How to fix common issues and boost Wi-Fi Signal in your house
It happens, your new or existing broadband provider promises you the earth. Then when you've signed on the dotted line you begin to have issues and not getting the speeds advertised by your provider.
Happily though there are some simple tips and tricks you can do to fix these issues and also improve your speeds.
Tip 1 - Check that your provider is actually delivering the speeds they advertised
Sometimes you may find that your advertised speeds are not being delivered. Before you contact your provider so may want to check the following things so if they say everything is fine you can tell them what is not working:
Connect your device or laptop directly to the router via an ethernet cable.
Go to a speed test site such as fast.com or speedtest.net and perform a speed test. (Make sure you record the download and upload speeds and try it a few times over the course of a day to get an average.)
Check to see if your provider is having any issues or report an issue once found by going to https://downdetector.co.uk/
Tip 2 - Check your Wi-Fi signal strength to your device
A common issue with Wi-Fi is actually the provided hardware that your ISP has given you.
Most routers provided by your broadband provider are performing multiple different things and tend to be a "jack of all trades, master of none".
As such the Wi-Fi signal may not be strong enough to reach all of your house. Wi-Fi signal strength can be blocked by many things, but the most typical ones are:
The Wi-Fi router being placed in a cupboard or enclosed space
Solid walls or partition walls constructed of metal posts and cross beams
Closed doors
Competing neighbours Wi-Fi
You can fix some of the above by doing the following:
Make sure your router is not being obstructed by anything in the room it's installed in or is taken out of enclosed spaces
Moving your router to a more central place within your property.
Check how many competing Wi-Fi networks you can see by checking the available Wi-Fi in your area and see which ones have a similar or stronger signal than yours.
Ask your provider to send you mesh nodes (if available) or repeaters
If the above steps do not help then you may need a different solution. Home Network Specialists can help identify and fix any issues you are having. Contact us today to arrange a free Network/ Wi-Fi survey to see what can be done.
Tip 3 - Mesh Wi-Fi systems
You may have heard of this solution and be wondering what and why this can help.
Mesh Wi-Fi is a different type of Wi-Fi router to the ones typically provided by your broadband provider.
These devices are specifically designed to be Wi-Fi 1st devices and are designed to replace your broadband providers hardware. They use multiple "nodes" to distribute the Wi-Fi signal across your property and provide better coverage speed when setup correctly.
However with so many on the market it can be hard to choose the right solution for you. In fact many brands have capitalised on the buzz of "Mesh Wi-Fi" and are pushing either overpriced/ over powered solutions or cheap systems which are not worth the money you pay.
Below are some devices which we would recommend based on the following criteria.
Best value / performance
- Wi-Fi 5 | Tenda Nova MW6 AC1200
- Wi-Fi 6 | Tenda Nova MX12 AX3000
- Wi-Fi 6e | Tenda Nova MX15 Pro AX5400
Best smart / easy setup devices
- Wi-Fi 5 | Google WiFi 5
- Wi-Fi 6 | Amazon eero 6
- Wi-Fi 6e | Google Wifi Pro
Best for thick walls or older properties with stone walls
- Wi-Fi 5 | TP-Link Deco P9 (combines a mesh network with powerline adapter)
- Wi-Fi 6 | ASUS ZenWiFi XD6
- Wi-Fi 6e | NetGear Orbi AXE11000
(please note the above links are amazon affiliate links. We may earn a commission on the referral)
So what do I do now?
Now you know the most common issues and some ways to identify and fix them you are ready to troubleshoot and improve your Wi-Fi.
However if you want help or would like guidance and everything setup we are here to help.
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