with neighbors' Wi-Fi signals, check out the post «How can I block my neighbor's WiFi?»
4- Avoid interference from other devices
Not only our neighbors' routers create interference in our signal. Other household appliances such as cordless phones, microwaves and the like they can weaken the power of our WiFi. The solution to this problem could be to buy phones that operate on other frequencies or dual band routers. On the other hand, if you don't want to spend money you can always try to keep your phone and microwave as far away as possible from your router.
Dual band routers can help avoid interference from other household appliances5- Beware of WiFi thieves
Even if your WiFi connection has a password, it can be really easy to hack. Therefore, not only should you have at least one WPA key, but you should also increase the security of your router. How? Here are a few links that can be of great help:
- How to create an “invisible” WiFi network with hidden SSID
- Foolproof method to block intruders on your WiFi network
- How to find out if WiFi is being stolen and how to avoid it
- How to kick an intruder off your Wi-Fi network (forever)
6- Control the applications that eat up your bandwidth
Streaming applications such as Netflix, online games or P2P downloads are real bandwidth eaters, and they make the Internet connection much slower for other users on your network.
Do not worry! You can configure the QoS (Quality of Service, or Quality of Service) in your router to determine which types of applications consume more bandwidth and which less, in such a way that you can make sure that the applications you want do not go offline. Here is a small manual that teaches you how to configure QoS in a Dlink router and that can serve as an example to configure yours at home.
QoS rules allow you to distribute the bandwidth of your router7- Increase bandwidth with homemade inventions
If you still notice that your router does not reach every corner of your house, you can always opt for crafts and create your little inventions to increase the power of your router. Tricks like the use a kitchen strainer, aluminum foil-lined cardboard, or soda can attached to your router to increase its power are the order of the day and in addition to being fun, they are very effective.
8- Increase the signal of your router with a small hack
This is already somewhat riskier. You can increase the power of your router by installing the DD-WRT firmware. What this firmware does is increase the capabilities of your router and give it that extra boost it needs.
Most routers can handle up to 70mW, so be very careful if you don't want to end up with your router in the trash. If you want to know more about the DD-WRT firmware, there is a large community on the subject, and also in Spanish.
9- Turn your old router into a repeater
Do you have an old router that you don't use at all? Make it a home repeater. Place it in that area of the house where the signal is weak and you can enjoy a higher quality bandwidth. Here is a short tutorial that explains how to achieve such a feat.
If you have an old router that you don't use, you may also be interested in this other post: «10 ideas to reuse your old router and give it a new use»
10- Program your router to automatically restart periodically
Surely you are one of those who has to restart your router every x time because at a certain point it stops working as it should, right? Well, you're not the only one! Weird is that you don't have to do it from time to time like everyone else.
A good option to maintain the quality of your wireless signal is schedule certain automatic restarts (if possible at night) so that the power does not drop at any time. How? One of the easiest solutions is to install the aforementioned DD-WRT firmware, but you can also go into your router's settings and see if it offers this functionality natively.
