Work from Home: Ways to boost your Wi-Fi signal range, speed and strength

John Dong, Director, Tenda India

As the world is battling with Covid-19 Pandemic, people especially office goers have been asked to work from home in order to maintain social distancing. Since social distancing is the only way out to prevent the individuals from any unwanted contact of the virus. It’s been more than 2 months since the lockdown was initiated, it has hampered various sectors and their working cultures and is also creating a lot of social trauma.

For anyone who is working from home, a proper and stable Wi-Fi connection is mandatory to carry out their regular office duties. Many people who didn’t have a Wi-Fi connection prior to the lockdown are now buying one but certainly, there are many challenges that could slow down the internet speed. These problems may not be linked with your Wi-Fi connection but can be associated with other factors. By addressing these problems, one can enjoy a steady and fast internet connection. Here are some tips to help improve the Wi-Fi connection, speed, and range to help ensure the work from home experience is as smooth as possible.

Tip 1: Purchase a router with 2 or more antennas

The biggest issue for your home’s Wi-Fi connection is old and aging routers that your Wi-Fi providers install at the beginning of the service. It is advised to purchase a Wi-Fi router with 2 or more antennas as these can improve your Wi-Fi range and connectivity as these antennas omit Wi-Fi signals and more number of antennas will result in faster internet speed and wider signal spectrum. Also, it will help in connecting with a number of your devices at one time.

Tip 2: Choose a Wi-Fi channel/band

Nowadays, all new Wi-Fi routers are dual-band; 2.4GHz and 5GHz, which means that they can transmit two simultaneous wireless signals providing better performance. Both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies offer multiple internet transmission channels, but 2.4 GHz only offers 14 channels, and those 14 transmission channels overlap. The channel overlap can cause data packets traveling back and forth on neighboring channels to interfere with one another which clogs up bandwidth and slows down your connection. In contrast, 5 GHz offers 23 non-overlapping channels. Choosing a channel on the 5 GHz band could minimize the number of other users on your frequency.

Tip3: Angle one antenna up and one to the side

Wi-Fi signals spread out perpendicular to your router, but Wi-Fi signals weaken when traveling through walls at an angle. You can angle them to help your Wi-Fi signal travel straight through walls and retain signal strength. Boost your Wi-Fi signal by angling one antenna to be vertical so Wi-Fi signals travel directly side to side through walls. Angle the other antenna to be horizontal so Wi-Fi signals travel directly upward and downward through the ceiling to other floors.

Tip 4: Move your wireless router to an elevated, clear and central part of your home

The location of your Wi-Fi router has a big impact on the strength of it’s signal. Position the device in a high, open a central spot with limited obstructions for better Wi-Fi signal results. If your router is on the ground, many of your Wi-Fi signals will travel horizontally along the floor and reach fewer parts of your home. Placing your router too close to materials like concrete or brick can limit its ability to broadcast to the rest of your home. The denser the objects around your wireless router are, the greater the signal loss.

Tip 5: Reset your router on a timely basis

It sounds simple, but sometimes resetting your router can speed up your internet. Just as restarting your computer can suddenly fix unknown computer issues, rebooting your wireless router can alleviate internet connection problems and boost your speeds.