10 Ways To Boost Your WiFi Signal

How to Increase Your WiFi Signal

It is true that a direct cabled connection is probably faster, but that doesn't mean you can't get great Internet connection speeds from a WiFi connection. WiFi is a signal, so it's simply a matter of boosting that signal to extend as far as you need it to, and doing it in a way so you'll still get the same amount of power. There are ways to extend your WiFi signal, and most of them won't cost a penny. Here are my ten ways to boost your wifi signal:

1. Position The Router - Yes, where you place your router does matter. If your wireless desktop or laptop is in another room, the signal has to go through walls and other interference before it reaches you. You can change the positioning and give everyone equal access. For example, in an open office room setting, instead of placing the router in a corner, try putting it in the middle of the room. It might give better coverage to the entire office. The signal should extend out more evenly. If you're looking for optimal wireless coverage in various parts of your home, position the router in the middle of the house. Moving it up off the floor, to a bookcase or shelf, should also help. If you only have one wireless computer, and it's always in the same place (ie: your office, the kitchen, or the hammock) then it makes more sense to place the router closer to the computer, rather than in the center of the house. But experiment -- I've heard of cases where there was a very weak signal, and the problem was that the router was TOO close to the computer.
2. Avoid Bad Neighbors - Remember, wifi is a radio signal, so the signals from microwave ovens, cordless phones and even your neighbor's wireless router may interfere. So try to steer clear of those as well.
3. Extend the Antenna - There are some decent booster antennas out there that you can purchase in addition to your current router to help the signal extend out further. You just plug them directly into the router base and it can give you that boost in the signal that you need. Hawking makes several types of wireless antenna boosters.
   
4. Repeaters - This little gizmo just takes in the wireless signal, boosts it up to full strength, and spits it back out again. Place the repeater within range of the router, and near the computer that needs a wireless signal. Linksys and D-Link offer wireless repeaters, also called range extenders. If you have an Apple computer, look into the Airport Express as a signal repeater.
5. Gettin' Geeky - Some DIY geeks have come up with interesting ways to extend or boost your Wi Fi signal. One example is the Pringle Cantenna method. This may seem like a hoax, but the technique appeared in an O'Reilly book titled Building Wireless Community Networks, Nov. 2001. Other techniques, such as the satellite dish using a cell phone are elaborate hoaxes, and I'll admit I fell for this one before a kind reader set me straight.
6. Upgrade Your Router - If you've owned the same router for several years, it might be good to go pick up a new one if you want to expand your connection. Some of the latest models have a stronger signal. The newer 802.11n routers generally have a stronger broadcast signal, and they'll work even if you have an 802.11B or G adapter in your computer.
7. Upgrade Your Software - One of the most basic things you can do is to make sure your router software is up to date. To do this, visit the website of the maker of your router, whether it is Linksys, D-Link, or some other brand. Check for your model number and make any updates necessary.
8. Tweak Your Settings - Your software has special features that you may or may not want. Make sure you read the manual that comes with your router and tweak it to fit your needs. Most modern ones are "just plug it in" though there might be ways to boost signals or to make sure it is sending out signals that are optimized for your computer's wireless adapter. For example, most routers are set to broadcast on channel 6. Try switching the channel to 1 or 11 and see if it makes a difference.
9. Is Your Wireless Router Secured? - Make sure your neighbor isn't hogging all the juice from YOUR wireless router. Get your network secured only you are using the signal. Tap into your security features and make sure you use secure passwords. See Wireless Security for help with this.
10. Find Alternative Firmware - While your router's original software (aka firmware) should be all you need, some routers do not output the signal at the maximum possible strength. You might want to check into alternative firmware, like OpenWRT. But be careful with firmware updates -- if you load the wrong code for your router, you can foul it up with no recourse.

Do you have some other tips or tricks to boost a wifi signal? Post your comments below...