What's wrong with your Wi-Fi signal?

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Believe it or not, many things that seem trivial can/will affect the quality of your home Wi-Fi coverage. 1. Distance is number 1! The further you are from your router, the weaker your connection will be. But distance is not the only thing that can cause a weak connection. 2. Interference is number 2! Other electronic devices can have an adverse effect on your Wi-Fi signal. Placing your router beside your television, your desktop, your laptop, your smart phone or other electrical/electronic devices can interfere with the quality of your signal. While you are positioning your router, you should check to see what is directly in the line-of-sight between you and your router. If your television, fridge, microwave, fish tank, mirror or desktop is between you and your router, you probably aren't getting the best signal, either. All of these items can slow and degrade your signal. 3. The height of your home may cause a problem for you. If you have a two story home you should remember your Wi-Fi is not extended in a bubble from the router. Wi-Fi signals travel in a straight line from your router. To ensure you get a good signal on the ground floor as well as the second floor you should place your router on a high shelf on the ground floor. If your home has three floors, the router should be placed on the second floor. 4. Building materials may cause interference, as well. Unfortunately, your router can't push the signal through dirt, rock, concrete, brick or metal. If your basement receives any signal at all, it will probably be a very poor/weak signal unless you place your router or a booster in the basement. If you place your router in the basement, don't expect to receive a good signal anywhere else in or around your home unless you have a booster that receives a good signal from your router. 5. The quality of your equipment is another constraint on your Wi-Fi signal. If you are using the original modem/router your ISP provided, you may not be getting the highest signal quality you deserve. The equipment your ISP provides is normally of lower quality which means your signal may be of lower quality. (If the modem/router you were given by the ISP is handling your needs and you are happy with it, then stick with it. If you face problems with signal quality, you should consider purchasing a higher quality modem/router.) 6. Firmware Updates. Some routers automatically update their firmware as the manufacturer sends it out. Others don't. The firmware (or programming) for your router is important because it is what keeps your router running at peak efficiency. If your router doesn't update automatically, it leaves you with weak security and possibly holes in the security a hacker can take advantage of to steal your Wi-Fi. (Wi-Fi ain't cheap, after all!) Updating your firmware can be a pain in the tush, to put that mildly. Unfortunately, there are many different brands and models of router being used. I can't give you specifics for every one, but it usually isn't difficult finding the firmware for your particular router. The manual included with your router will give you directions you can follow to update the firmware.