Nobody wants a slack WiFi range. There’s nothing worse than juggling the frustration of frozen Zoom calls or even buffering movies. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a business owner or just managing a private network “hiccup.” Luckily, if you want to speed your WiFi up and eliminate dead spots, it’s simple. You just need to learn how to extend WiFi range.
Range is a delicate issue with your internet, as it relies on many factors. You’ve got to choose which GHz band you use — 5GHz vs. 2.4GHz — but you must also consider property layout. Thick walls and heavier-set wooden doors are all recipes for rubbish range. Remember, the signal has got to be able to pass through.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the optimization process, teaching you all about extending the WiFi range. It doesn’t need to cost the Earth and is relatively straightforward. You’ll be able to form a solution in a matter of minutes and enact any changes within a few days.
Are you ready to make big changes? Here’s what you need to know.
How WiFi Signal Works
WiFi signals are fickle yet smart; understanding how they work is vital. Their basic premise is that they utilize radio signals. These signals bounce between your internet service provider (ISP) and your router’s wireless adaptor. Your wireless router then codes, transmits, and decodes this signal, broadcasting it to your connected devices.
The WiFi signal must pass through walls, doors, floors, and general household objects to reach your devices. And that’s without factoring in distance. If you think of hotels, just imagine the scale of coverage needed plus the strength required for so many users.
Two primary GHz bands, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, are best for different devices and layout scenarios. 2.4GHz has longer waves, which better evade objects and perform well over large distances. However, 5GHz has shorter waves, so it moves faster over long distances. When evaluating your WiFi signal, you must decide which GHz band best suits your needs.
In short, there are three main points to consider:
- What GHz band are you on?
- The layout of your property.
- Your existing package’s reputation and the equipment are already in play.
Once you understand how delicate this broadcasting process is, it’s easy to see how it may need a boost. You don’t just set up a WiFi connection and forget about it. Instead, you must evaluate its performance and fine-tune your setup to accommodate the best efficiency of wireless signals. This is the sort of thing you need to incorporate feedback into.
How Costly Is Learning How To Boost WiFi Signal?
The good news is that learning how to boost WiFi signal does not have to be costly. Sure, some WiFi extenders are costly and can cost up to $300 plus. However, it can be a relatively budget-friendly process. You can find extenders as cheap as $30 — and that’s just one method of boosting your signal.
A simple change of under $50 can radically shift your WiFi experience at home or work. It all depends on what’s slowing your WiFi coverage. You may need a new external antenna for your router or firmware updates. In the best-case scenario, just moving your WiFi router to an optimal position helps boost WiFi signals through walls. And this adjustment is free!
You can spend thousands trying to improve your WiFi’s range, but it’s as expensive as you make it. If you’re savvy, you won’t have to break the bank.
What Is an Outdoor WiFi Extender?
An outdoor WiFi extender is a piece of all-weather-resistant equipment that can sit outside to boost your signal. It’s a fantastic way to extend the WiFi range between buildings or to garden summerhouses—basically, anything that involves the outdoors. Think of it as a stepping stone.
Some of the fastest public WiFi is in open-air spaces, and private WiFi can take the same approach. The durability of the equipment allows you total flexibility. It’s great that you can bridge the gap without relying on complicated underground wires and expensive fixes.
How To Increase WiFi Signal Strength
You can quickly increase a signal’s strength through strategies like boosters and GHz bands. If your issue is that your WiFi network lacks signal strength, don’t worry; it’s easy to fix. This isn’t a question of how to extend WiFi but how to strengthen it to perform better. Signal strength can be an illusion of weak reach.
Are you wondering how to increase WiFi signal strength? Here are the three strategies that may help.
1. Switch GHz Bands
As you know, different GHz bands are better for different property layouts and user functions. 2.4GHz is much better across long distances yet slower. It also overcomes obstacles more easily, so think of big houses with just a few users. 5GHz is faster over short distances, so think of small yet busy coffee shops.
Switching GHz bands to the best option is a fantastic way to boost overall signal strength.
