Tip of the Week: 5 Ways to Power Up Your WiFi Signal

A strong WiFi signal is imperative to the success of your company. If your business has a reliable signal in every part of your office and home, let the productivity commence; but if it’s spotty in some areas of your office, you might want to consider a signal extension. It could make working much easier for both yourself and your entire team.

A surefire way to extend your WiFi signal is to purchase a new router, but there might not be a need to go all-in and purchase new hardware. Before you drop valuable capital on a new router and toss the perfectly-fine one in the trash, try some of these tips to get the most from your wireless.

Is There Interference from Walls or Objects?
A clear sign that there’s signal interference for your WiFi is that your signal is strong in one room, but sensitive in another of equal distance away. That room might have objects obstructing the signal between your device and the router. It could be a literal physical wall in the way, or something like an electrical object creating its own signals, which is causing the interference. Therefore, one of the things you can do to maximize your WiFi signal is to put your wireless router in an area which is free of objects and walls, where its signal can easily reach its limit.

How Many Access Points Are There?
One simple way to boost your access to your WiFi signal is to simply add another access point to the network. This can be as easy as purchasing a piece of hardware called a wired access point. A Network Attached Storage device, a wired access point is wired to your router to broadcast the WiFi signal from its current location. This particular solution is ideal for stretching your WiFi signal to a location it can’t normally reach, like the other side of a steel-reinforced wall.

Have You Considered a Wireless Repeater?
While a wired access point gives your signal a boost with a new access point via a wired connection, a wireless repeater catches the signal, then amplifies it to give it the boost it needs to reach all parts of your building. Placing such a device can be difficult; if you install it too far from the range of the wireless router, it will boost a weak signal rather than catch a more powerful one. It’s best to have XFER consult you when installing such a device so you can get the most out of it.

Are You Using an Antenna?
In the event your wired connection is significantly stronger than your wireless connection, you might be looking at an antenna issue. It can either be a problem with your mobile device’s antenna, or one with the wireless router. In this case, looking for a new antenna is probably your best bet to extend your signal.

Is Your Internet Plan Commensurate with Your Needs?
Even if you have top-notch hardware for your wireless network, it means nothing if your Internet plan through your Internet service provider is substandard. Boosting bandwidth that you don’t have just doesn’t work. If you find you need a boost that hardware can’t provide, upgrading your Internet plan might be your best solution.

If your business’s WiFi signal could use a boost, give XFER a call at 734-927-6666 / 800-GET-XFER. We’ll personally investigate your office for any weak points or bottlenecks which could be hampering your productivity. To get the most out of your wireless network, call us today at 734-927-6666 / 800-GET-XFER.