From the best places to place a router to how to install a signal repeater, we explain in depth 5 different ways to amplify the Wi-Fi signal in your home.
And it is that today, access to a quality Wi-Fi signal is as important (or almost) as water, electricity and those little pleasures that life gives us from time to time.
So, to make sure that all the Wi-Fi lines reach you wherever you are, we have compiled a lot of tips for you so that you know how to amplify the Wi-Fi signal. No more cuts to load your series and movies or the dreaded disconnections in the middle of games. Know more ifixit in United States.
- Ask your internet operator to update the router2.
- Change the channel of the router
- Eliminate obstacles near the router
- Put the router in another place in the house
- Use a repeater to amplify the Wi-Fi signal
1. Ask your Internet operator to update the router
Yes, Internet routers also need to be updated, but you may not have known it until now because these updates are usually done automatically and without prior notice. The problem is that they fail or get stuck (the routers of the telephone operators are not the best in the world) causing the strength and quality of the signal to decrease. A trusted ifixit near me in New York City.
How do we fix this to amplify the Wi-Fi signal? The first thing you have to do is call your Internet operator (Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, etc…) and tell the robot things like “the Internet is slow”, “the router signal is weak”, “I have network problems”. Connection”. In most cases, they will put you with an agent who will be in charge of checking the status of your router online and by protocol, will restart your router and force some update that would not have been installed automatically (if not, you can always suggest it) .
2. Change the router channel
Yes, routers also have channels (more like radio signals than TV) that the Internet signal travels through and they split each other to avoid interference (just like when several walkie-talkies listen to each other on the same channel).
To change the router channel and amplify the Wi-Fi signal, we have two alternatives: the first is to contact your operator and ask them to change the router channel to a less congested one. The second is to do it yourself (it’s not complicated) by accessing the router from the Internet browser or even from the operator’s own application if it has one. Here we leave you the official guides of some operators so that you can try it on your own.
- Vodafone: Accessing the Vodafone router or from My Wifi Vodafone
- Movistar: Accessing the Movistar router or from the Smart Wifi App
- Orange: Accessing the Orange router
- Jazztel: Accessing the Jazztel router
3. Remove obstacles near the router
It’s time for the router to come out of the closet, drawer or hole where you have it put so that it gives it both air and light (as if it were a plant that instead of flowers, gives Wi-Fi). And this why? -you may ask- Because even though the routers are ugly, if we want to have a good coverage we will have to leave them as visible as possible, so that the signal reaches as far as possible.
That said, we give you a list of router instructions to amplify the Wi-Fi signal.
- Do not put it in cabinets, shelves, cubicles, it is best that it is clear.
- Do not put it behind a piece of furniture, television or even under a chair.
- Do not put it next to high-power electronic devices (ovens, refrigerators, televisions)
- Do not put it on the ground, it is best that it is 1.5m high (without going over).
- If you have antennae, keep them as horizontal as possible.
- Do not place the router near a window, as the signal will go out into the street.
- Do not stick it to the walls or furniture, as you will lose effective area.
- Put it face up, in its natural position, nothing to place it vertically on the wall.
- Keep the doors always open (as far as possible).
We know that for practicality, aesthetics or logistics, it will be impossible for you to comply with all these recommendations, but at least try to ensure that half or more are.
4. Place the router in another place in the house
We are sure that if you could you would have already done it, but you must believe us when we tell you that moving the router a few meters can do wonders when it comes to amplifying the Wi-Fi signal.
The premise is the following, your router works best when you put it in a place as central as possible in your house, since the signal it emits extends from its antennas. If you place it in a corner of your house, you will only be giving it to your neighbors.
The safest thing is that you have the router next to the original ADSL or fiber optic installation and the cable is very short, the solution to this is as simple as buying a longer cable. Both on the Internet and in specialized stores you can find network cables (LAN or RJ45) and fiber optic cables of many sizes (from 1 meter to 30), all you have to do is choose the cable according to the speed of your Internet and Be long enough to pass it behind furniture, along the wall skirting, inside the wall gutters, to a more central point in the house (although for the latter it is better to call a specialist).
5. Use a repeater to amplify the wifi signal
If with all the previous advice you have not managed to improve or amplify the quality and intensity of the Wi-Fi signal, you will have no choice but to install a Wi-Fi repeater system. With this you will be able to make the signal bounce with more intensity, to obtain new emission points or even expand the network. There are several types, from normal repeaters to mesh systems, PLC or a second router, each for different needs; We explain them all to you based on the architecture of your home.
Do you have more network/internet points in the house?
If the answer is yes, you can consider buying another router to amplify the Wi-Fi signal. Yes, there are brands like TP-Link, Tenda, Netgear or Asus that manufacture their own routers that are fully compatible with the operators (in Cash Converters you can find offers on routers of all brands ) and they are very easy to install, since you only have to connect them to the current and to the network so that they begin to emit the signal. Remember to look carefully at the specifications and buy one suitable for the Internet speed you have contracted.
Another alternative, much more modern and that is gaining more and more strength, is to install a mesh network system (or Mesh Wifi for the most technical) with which to create a single large Wi-Fi network with different repeaters throughout your house. . They are usually much smaller and more hidden devices than a router , which stand out for coming in packs of several and that will work just by connecting them to electricity and the network with a cable. Among the most recommended are the Tenda Mw6 and Mw3 Nova series, and the TP-LINK Deco alternative.
Don’t you have more network/internet points?
Do not despair, we still have not one but two possible solutions to amplify the Wi-Fi signal and they are repeaters and PLCs.
Wifi repeaters are small devices that just by connecting them to the current, they will capture the signal from our router, collect it and re-launch it with more force around it. Two things must be taken into account: the signal has to reach this repeater, so we cannot move too far from the router and the speed and intensity of the signal will be lower, so we must place the repeater fairly close to where we want connect to Wi-Fi.
PLC systems are the second alternative to the Wi-Fi signal problem since, as strange as it sounds, they will allow us to take the Internet from one side of our house to the other through the electrical system. If you want to know more about this system, we recently wrote an article on how PLCs work and how to choose the best one, although the main thing is that you know that: they come in pairs, you just need to install one in a socket and connect it to the router, to put later the other in any other socket in the house where you want to have Wi-Fi, a cable connection or even both.
We hope that these tips will help you from now on to know how to amplify the Wi-Fi signal in your home. Do not hesitate to leave us your doubts or results in the comments. And the most important! May the Wi-Fi be with you.