Wi-Fi is basically like a special access card that allows people to exchange data across the virtual marketplace at a VIP speed. Though it’s one of the most useful and important parts of using a computer, the ever so popular Wi-Fi technology can at times be extremely frustrating. Unfortunately, Wi-Fi hasn’t yet figured out how to escape the power of Murphy’s Law. While slow speeds and bad reception are common obstacles for Wi-Fi networks, there are ways to boost your home Wi-Fi.
1. The most obvious solution is to keep your system fresh. If you want your system to perform at its best you have to treat it with the best. For a network that is as fast and reliable as possible, be sure to use the latest Wi-Fi technologies. Just because hardware is “wireless” does not mean it’s quality. Routers A, B and G are old and move at crawling speeds. A Wireless N Router paired with a Wireless N Card is the route you want to take for full throttle results.
2. Routers might not be the most sleek looking devices, but for maximum performance their location is key. Don’t shun them to the dusty corner of your bookshelf behind that stack of papers. For the best signal, give that technology some room to do its thing–set it in a high up place where there are no walls or obstructions and point the antennas vertically. For optimal coverage you’ll want to set it in a central location to ensure that it reaches throughout your home.
3. Welcome your neighbors over to your home for dinner or drinks but keep them out of your wireless channel. The less interference your wireless router encounters, the stronger your Wi-Fi signal will be.
4. Do up your bandwidth double time. Cell phones, microwaves and other appliances can equally interfere with your router’s signal. To eliminate such interference, your best bet is to opt for a dual band router. If you’re not in the market for new hardware, your second best bet is to try moving your router as far away from the other appliances as possible.
5. Another way to boost your home Wi-Fi is to cut back on using bandwidth-hogging applications. If you’re regularly Skyping, playing online games or streaming video or music files you’re likely slowing down the internet for all of your other household web surfers. To make sure that the most important applications are receiving the bandwidth they need, we highly recommend setting up Qos (Quality of Service) on your router.
6. There are a lot of DIY Tricks for expanding your Wi-Fi range. While tricks such as the Windsurfer tin foil hack won’t make a drastic difference, they can help to extend the distance of your Wi-Fi network with minimal effort.
7. A little bit of hacking can do your router signal a lot of good. I bet that’s some advice you’ve never heard before. Well, it just so happens that by hacking your router and installing the DD-WRT firmware, you can extend your network’s range immensely. Not only that, but this firmware provides great security features and allows you to boost your transmitting power. You can also spread your Wi-Fi access greater distances by using the firmware to turn an old wireless router into a range extender.
8. Is your router dropping in and out? Rebooting once is an easy solution to boosting your home Wi-Fi. You can even set it to automatically reboot at a certain time with DD-WRT or a generic outlet timer.
After checking through this list of tweaks your home Wi-Fi should be faster, more reliable, and more secure than ever, and your network frustrations long forgotten. If you’re still experiencing glitches throw one of our technicians a line–they’ll be happy to assess the situation and pull you out!