Wireless router top tips
- As metal, walls, and floors will interfere with your router's wireless signals, move the router off the floor and away from walls (such as metal filing cabinets). Your connection will be weaker the closer your router is to these obstructions.
- Try not to position your wireless router against an outside wall of your home/office as the signal will be weak on the other side of your home/office. Position it, where possible, in a central location.
- Your computer sends and well as receives signals. Sometimes your router can broadcast strong enough to reach your computer, but your computer can't send signals back to your router. Improve your PC adaptor by replacing it for one with an external antenna. However, laptops with built in wireless capability usually have adequate antennas and don’t need to have their network adapter’s upgrade.
- The antennas that are supplied with wireless routers are designed to be multi directional around the router. So if your router is near an outside wall, the signals from the router will be wasted. Consider upgrading to a hi-gain antenna which focuses wireless signal in only one direction.
- Wireless router have channels in a similar way that radio stations use different channels. Some channels have a better quality signal than others. Some signals may suffer interference so try changing your wireless router channel to see if the signal strength improves.
- If you want to use your PC some distance from your wireless router then you will need a wireless repeater. These are positioned halfway between the wireless router and your PC and will provide a boost to your signal.
- Keep up to date with the latest firmware for your wireless router or network adaptor. Manufacturers usually make free downloads available and sometimes they offer performance increases.
- Avoid using other wireless electronics (such as cordless phones) that use the 2.4GHz frequency. These may interfere with you wireless network performance. Phones that use 5.8GHz or 900MHz frequencies are better.
- Upgrade to 802.11g. 802.11b is quite a common type of wireless network but 802.11g is about five times faster. 802.11g is backward compatible. Also consider upgrading to a G+ MIMO or even a Pre N router. Some now offer 125mbps as opposed to 54mbps.
- Although different manufacturers devices will work with each other (e.g. Belkin and Netgear) you can often get better performance if you stay with the same manufacturer. Some manufacturers offer a performance boost if you buy compatible devices.
