How to Improve WiFi Reception

How to Improve WiFi Reception 

This teaches you how to improve signal strength and minimize interference on your home wireless network. Your ability to maintain a consistent connection to Wi-Fi depends on many factors, including the physical location of your wireless access point (AP, either Wi-Fi router from your ISP or mobile hotspot). Placing your AP in the best possible location and minimizing interference (both physical and wireless) can greatly improve network performance. 

Step 1.  Remove physical obstructions between your computer and the AP. 

A Wi-Fi signal can usually travel about 1000 feet, but every wall drops that by about 100 feet. To maintain the most reliable connection, make sure your computer has line-of-sight access to the AP. If that's not possible, you can still improve reception by minimizing some barriers: 

.     Place the AP high up, such as on a wall mount or high shelf. If the AP is on the floor or on a low table, you'll be wasting much of the AP signal 360-degree range. 

·      Glass from mirrors and windows reflect Wi-Fi signals back around the room. If you can't move the AP away from glass, try covering the glass with a curtain or cloth. 

·      Thicker walls, such as those made of brick, concrete, or stone, seriously impact signal strength. You may also run into trouble if your walls contain metal ducts, studs, and pipes. If your walls are impeding the Wi-Fi signal, open the door to the room where your AP is, and place the AP as close to it as possible. 

·      Tall furniture and appliances can block signals, especially when leaning against thick walls. Avoid setting up your wireless AP in rooms with lots of tall objects. 

Step 2. Restart your AP at least once a month.

To do this, turn off or unplug the AP, wait for 30 seconds, and then turn it back on. Let it run for about 5 minutes, and then check your internet speed. 

Step 3. Disconnect unused computers and accessories from the AP.

If you have multiple computers, phones, tablets, printers, Smart TVs, and other accessories using your wireless network at once, you might be slowing down your wireless network. Turn off or disconnect the devices you aren't using to improve network speeds for those you are using. 

You can limit the number of devices your AP will allow to connect at a time. This is typically done by logging in to your AP's administrator website (this depends on your AP so please check its documentation on how to do this) and adjusting settings in the LAN or Local Area Network. 

ADDITIONAL TIPS IF YOU ARE USING YOUR CELLPHONE AS MOBILE HOTSPOT: 

Using your cellphone as mobile hotspot can cause its battery to drain quickly. You can improve its battery life by disabling unneeded services that are running in the background. Another battery-saving tip is to keep your cellphone cool since as a it warms up, it consumes even more power. Another option for getting additional charge to your mobile phone battery is to attach the phone to a mobile power supply.