2. Invest in a Booster
A booster won’t address the lack of strength at the source, but it will overcome the “symptoms.” A booster just picks up on the (weak) signal and repeats it, allowing it to travel further and stronger. It’s a bit like someone else shouting louder from closer after a person doesn’t hear you the first time.
3. Upgrade Your Router Antenna
Sometimes, strengthening at the source is an option. You can upgrade your router antenna to solidify your signal, which allows it to detect and send signals more easily.
How Can I Extend My WiFi Signal at Home?
All you need to do is find the heart of the problem. That could be a GHz band shift, a booster for thick walls, or new router optimization. The question isn’t so much: “How can I extend my WiFi signal at home?” Instead, it’s “What’s slowing my WiFi signal at home?”
We’d follow these simple series of checks to see what needs optimizing in your network:
- Check for ISP outages, especially if the signal has only recently or immediately worsened. You can check companies’ Twitter accounts and websites or even contact them directly.
- Look at your router and see if it all looks “healthy.” Is the external antenna standing? Are the right lights flashing or on?
- Login to your router to see if there are any outstanding firmware updates.
- Is your router set in an optimal location for coverage? You should elevate it and keep it fairly central in your property.
- Evaluate whether 2.4GHz or 5GHz is best for you and change, if necessary, monitoring results.
- Contact your ISP to see if they offer free booster packages. Some companies offer boosters and extenders to strengthen wireless networks without charging.
- If not, head online and Google the best extenders and boosters. Find one with great reviews and within your budget, and add that into a socket for a stronger signal.
How To Extend WiFi Range for Free
As mentioned above, extending WiFi for free is possible by just running some basic initial checks. Easy things like updating your router’s firmware, changing between 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and optimizing your router position all help. And the best thing is, none of these cost money.
Many initial stages involve troubleshooting, which doesn’t cost you a penny when you do the research yourself. Depending on the pain point, extending your WiFi range for free can be a breeze.
If none of this helps, you can still contact your ISP to inquire about free booster and extender packages. Some companies offer free equipment if you switch providers, so that’s worth considering. Knowing how to extend WiFi range for free is handy, especially if you’re just troubleshooting.
In summary, here are the four steps you should try when tackling this for free:
- Update your router’s firmware.
- Change from 2.4GHz to 5GHz.
- Optimize your router’s position.
- Contact your ISP and competitors to enquire about boosters and extender packages.
What Is the Best Way To Extend WiFi?
There’s no singular “best way to extend WiFi”; many properties vary in layout, and troubleshooting is very personal. If you can rule out general hiccups, the most effective method is undoubtedly adding a booster or extender.
Boosters and extenders pick up on those WiFi signals and simply rebroadcast them. That rebroadcasting allows the signal to repeat from a place of renewed strength, spreading further and stronger. The result is that where a signal might typically become lost (at a thick wall or maximum reach), it doesn’t. This “boost” is a total game-changer when extending your WiFi range.
As we said, a booster or extender is your most efficient option if you can rule out general hiccups. However, ensure it isn’t a simple fix like router updates, poor router positioning, or an ISP issue.
The last thing you want is to spend money on finding the “perfect” unnecessary booster or extender. And really, the “best” approach is the one that finds your network’s underlying issue. It isn’t a cookie-cutter fix.
After eliminating other options, we’ll tentatively say boosters or extenders are the most efficient way to extend your WiFi.
We’re in the era of cordless phones and a distancing from ethernet cables. If you take one thing from this article, it should be that your WiFi is in your hands. You can radically adjust your experience (and others) with a few tweaks. As a business owner, you should definitely jump on board and transform your WiFi.
One way you can dramatically transform your WiFi’s potential is through the power of a captive portal system. A captive portal is software that blocks guests from immediately using your WiFi. Instead, it transports them to a web page pop-up form requesting your chosen details.
You can ask for details like phone numbers and email addresses, storing these contacts for future marketing campaigns. Once guests comply, they receive full WiFi access — isn’t that great? You get marketing details, and guests get free WiFi. It really is a win-win situation, and why not make your WiFi work for both parties?
Business is all about savvy marketing; you can’t rely on a warm outreach-style strategy with no contacts. Start your Beambox free trial today and reap the rewards of learning how to extend WiFi range.
