Anyone who has struggled with seemingly random disconnections when attempting to use the Internet, watch movies, or play online games knows the frustrations that come with weak wireless signal power. You don’t have to go out and buy a new router quite yet, thankfully.

Factors That Impact The Performance of Your Wi-Fi

WiFi can be unreliable. You may be having a perfectly good WiFi signal until you take a few measures in one path and suddenly see it falling to one bar. The apparent unreliability of WiFi networks stems from the fact that there are several variables that affect their success.

The Distance

WiFi routers do not have the same transmission capacity as cell towers for apparent technological and safety purposes. Lower-priced routers can fail to provide a powerful WiFi signal even to a small apartment, much less an entire building. A WiFi analyzer software can help you evaluate the range of your WiFi router.

Obstructions Between The Router & Device

WiFi signals may be partly or fully consumed or obscured by a variety of items and artifacts, such as walls, ductwork, furniture, household appliances, and even humans. These WiFi blockers are particularly harmful to 5 GHz WiFi networks since high-frequency signals do not infiltrate hard surfaces as well as low frequencies signals.

Interference From Other Wi-Fi Networks

WiFi signals use the very same radio range of frequencies of the electromagnetic radiation as radios, mobile phones, microwaves, communication devices, baby controls, and a variety of other gadgets, many of which can conflict with WiFi signals. Of course, WiFi networks could interfere with each other, which is a particularly common issue in apartment complexes as well as other heavily populated locations.

The Capacity of The Router

Not all routers are created equal. Just as some machines can only manage casual web surfing and others can make complicated 3D structures, not all routers are created equal. A low-end router cannot realistically be expected to offer secure wireless internet connectivity to a large office with more than a dozen staff and many photocopiers, WiFi-connected printers, and wireless surveillance cameras.

Heavy Wi-Fi Users

The issue isn’t only about the frequency of your WiFi signal, but also about the capability of your internet access. Even a powerful WiFi network can be slowed down by video messaging or downloading on various platforms. It is important to handle bandwidth hoggers to keep them from taking bandwidth from anyone else for a better experience.

Poor Internet Service Provider

You could potentially spend an entire day fixing bad WiFi results without noticing it’s your internet service provider’s fault. Link to the internet with a wired network and run an internet speed test to see if that is the case. The estimated download and upload speeds should match the advertised speeds by your ISP. If they do not really, don’t be afraid to complain.

Not Compatible With Performance-enhancing Features

Quality of Service, Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), beamforming, and other performance-enhancing capabilities are supported by modern routers. Nevertheless, these capabilities can need to be individually activated in order to function, and older routers often do not allow them at all.

How To Expand Your Wi-Fi Range

Now that you’ve identified the top seven factors influencing WiFi efficiency, it’s time to look at a few of the things you could do to boost or expand your WiFi range.

1. Check Your Router’s Position

With all those antennas and flashing lights, most routers resemble computer equipment. As a result, the natural inclination is to store them somewhere out of the way, maybe in a drawer. However, this isn’t ideal for signal power. That simply means that by the time the signal hits your computers, it will be weaker. If you put your router in a central position, especially higher up, it will work better.

If you’re unhappy about the bulky router messing with your home aesthetics, you could consider buying a sleek router. Moreover, a latest router is more likely to give better speed and range due to better technology.

2. Use A WiFi Extender

Wifi range extenders, also called wifi range boosters, work similarly to wifi access points but do not include Ethernet cables. They instead send data from the router to neighboring devices through a wireless link.

However, it’s important to note that while WiFi extenders do perform, they come with their own set of complications and limitations. For starters, since a range extender has its own security credentials, your devices will have to regularly log into the range extender and then back into the router as you go through the house. Second, your router and all of your computers cannot connect with the range extender at the same time.

3. Upgrade Your Outdated Hardware

It’s a smart thing to get the most out of the current hardware, but you can’t expect the highest results if you’re using outdated hardware. Older routers can have lower frequency limits and sometimes narrower ranges. Moreover, even if your router is brand new, you may have some older devices that are reverting to slower standards. In general, the older a computer is, the less likely it is to have new technology built in.

Hence, you should consider investing in the latest devices, right from your routers and laptops to smartphones and tablets, for the best performance.

4. Consider Your WiFi Router’s Age

The older your router is, the more likely it is that you would have a bad wifi signal. Signal interference, sluggish rates, and a limited wifi range are more common with older routers. Antennas on newer routers are also better at receiving and transmitting signals than those on older routers. The newest wifi protocols, which are much quicker than previous standards, are also supported by newer routers. They now have MIMO technology, which allows for more computers to be connected without slowing down the internet speed.

5. Don’t Forget To Secure Your Network

Range and signal quality aren’t the only factors to remember. You should also make sure your outdoor Wi-Fi is set up as securely as possible, particularly if you’re using it for work. Hence That is, you can create a password for your Wi-Fi to avoid unauthorized access to your data and Wi-Fi. Firmware, repair, and protection upgrades must all be applied as soon as they become available. Check who is wired to your Wi-Fi on a regular basis to keep an eye on your network.

6. Avoid Connecting Too Many Devices At One Time

Radio-frequency-using appliances and devices can cause interference, leaving your WiFi signal poor. If you suspect that your wireless signal is weak due to interference, switch off all other wireless gadgets in your home one at a time. Check the signal of your wireless router after shutting off each device to see if there is a difference.

The cause of the interruption is when you detect a noticeable difference after shutting off a certain device. Consider not connecting this device for long periods of time. Furthermore, to prevent any additional interferences, minimize the number of wireless devices in your home at any given time.

7. Find The Right Channel

Most users use the router’s default channel, unaware that a simple adjustment will greatly increase their connectivity and performance. The problem is that if you and your neighbors are on the same channel, signal interference can prevent your router from functioning properly.

Set the perfect channel for your home by logging into your router’s interface. You will avoid vying for the same contact channel with other tenants of your building this way.

Conclusion

Your router is an essential part of your home network because it affects the speed and range of your link. A poor router would result in a poor signal and range, while a super router would allow you to get the most out of your internet connection.

With these tips & tricks, you should be able to upgrade your WiFi network without purchasing a new router. We promise that by the fifth number, your WiFi will function faster than it has ever performed before.