How To Maximise WiFi Signal in Your Home

In today’s digital world, it can feel as though everything is connected to the internet in one way or another, especially at home. We have televisions streaming our favourite films, laptops to work from home, gaming consoles and smart speakers. There are also a whole host of smart household appliances that rely on having a broadband connection, such as security systems, doorbells, thermostats, lights and fridges. 

In order for these to work well, and to be helpful additions to your home, you need to have a good wifi connection. Having great broadband isn’t always enough to guarantee a strong wifi connection, nor is having a relatively new router. If you’re still struggling to get good download speeds and connectivity, looking at improving your wifi signal could solve your issues. 

 

Quick and Easy Ways to Improve Your Wifi Signal

There are few things as frustrating as dealing with a poor internet connection, especially if you work from home. When you need to join a meeting remotely, or you have a project that needed to be submitted yesterday, you need a wifi signal that you can rely on. 

To put it simply, without good wifi coverage, working from home quickly loses its appeal. Luckily, there are a range of things that you can do to ensure that your signal is as strong as possible.

 

Find the Ideal Place for the Router

You might be surprised to find out just how much router placement can impact your wifi signal. The best placement for a wifi router is in a central location within your home, giving it the chance to reach as many rooms as possible. Avoid placing the router near walls, large furniture, appliances or anything else that could interfere with the signal.

 

Place the Router on a Raised Surface

To ensure you are getting the most out of your router, you need to move it away from any obstructions. The simplest way to do this is to place it on a raised surface, such as a shelf or table, to give the signal the chance to distribute as much as possible without being blocked.

 

Use a Wifi Repeater or Superpod

If certain areas of your home have weak wifi signal, you should consider using a wifi repeater or Superpod to improve the signal and extend coverage. These devices work by receiving the existing wifi signal from your router and giving it a boost to ensure it reaches areas with poor coverage. This improves signal strength and reliability, and maximises the reach that the wifi signal has.

 

Optimise Your Wifi Channels

Routers tend to operate on specific channels, using 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. This ensures that all of your devices have access to the ideal band, but it does mean that a busy band can get congested. It’s possible to optimise your wifi channels and identify if any are congested, and then adjust the router settings to minimise interference from other networks.

 

Enlist the Help of Professionals

A poor wifi signal can be hard to rectify, especially if you’re unsure about what’s causing the problem. But, professional help is always available. By enlisting the help of professionals - such as the team here at Wildanet - you can sit back and relax, knowing that your wifi signal is in the hands of experts. Not only will you see the strength of your signal improve, but it will reach hard to reach places. 

 

Choose the Right Broadband Package

There are a range of broadband packages available, and choosing the right one can make a significant difference to the quality of your internet connection at home. For example, full fibre broadband is faster and more reliable than copper fibre broadband, and so it’s often a better choice for those who work from home.

 

Common Household Items That Can Negatively Impact Wifi Signal at Home

It’s no secret that wifi signals can bypass walls and tangible objects, but that’s not to say that doing so doesn't negatively impact the signal’s strength. In fact, there are a number of things commonly found around the home that could be hindering your wifi. If you’re interested in knowing how to improve wifi for free, try placing your router further away from the following household items.

 

Walls and Ceilings

Walls and ceilings are built using heavy and strong materials, such as concrete, brick and metal. All of these obstruct a wifi signal, weakening it as it passes through. This is why you are likely to find that your wifi is strongest in the same room as the router.

 

Metal Objects

Metal is known to absorb wifi signals, sometimes even blocking them completely. A lot of people don’t realise quite how much metal is in their home, including pipes, radiators and metal furniture. These items can lead to areas of poor wifi coverage.

 

Large Furniture

Heavy or dense furniture can also negatively impact wifi signals in your home including sofas, bookshelves, cabinets and wardrobes. These items can absorb or deflect the wifi signal, stopping it from reaching your device at full strength. This is particularly true if they contain metal or if they are positioned between the router and the device you want to use.

 

Household Appliances

You are sure to have a lot of appliances in your home, many of which can cause poor wifi signal. Fridges, microwaves, washing machines and TVs can all cause interference that can disrupt your wifi coverage, especially if they are in close proximity to the router or connected devices.

 

Water

Though your router is unlikely to be near any water, it can still have an impact on the quality of your connection. Large bodies of water, such as the amount found in fish tanks and aquariums, can absorb wifi signals and reduce the strength of your connection. This is most likely to be a problem if the water is located between the router and the device being used.

 

How to Improve Wifi Through Walls

As we mentioned above, walls can have a negative impact on the strength of your wifi signal. This can lead to poor connections, buffering, slow loading times and a lot of frustration. But, as long as you know how to improve wifi through walls, you don’t have to settle for slow internet.

Firstly, consider the placement of your router. The location of your router plays a big role in signal distribution throughout your home, and putting it too close to a wall can block the signal before it’s had a chance to go anywhere. Find a central location and make use of height, avoiding corners and bulky furniture. Though you might want to hide your router in a cupboard for aesthetic purposes, this is just giving the signal another wall to get through.

It’s also a good idea to assess your router and devices for potential upgrades. If your router or device is old, it could be using outdated wifi settings, making it unable to perform as well as it could be. Consider upgrading your wifi, opting for a router that boasts faster speeds and a stronger capability. Similarly, check for firmware updates for your router to ensure it operates at its full potential. 

If you have devices in areas with weak wifi coverage - for example, if your wifi doesn’t reach your home office or if online meetings lag in certain parts of the house - consider using wifi repeaters. Wifi repeaters, also known as Superpods, amplify and extend the signal from the router, ensuring it reaches even hard to reach places. These devices rebroadcast the signal, effectively increasing coverage in areas with poor connectivity. 

 

Using Wifi Repeaters to Boost Lost Signal

There are a lot of things that you can do to improve the wifi signal in your home, but sometimes moving the router isn’t enough. If router placement and removing obstructions doesn’t work, it might be time to install wifi repeaters. 

One of the main advantages of wifi repeaters such as our WiFi Superpods is their ability to extend the coverage of your existing wifi network. By placing repeaters or Ultimate Superpods strategically throughout your home, you can eliminate ‘dead zones’ and ensure that the signal reaches every inch of your property. Wifi repeaters amplify the existing wifi signal, resulting in stronger and more reliable connections for connected devices. This boosted signal strength can lead to faster data transfer speeds, less lagging and overall better performance, particularly in areas with poor signal quality.

Compared to other networking solutions, such as upgrading to a more powerful router or installing additional access points, wifi repeaters are a cost effective solution. They are a practical option for anyone looking to improve their existing wifi network without breaking the bank. Find out more about Wildanet and how to improve wifi signal at home with our Ultimate Superpods by getting in touch with our talented team of wifi experts.