When problems arise, it can be extremely frustrating, and we can find ourselves plugged in to an Ethernet cable testing our luck. There are, however, certain corrective things that you can do to try and improve your connectivity on a wireless network. But first, we need to verify that the problem is, indeed, with the wireless connectivity, and not something else.
Testing Your Broadband: Speed - Wirelessly and Wired
The first thing, of course, is to find out if your connection is facing a wireless problem. The best way to do this is to test your broadband both wired and wirelessly. Log in and just try opening websites and gauging the speed. You can go on sites like speedtest.net and test your connection.When you’re plugged in with an Ethernet cable wired, and then wirelessly around your home, you may find that you get different speeds at different locations of your home, and that your wireless connectivity is slower than the wired connection. If you find you have really bad connectivity in certain parts of your home, then you may have a wireless problem.
Solution 1
The first solution - and probably the easiest - is to use your Ethernet cable instead of trying to connect to your Wi-Fi router. Essentially, all you have to do is to plug the Ethernet cable into your router and your device, and you’ll immediately have a network setup to which you can connect.
The challenge is that you’d have to be at a certain distance from the router because the Ethernet cable normally provided is only about 6 to 8 feet long. One solution to this, of course, is to buy a longer Ethernet cable.
You can get them around 50 meters long for about 5 pounds on ebay - a good investment if you do have these issues. However, an Ethernet cable will have to be physically run wherever you want to go, and this can be terribly impractical, unsightly and even dangerous to people walking by.
Solution 2
Get a premium Wi-Fi router. If you have problems with interference from other connections and other Wi-Fi devices, you could purchase a Wi-Fi router with the strongest signal possible and a different frequency band of operation. Wi-Fi routers are relatively inexpensive these days, so it’s not a particularly impractical thing to do, financially.
However, getting a premium wireless router may only enhance things slightly, and you may not get the solution that you really need. If you are getting a Wi-Fi router, then consider the speed capacity of the router: whether it’d be 11 megabytes or 450 megabytes per second, for instance. Also, have a look at the warranty on offer as the longer the warranty, the better the router will likely be.
Solution 3
Use a homeplug system. A homeplug system operates by passing the internet around your home through the domestic electric circuit. This can be a very fast way to pass internet around, and you tend to get very good connectivity speeds.
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However, you will have to plug in with an Ethernet cable, and IPads and such normally don’t have them so, if you’re not an IPad user, it can be a particularly good solution - unless you can get a USB to Ethernet adapter. Also, some homes have split electric circuits, so you won’t be able to use the internet in every room in the house if this is the case, as the internet won’t be able to pass around everywhere.
Solution 5
Repeaters and relayers: A repeater does the job of picking up a Wi-Fi router signal from the main telephone socket connection, and passing it further around the house or premises. Repeaters, in this way, can double the range of a Wi-Fi signal.
Indeed, repeaters are a great way to bypass impenetrable objects such as dense walls and ceilings and, therefore, to provide a connection where it previously wasn’t possible. Repeaters are also very good for larger homes, where the broadband signal from the Wi-Fi router cannot travel far enough to reach every corner of the house.
Repeaters are fairly cheap, and you can also use multiple ones in the same setup; although you can’t use them in series, you can only use them in parallel to increase the range around an area.
Dealing with Dropped Wireless Signals and Dodgy Connections
If you’re experiencing dropped signals and dodgy connections, it can be very frustrating. There’s nothing worse than being in a middle of a blockbuster film that you just rented through Love Film Instant, and then finding that you get a buffering message, or the stream drops altogether. It can totally ruin the mood, and put you in a different mood in a split second.
Below, we look at some of the ways of fixing wireless router issues with, particular focus on connections that drop frequently. If you are restarting your router, constantly trying to get new connection, this section is for you.
Get Closer to your Wi-Fi Router and Ensure Interference is at a Minimum
Wi-Fi signal loss is often caused by interference and obstruction. Wireless signals can be weak if you have metal objects, or rooms and ceilings, between yourself and the Wi-Fi router. A simple solution is to get within line of sight of the router in order to achieve a better wireless signal. Of course, this isn’t always possible, especially if you want to be watching movies upstairs in bed.You can’t go moving the Wi-Fi router either, because it needs to be plugged in to the main telephone socket. However, you may be able to put your Wi-Fi router in a more central place in your house or flat, in a way you will be able to elevate its position up on a shelf in order to reduce obstructions.
Update your Drivers
It could be that your computer or wireless router drivers - or even your operating system - are out of date. One relevant example is Windows XP. There were great improvements in the capacity to deal with WPA and WPA2 wireless security.
If you are on an earlier operating system, you may have problems with dropping of connections and, so, you could go onto Windows Update and see if there are any driver updates to provide you with a better connectivity experience. You may also want to go on your Wi-Fi router manufacturer’s website in order to find out if there are any firmware updates which may well enhance the productivity of your router.
The Wireless Channel of your Wi-Fi Router
Often, there is interference from devices around your home or from your local neighbourhood. Baby monitors, Wi-Fi boilers and other internet connections can all have an impact on the clarity of signal received by your devices. Jumping on to netstumbler can give you the opportunity to find out which wireless networks are operating in your area, and what frequencies they are operating on.
You can then go to your wireless router administration control, which is normally found at 192.168.2.1 through your browser, and opt for a different channel. This isn’t always available, and you should check your router manual in order to find out if it is.
Using a Wi-Fi Router Repeater to Boost your Signal
Sometimes, when your signal problems are due to the distance from your Wi-Fi router or obstructions in the way, you can get over this by using a Wi-Fi repeater, extender or relayer, which will pick up the signal from your Wi-Fi router and pass it on a further distance.
Essentially, you are amplifying the signal of your broadband. Several well-known manufacturers of Wi-Fi repeaters are: Trendnet, Linksys and DLink. You can get one of these from around 50 pounds or even less, and they can provide a great opportunity to be online upstairs or in a different area in your house where you’ve had problems in the past.
Opt for a Premium Wi-Fi Router
Sometimes, your Wi-Fi router may be having issues. Any router over 3 to 5 years old may well just start dropping connections periodically. Even newer routers may not have the capacity to deliver signals to where you want them to, and a premium wifi router may have a longer range, the opportunity to change the frequency band at which you’re operating and may, in a sense, offer a better Wi-Fi experience.
So, there you have it - a look at some of the Wi-Fi solutions to resolve wireless connectivity issues. It’s important that you get the most out of your internet, as you’re paying a significant amount for it every month. Don’t jump straight into the most expensive solution until you speak to your internet solutions provider and see if they have any troubleshooting tips that may enhance your internet experience without any additional cost.
Sam JonesAbout the Author:
Sam Jones‘s neighbour wanted a new wifi router and was considering a new provider too. Sites like uSwitch were a good option to find out more before the decision was made.