The range of a typical home wireless router like Linksys is nearly 100 feet. There are lots of other factors that can decrease this range lowering signal quality lower than we want. The most important being obstacles present between your wireless router and your laptop or PC.
Dont worry, there are easy tricks you can use to boost the strength of your wireless network (WLAN). Try some of these steps for improving your wireless range and improving your wireless network speed and performance.
1. Position Of Wireless Router.
The maximum range of your wireless router is restricted. The antennas of your default wireless router are omni-directional. That means they transmit signals in all directions with the same power. So to enjoy reasonable signal strength everywhere, place your router at a central location compared to your access points.
2. Objects surrounding the router.
Try to avoid possible blocking objects that are near the wireless router. These could be metal objects, books and other stuff that you have cluttered around your wireless router. More the interferences, the lower the quality.
3. Go for antenna change.
Almost all routers don't allow you to change the transmitted power. The default router antennas are omni-directional and use the max power to send the signal in all directions equally. Almost every time, these antennas can be removable and can be replaced with high-gain ones which are also called directional-antennas.
High-gain antennas take the full power to send signals only in a single direction and hence will have an improved signal strength and range in that direction. If you can keep your access points aligned in the direction, you can get a signal increase near to 25-40%.
Trick to boost your existing antenna.
You can change the default omni-directional antennas of your router to directional antennas improving the range of your wireless router.
An ordinary aluminum foil from your garage is only sufficient for this. To make things easy, you can download this ready made template ( http://www.skipser.toolsbysk.com/p/2/files/general/windsurfer.jpg ) which can be print and cut out.
5. Try Repeaters.
A repeater is an electronic hardware that takes signal from your wireless router, raises its strength and re-transmits it. So if your wireless router range is near 100ft, using a repeater at say 75ft will take the total range to 175ft if the repeater range is also 100ft.
6. Select an appropriate channel.
Wireless routers can use several different channels (frequencies), same as radio stations transmit different channels. The frequencies are usually in the 2.4Ghz range.There are lots of factors that affect the performance of a particular channel depending on your area.
Many wireless routers allow you to choose a channel or frequency. So select a channel that produces highest range by trying out one by one.
7. Decrease Wireless Interference.
There are many other electronic devices like cordless phones, mobile, microwave ovens, baby monitors, and other wireless electronics that are on the same 2.4Ghz channel as your wireless router. These can interfere with the wireless router channel decreasing the signal power and quality.
You can't eliminate them all, but you certainly can lower signal loss from interference by placing and using them far from you router.
This article- Easy Tips To Increase The Range Of Your Wireless Router., was originally published in Skipser.
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