WiFi routers have receiving and transmitting antennae that receive the packets of data from your internet provider and turn them into electrical signals to send to your devices. You can instruct your router to only respond to connection requests from approved addresses, and change your password to avoid piggybackers in the future. It’s a good idea to get into the habit of checking router logs for any media access controller (MAC) addresses that you don’t recognise. However, there is still the risk that opportunists are taking advantage of weak security settings to connect their devices. In some cases, you may find that devices from outside your home are connected to the network.įortunately, with password requirements becoming stricter, ‘piggybackers’ – neighbours connecting to your WiFi with their own devices – are not as common as they once were. So it’s important to check to see who else is using your WiFi and for what purpose. The signal strength reaching your device will depend on how many other devices are competing for that same data. The number of channels that are available to you will depend on whether you’re using 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequency. If it’s set to ‘auto’, try changing it to a different channel and testing the signal. If this is the case, you can easily override the automatic function in the settings.īy logging into the router as an administrator, you should find channel options within the wireless settings. However, in some cases, you may find that you get a better WiFi signal by using a different channel than the one selected. This automatically selects the least congested channel. Most routers have an ‘automatic’ function. The more traffic that’s using them, the more congested the lane and the slower things move. You can think of channels as being a little like motorway lanes. In addition to changing the frequency, changing the channel can sometimes help boost WiFi signal. On a dual-band router, you can change these settings in the administrator interface. The range isn’t quite as good, but there are more channels, which means less competition. If you’re trying to connect a large number of devices to your WiFi network, consider switching to the less popular 5GHz frequency band. However, it has fewer channels, which means there’s often a huge number of devices all competing for signal at the same time. This means you can be further from the router before you start noticing a weaker signal. Most routers use the 2.4GHz frequency band because it has a longer range. Sometimes this can also help to boost WiFi signal throughout your home. And if you have a dual-band WiFi router like the Virgin Media hub, you’ll be able to select the frequency you want to use. There are two frequency bands that can be used to send information between a router and a device. And while it may be tempting, don’t place any ornaments or photo frames on top, as anything sitting on the router can weaken signal strength. This means avoiding hiding it away behind a sofa, or placing it inside a cupboard or cabinet. It’s best practice to place your router in as open an area as possible. At the same time, if the whole family uses devices in different rooms, finding a centralised location can be the smartest move. The fewer obstacles in the way, the less the signal will weaken on its journey between the two.įor example, if you conduct most online activities from your home office, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to keep the router two rooms away behind concrete walls. Ideally, you should have the shortest, clearest path possible from your router to your devices. When deciding where to position your router, it’s also important to think about obstacles. WiFi signal tends to project outwards and downwards from the router, so placing it in a higher position and facing it into the room can help to create the clearest pathway for the signal. As WiFi signal is transmitted at the same frequency and on the same channel as many other radio waves in your home, there can be significant interference which can have a huge impact on your WiFi strength.įor example, did you know that everything from baby monitors and kids’ walkie-talkies to Bluetooth speakers and microwaves can cause interference? It’s important to try and position your router away from these common household items to try and avoid interference as much as possible.Īs well as the location of the router, it’s also important to consider how the router is placed in position. One of the easiest ways to boost your WiFi signal is to rethink where you place your router. Here are 10 very quick and simple ways to boost WiFi signal and improve the reliability of the connection between router and device.
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