Increase WiFi signal reception at home

In today’s apartments it is important that the Wi-Fi signal reaches every corner of the house, not only to keep the smartphone connected but above all to keep various network devices connected such as Smart TVs, IP cameras or other “smart” devices.
Depending on the layout of a room, how the building is constructed and the furnishings, the signal may be more or less weak or worse still absent in some rooms if the router is far away or if there is interference along the route.
To increase Wi-Fi signal reception, today very little is needed!
In this guide we will show you how increase Wi-Fi reception from your home modem.
With a few simple steps plus some small additional expenses we will be able to improve network coverage and thus serve all the rooms of our apartment.

READ ALSO: 10 ways to boost your home Wi-Fi

Position the router/modem correctly

If the modem is too far from the room where Wi-Fi is weak or absent, the first option is to move it to a more central location in the house, so as to cover all the rooms.
Regarding the position of the router/modem, it is important that it has space around it, that it is not closed in a piece of furniture or between two walls (so let’s avoid placing it in a corner), that it is not placed on the ground (the higher it is positioned, the better coverage) and that it is not near sources of interference such as a cordless telephone or a microwave oven.
If the router has external antennas, it is possible to orient them in different directions and positions so as to have more diffusion of the signal (every centimeter of antenna moved can vary the range of the Wi-Fi signal by 1-2 metres, so let’s orient the antennas carefully).
If the router has internal antennas instead, we try to position it in a higher position (we can also hang it like a picture almost close to the wall that acts as a roof) or rotate it, so as to be able to orient the antennas in the right direction.

Configure the router on the least used wireless channel

A wireless network works on frequency channels that are automatically chosen by the router; too bad that the other routers present in the surrounding area or in the building will also do the same, “clogging” the electromagnetic field!
That’s why you can change channels manually, so as to choose a low channel that is as free from interference as possible.
We explained in another guide how to change the Wifi channel, using programs like WifiInfoView, so as to find out on which channel the wireless networks around us are present.
To change the channel, you must find the relevant option in the router configuration panel (see how to access the router settings) and choose one of the channel numbers offered (for 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks the channel numbers are 1 to 12).
In summary: we choose a low channel (between 1 and 6) that is not excessively crowded (maximum 2 networks on the same channel) and test the signal reception; we avoid the high channels (from 7 to 12) if possible, because they perform poorly in covering the peripheral areas of the wireless field.
In another article we saw the guide to avoid Wi-Fi interference, which we recommend everyone read to learn more about Wi-Fi channels and frequencies.

Use 5 GHz wireless networks for devices close to the router

On all new routers on the market it is possible to activate two wireless networks: one at 2.4 GHz, one at 5 GHz.
In summary, the differences between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks are simple: on 5 GHz there is more bandwidth and the signal is less subject to interference but the coverage is considerably lower (any wall is enough for cut the signal).
If we have devices that support 5 GHz in the same room as the router, it is best to connect them to this type of network, so as to have more free bandwidth for distant devices (which will only be reached by the 2.4 GHz network).
In summary: the fewer devices we connect to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network, the more bandwidth we will have for devices far from the router.

Buy a Wi-Fi repeater

Wireless repeaters are the simplest solution to improve signal reception in even a large environment such as a villa or to have a full signal in every point of the house.
The repeater is nothing more than a device to be connected to the electrical network at a point distant from the router, but where the signal still picks up quite well; at the end of the configuration we will have a new expanded network connected to the main one, with which we will be able to connect even if we are far from the router!
The configuration is almost completely automatic and only requires using the configuration panel to access the main router’s WiFi network (following the instructions in the package).
We saw in another article how wifi repeaters work and which one to buy; the best ones for value for money are listed below:

– Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Range Extender (10€)
– TP-Link Ripetitore WiFi Wireless (18€)
– Netgear Ripetitore WiFi Wireless (31€)

Create a Wifi Mesh network

The latest development in terms of wireless technology is the Wifi Mesh network, i.e. a network in which access nodes share data and bandwidth in a distributed manner, trying to make the data travel along the fastest path free from interference.
These solutions are ideal for large homes, they are much more effective than repeaters but, on the flip side, the prices are very high (especially when compared to the costs of repeaters).
The best Wi-Fi Mesh network technologies currently on the market are:

– Tenda Nova MW3 (€94)
– TP-Link Deco M5 (202€)
– NETGEAR Orbi Wifi Mesh (338€)
– Google Wifi, Sistema Wifi Mesh (359€)

Buy a new router

If we own an old router, a very cheap one or one of those received on loan from the operator, we can improve signal reception in an environment by buying a new router, with all the features required to be able to act on the network settings Wi-Fi and thus increase coverage.
In another article we saw the best wifi routers to buy and below we have collected which ones we can buy immediately (almost all of them are just routers and therefore must be connected in cascade to the modem provided by the operator).

– TP-Link Archer C60 (34€)
– Netgear Router WiFi (50€)
– D-Link DIR-882 (€89)
– AVM FRITZ Box 4040 (75€ con modem)

Connect PCs via cable or Powerline

Desktop computers can be connected directly via Ethernet cable, without further clogging up the bandwidth of the Wi-Fi network (as mentioned, the fewer devices there are, the more effective the coverage will be).
If the PC is close enough we can hide the Ethernet cables on the skirting board or in the electrical wire ducts, which can easily be pulled up to 15 metres.
A good Ethernet cable is the one offered by AmazonBasics and available in various sizes (from 1 to 15 meters).
If, however, the computer is too far from the router we can rely on Powerline technology, so as to connect the devices using the home’s electrical cables and Ethernet cables, with the possibility of also functioning as a Wi-Fi access point (the signal arrives via electrical sockets and create a new Wi-Fi network for the room or the furthest area of ​​the house).
For further information, please refer to our guide How Powerline works while below we have collected the best Kit Powerline Wi-Fi that we can use at home:

– TP-Link TL-PA4010 (38€)
– TP-Link TL-WPA7510 Kit Powerline WiFi (67€)
– Netgear PLW1000-100PES (79€)

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