Certain places, even certain parts of your accommodation might not have strong or no WiFi connection. In this tip, you will find several solutions to help you increase the range of your WiFi network.
Free solutions
Check the extent of your WiFi network. First of all, if you have a smartphone, you can install an application that will allow you to check the status of your Wifi network at home.
Applications and tools available
To test your Wifi network, you have the following applications, Note that these kinds of tools also exist on PC or mac:
1. “NETGEAR WiFi Analytics “, available on Android
2. “NETGEAR Genie”, available on iOS , Windows and Android
3. WiFiCoverage for PC
Note that all the applications or tools mentioned above are freeware !
Some positioning advice
Make sure that your box is correctly placed in your apartment. The place where your Box is placed can have a huge impact on the range of your network! Place your router in the center of your home, no too low, no too high, and in an open space. Also, keep the Router as far away from any metal structure as possible.
It should be as far away as possible from telephones and microwave ovens that operate on the same frequency (2.4 GHz). Keep your router as far away from your neighbor as possible (make sure you use a different channel from all the others)
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NB: If your router requires an update, do it, you never know. You can test your Wifi network again using the applications and tools mentioned above to see if it is more extensive.
Paid solutions
Have you tested everything possible and imaginable as a free solution? You also have at your disposal certain paid solutions which will be very effective:
Replace Wi-Fi antenna
Unscrew the current antenna to replace it with a more powerful model of your choice. Not all routers allow you to change the antenna, but if it’s possible, it’s worth a try. You can buy Wifi antennas in electronics and computer stores like Boulanger, La Fnac or Darty for example.
Install a repeater at home
A repeater is a small device used to extend the coverage of a WiFi network. Concretely, the repeater connects to an existing WiFi network – typically, that of an Internet box or router – to “extend” it so as to extend its reception to areas or rooms not covered by the original signal in creating a secondary network – this is why it is sometimes called an amplifier.
In practice, it is necessary to go through a configuration step so as to associate – once and for all – the repeater with the basic network. Depending on the model, this configuration is done by physically plugging the repeater into the box via an Ethernet cable, or directly via Wi-Fi, then making some settings (new network name, password, etc.) in a browser Internet or a dedicated smartphone app. The WPS function also greatly simplifies this step.
There are repeaters of all kinds (with visible or hidden antennas, an Ethernet socket, at different Wi-Fi standards, etc.), at very variable prices ranging from ten to one hundred euros. They are found in specialized electronics stores, in mass retailers, and, of course, online, at all high-tech merchants (Boulanger, Fnac, Darty, etc.).
