In this article you won’t find some unnecessary guides about network configuration — only how to make your device’s signal stronger. Talking about increasing WiFi range, we mean wireless increasing wireless network coverage area. This will help people, who live in big apartments, use their networks in all parts of house comfortably.
What things influence on WiFI network coverage area? It can be factors like router characteristics, apartments wall thickness, number of neighbor wireless networks, other problems, so no one can recommend you router, that can deal with all bad factors. If you live in 1 room apartment, you can buy 3 dBi router without doubt. If choose between Asus RT-N18U, which has 3 antennas and coverage area increase function, and D-link DIR-615/A with internal antennas, recommend you to buy second. It’s cheaper, but deal with its task too.
How to make signal stronger in router configuration page?
If you already bought router, which can’t cover all office or house area, you should make your network stronger. How to it can be done, we can read in this article. Signal can be increased in router’s configuration page and with help of other devices.
- Finding and change router’s channel. If you see a lot of different wireless networks in network list, they can interfere with each other and router’s signal radius will be smaller. You may try to set static channel in router’s configuration page of your device or choose Auto. The best way is to try both variants and choose the best.
inSSIDer software will help you find free channel, which can be set in settings. You can find guide how to use it on the Internet. Every manufacturer has its own configuration page interface, so better to read in manual book how to change channel on your device. - Set your network to 802.11N mode. Usually, most of the routers perform in b/g/n mode. If you set your network to 802.11N mode, maybe not only data transfer speed will be faster, but WiFi coverage area will be increased too. Main trouble is that if you have devices, that don’t support 802.11N mode, you aren’t able to use Internet connection from this device. If you don’t have these devices, change mode without doubt. It can be done from router’s configuration page. You can enter in it using 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 IP address.
Find here tab with name like WiFi, Wireless mode, Wireless Network, etc. Choose mode to “N only”. After this, your network will operate in N mode.Save done changes and reboot your device. If you face with trouble, return previous configurations. - Check router’s transfer data speed in router’s settings. Some routers have network power regulator function. Usually, there is maximum power is set by default, but it can be checked. In Asus routers you can find these settings in Wireless network tab. In the bottom you can find “Tx Power adjustment”. Here you can set power in percentages.In TP-Link routers open Wireless ->Wireless Advanced tab. Transmit Power provide owners to configure signal power. “High” means maximum power.
Moreover, these settings can be used to make signal power lower too.
How to make your WiFi network signal stronger with help of other devices?
- Repeater installation or usage second router as signal extender. This method of increasing signal power is the best way to do it. Repeater is small device, that must be installed on border of your network coverage area. This device will transfer your network signal to other places, where it couldn’t be without repeater. If we talk about this in details, this article will be so big, so you can read about repeater on the Internet. Every home wireless device can be used as repeater.
Every manufacturer uses its own interface in router’s configuration panel, so better to find way how your router can be used as extender in manual book. If you have 2 floors apartment, you may set routers on both floors and use second as repeater. - Buying more powerful antennas. If your router has external antennas, you can buy more powerful, which will make your wireless signal cover wider area a little. This method isn’t very good because of its inefficiencies. You can’t increase your network coverage on size equaled several rooms. Moreover, it’s not very cheap to buy new antennas, so better to keep this money for new router, which you can use as repeater. It will be more expensive, but more efficient too. If you choose this method, we recommend to buy 8 dBi antennas. Several of these antennas will cost as a repeater. Description of set up process will take article, so the best way is to check information about this in Google or watch full process record in YouTube.
- Buying new 5GHz wireless router. You may buy more powerful, but expensive home router. It should support 5 GHz wireless range. What are main advantages of 5 GHz? Usually, this channel is free from other users, because most of the routers use 2.4 GHz range. The fewer users in the range, the less interference. Fewer interference provides you higher speed.There are some places, where it’s hard to use 2.4 GHz device comfortably. There are some problems like bugs, connection losses, low speed, etc. It’s because of huge number of network. In these cases, usage of 5 GHz will solve problems.
A few more tips to increase coverage area of signal
- Choose good location for your router. This method is so efficient. Usually owners put their devices near entrance or distant rooms. Wireless network coverage area depends on location of your home router, so it’s important to choose right position.Simply put, better to put your device in middle of your house. Sometimes owners can’t do it because of troubles with cable laying, but try to put router as close as it can be done. Remember: walls are the main wireless signal enemies, so better to avoid them.
- Handmade antennas modifying. There are a lot of instructions how to make your antennas more efficient with help of things, which can be found in every home. In most of the cases you just need to use foil or tin cans. You can reflect signal with help of foil list. Don’t recommend you to use this method, because it’s useless. First of all it’s not aesthetically pleasing. Secondly, it’s not efficient. You can try this. There were all know methods how to increase your wireless network signal more powerful. Wish you found appropriate method.