How to enhance the speed and efficiency of your Wi-Fi

How to enhance the speed and efficiency of your Wi-Fi - Wi-Fi is widely used now a days but its range and efficiency create troubles. It is a network where signals travel in the air without any physical media or a wire. A small antenna is used and signals travel in all directions or 360 degree. The signals are not strong enough and adversely effected by even small obstructions like small furniture items too. Walls are a great and highly effective obstructions. However we can improve it by small adjustments. The following arrangements may prove helpful to improve your Wi-Fi efficiency -

Wi-Fi options

Proper positioning the router and aiming wireless antenna will enhance Wi-Fi efficiency

The Wi-Fi signals travel through air from the source, i.e. antenna to the target and anything like a wall, a cupboard, a furniture item will obstruct them adversely. You can experience a difference on the other side of an obstruction even in the same room where your router is placed. Walls are great obstruction in case of Wi-Fi signals. Therefore the routers positioned away from walls will give better results. You can also point the antenna toward a particular area where you want better signals.

Using reflectors may enhance Wi-Fi efficiency

You can use reflector to get better result. If you don’t want to pay for reflectors, you can use tin foils for this purpose which will help you to direct the signals towards your targets.

Using a cable antenna my enhance Wi-Fi efficiency

Many types of cable antennas are available in the market. The vendors claim that the cable antenna will give high output. But I don’t agree with their claim of high output because the signal strength depends on your router but still cable antenna are beneficial as they are attaché to a cable thus can be positioned at a convenient place and some away from your router.

Using a different channel may enhance Wi-Fi efficiency

By default the router uses the standard frequency and most of the routers are preset on ch-1, 6 or 11. Your neighbor may also be using the same channel. In addition other electronic equipments such as video extenders, cordless handsets may also use it in your vicinity. Some domestic appliances like microwave oven and electric cables may also generate disturbance in the same band. To avoid it you can use a different channel. To change the channel open your router’s setting page, click the dropdown menu and choose a different channel(Any from channel 1 to 13) within the default band(2.4 Ghz)

Using a 802.11ac router will be much better to enhance Wi-Fi efficiency

Almost all top networks use 802.11 ac Wi-Fi standards(5G Wi-Fi) which offers a speed upto 1733 MBPS on the 5 Ghz band and routers of this standard are available. The number of devices supporting this speed is limited therefore think twice before installing it.

Wi-Fi Signal booster may enhance Wi-Fi efficiency

A wireless repeater or a signal booster may prove helpful but you may not find it feasible. You have to position it between your router and the target. It will receive signals and retransmit them with strength increased. You will need an extra device. An old device not in use may be used for this purpose but it may not support the modern devices.