Have you ever experienced the feeling of finding a nice quiet place to work in your home, ready to begin with a nice cup of tea, only to discover that there are no signals where you’re at?
What you just experienced was a Wi-Fi dead spot. The signals may be fine around that area, and you may be in range, but you just won’t be able to connect to the internet in that specific area (or the connection will be very weak).
Here is the list of things you can do to find and fix these Wi-Fi Dead spots and have a better network experience.
What is a Wi-Fi Dead Spot?
A Wi-Fi dead spot is a space within your house, building, office, or any other area with a Wi-Fi connection where Wi-Fi signals do not reach. It is a dead zone, and walls in the spaces become an obstacle for the radio waves to find your device.
How to find a Wi-Fi Dead Spot?
A very manageable way to find a dead spot is to walk around in the house with the connected device. The device will lose the internet connection instantly when you walk into space with dead spots in it (or the signal will be so weak that the internet is simply unusable).
There are three simple steps that you can follow to find Wi-Fi dead spots in your home:
- Place the router in a place that can distribute signals equally to all spaces in your home.
- Download one of the top Wi-Fi heat mapping tools to locate the dead spots.
- Fix the problem by optimizing your Wi-Fi network channels. To know more, following this link.
You can use the tool/software by opening the app on your phone or laptop. Select the heat mapping screen. Move around with the device and it will show detailed results about strength of your Wi-Fi signals.
Few quick suggestions that are readily available for Android, Windows and apple users.
- You can download a Wi-Fi Dead spot app if you are an Android or an Apple user. Numerous are available on the respective app stores.
- For PC users, Solar winds Wi-Fi Monitoring is a viable option.
How to eliminate Wi-Fi Dead Spots?
After finding out where the dead spots, you have taken the first step of identifying the problem. Now you have to eliminate the dead spots. Here are a few tips and tricks to get you going.
Move Your Router to a Better Place
Most people choose to place their router near the wall from where the connection cable is coming. It is usually a corner. It is convenient yet ineffective.
Try to place the router centrally in your home, office, or building so that every room has an equally distant access point. That will serve up nicely, especially for the spaces that were on the opposite side and distant from the router.
Placing the router in a central space seems like an extra burden, and it takes careful planning and a bit of effort, but the results are worth it. The number of dead spots and weak signals will reduce significantly. You can easily add a hard-wired Ethernet port to any room in a matter of minutes.
You can find some of the best Ethernet cables by following this link here.
Adjust the Position of your Router’s Antenna
The position of your wireless router’s Antenna can have an impact on Wi-Fi coverage. The obvious recommendation is to have your Antenna up facing the sky.
A horizontally positioned Antenna gives a lot less Wi-Fi coverage than a vertically positioned Antenna.
If your Antenna is already positioned vertically at a perfect angle, and you are still facing the internet coverage problem, upgrade it.
Configure your Router
The configuration is unique for every router, and you can carry it out in two simple steps.
- Check the output power of your device and set it to 100%. You can use the manual also recommended by the Internet Service Provider(IPS).
- Check the 802.11 protocol and set all devices to one standard.
Source: IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi Protocol Overview
Change the Broadcast Channel
Slow connectivity is caused by having multiple users on the same or overlapping channels. It tends to happen when you are close to different users of competing networks on the same Wi-Fi channel.
There are many different reasons for Wi-Fi channel interference, and Network World has a very in-depth guide on what may be causing interference on your end.
You can use different tools to find channels with the least interference. Or you can access the router by typing in the IP address provided at the back of the router. Type in your user name and password, and go to settings. Then open wireless settings to test out channels and find suitable to your liking.
Overview of a Typical WLAN Channel Settings
Extend the Range and Boost your Signal
Some spaces like buildings and offices are too large for routers to provide complete access to all the Wi-Fi users. You can use Wi-Fi boosters, repeaters, and extenders to extend the coverage of your router.
Boosters and extenders work differently but ultimately server the same objective, i.e., both extend the Wi-Fi coverage. If you’re looking to upgrade your Wi-Fi coverage in your home, use a Wi-Fi repeater. And for commercial use, a Wi-Fi booster is deemed a more suitable option.
Upgrade your Router
It is pertinent to buy the latest version of a wireless router to enjoy a stable connection. If you have an outdated router, weak signals and dead spots are more evident.
The old routers purchased from tech stores are known to experience dead spots. So it is better to get a router from your Internet Service Provider(IPS) or buy one yourself.
Conclusion
You can find and eliminate the dead spots anywhere in your space, be it in your building or office, by following these simple tips and manageable options provided in the article.
From moving your router centrally to upgrading it to the latest version, from configuring the Wi-Fi network settings to tuning in the right channel, each of these actions can help remedy the situation.
