Do You Need to Extend Your Wireless Network?
A wireless network is one of the most useful technologies you have in your home or office. Oftentimes, however, it is set up quickly and will have a hard time broadcasting a signal to the corners of your office. Today, we will discuss ways to ensure that your business (or your home) has the coverage you need it to have, and how to get it if it doesn’t.
Why is My Signal Weak?
Wi-Fi is simply the broadcasting of radio waves. On most of today’s routers there are two wavelengths that are supported: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The shorter the wavelength, the more apt it is to be able to penetrate obstructions. However, these broadcasts only go so far. So, the more obstructions and further away a device is, the more likely it will carry a weaker signal. It’s pretty simple for a complex subject. If you want a strong Wi-Fi signal, you’ll need to focus on a few elements when setting up your Wi-Fi network.
Access Point Placement
The first thing you’ll have to consider is where to place your wireless router. Of course, to avoid major obstructions, you’ll want to elevate the router, and you’ll want to place it in the middle of a room rather than in a corner. The reason for this is that there tends to be fewer obstructions in the middle of a room than in a corner. The closer to the access point you are, the better the signal will be.
Your 5 GHz connection will be best for devices that have an unobstructed pathway to the router, while your 2.4 GHz will move through obstructions better for longer distances but won’t carry the same speeds capable with the 5 GHz connection.
If you have a large office or house, or your router isn’t powerful, you may run into coverage problems. For these instances, you may want to use a Wi-Fi extender, which are devices that are simply signal repeaters that extend the radio waves giving you more room to use your Wi-Fi connection.
Device Degradation
If you are running old hardware, there is a chance they will start to lose effectiveness over time. Typically, they just stop working and you’ll have to go get a new router. Today, there are a lot of good options that can broadcast wireless Internet for city blocks if so inclined.
If you need help with your Wi-Fi connection, or you want to talk to one of our technicians about the proper way to set up your company’s wireless network, give our IT experts a call at Macatawa Technologies today.