How To Extend Your Wi-Fi Range at Home

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Wireless networks or Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) has evolved over the years, resulting in faster speeds and further coverage. Ideal for home, work offices and businesses, wireless connections provide convenience for everyone as such networks allow users to access resources from nearly any convenient location within the primary networking environment.

However, there are instances where slow speeds, dropped connections and dead zones occur. This is where Wi-Fi range extenders come in handy.

Wi-Fi Range Extenders

Don’t you hate it when you’re about to send that email then your internet connection starts buffering then crashing… and buffering on repeat? It’s not because you have a poor internet provider, but because you’re in a different area of your home where the connection is weak.

If you keep on experiencing this the further away you get from your router, a smart, little device called Wi-Fi extender can alleviate your connectivity problem and lets you do your work on your computer or laptop peacefully.

The Difference Between a Wi-Fi Extender, Wi-Fi Repeater and Wi-Fi Booster

Just like Wi-Fi extenders, both Wi-Fi repeater and Wi-Fi booster work to strengthen and increase the range of your wireless signal. However, they work in slightly different ways.

• Wi-Fi Extender – This device works by acquiring the existing wireless signal then re-running it on a different channel. You don’t have to worry about the interference as it connects to your modern router via a coaxial cable or Ethernet cord.
• Wi-Fi Repeater – This device is considered as the first-generation extenders and works the same way as the Wi-Fi extender. The only difference is that it connects to your router wirelessly on the same frequency, which means you’ll only get half of the available bandwidth. This also can result in higher latency.
• Wi-Fi Booster – Another term for Wi-Fi extenders and Wi-Fi repeaters.

Extending Your Wi-Fi Range at Home

There are various ways to extend your Wi-Fi range outside, from floor to floor, or from building to building, without having to make hefty investments or become a certified network engineer. But this requires some knowledge, especially if you want to have a successful extended Wi-Fi range in a certain place.

Move Your Router

Finding a new location for your wireless router can have a significant impact on your Wi-Fi signal. Placing it on a central location where there are no physical obstructions like walls and doors is advisable.

You’ll also want to consider not placing your router in a closet or a desk drawer so you won’t end up blocking the signal range. Simply place it as high as possible, with a line of sight to all devices that will be connected to your router.

Although this is not always possible, the closer you get to this goal will help you extend the range of your router.

Switch Router Frequencies

Did you know that dual-frequency routers offer you the choice of 5.0GHz and 2.4GHz bands? For higher speeds at a closer range use the 5.0GHz band. 2.4GHz has a wider range but will have slower data rates.

Update the Firmware

To obtain the best Wi-Fi signal that your router can provide, update your router’s firmware. Depending on your provider, there are different methods that need to be used when it comes to updating the firmware.

Some routers can be configured automatically. If your router is in this category, it’s strongly recommended to take advantage of the auto-update feature.

Use the Right Equipment

Extending the Wi-Fi range in an office or commercial environment requires using the right equipment, including the right amount of equipment. The number of connected devices and the type of work performed over the wireless network depends on the size of your office.

For instance, you may need 2 to 3 or even more APs (Access Points) to fully cover your entire space and support hundreds of devices connected to your network. Listed down below our are a great variety of Wi-Fi range extenders and access points available at Wiltronics.

AC1200 Wifi Range Extender

Extend your Wi-Fi range at with this super-fast AC1200 Wifi Range Extender (JYN837). Thanks to it’s cutting edge 802.11ac Wifi standard, this easy to use extender can boost your Wi-Fi range with a speed up to 1167 Mbps.

This slim plug-in module will allow you to easily boost Wifi to obscure areas of your house. You can now easily and inexpensively get a Wifi signal to a room that is out of range of the main modem.

What’s more, the powerful amplifiers will produce a signal strong enough to even penetrate through walls. The sleek and stylish AC1200 Wifi Range Extender comes with an Ethernet port so you can easily connect a computer.

Other features to look out for:

• Four high powered amplifiers
• Superfast Wi-Fi extension
• Extend Wi-Fi  range by up to 1000sqft
• Two-gigabit wired connections for super-fast Wi-Fi
• Heat vents to prevent overheating

WiFi Range Extender - N300

This intelligent WiFi Range Extender (JYN8370) can handle it all! This device can be utilised as a repeater to extend the range of your existing Wi-Fi network.

It also provides a WiFi access point for your wired network or acts as a router for your existing modem. Furthermore, this WiFi Range Extender connects straight into your mains power outlet for no-fuss installation, and configuration is quick and painless (with ultra-simple WPS connectivity supported too).

It’s designed with integrated status LEDs for signal strength, as well as a quick reference of network status. Suitable for 802.11b/g/n standards up to 300mbps, supporting modern standards for security too.

Other features to look out for:

• Repeater, Access Point, or Router
• One-Button WPS Connect
• Rated for AU Mains

8 Port Ethernet Switch

You also might like to check our 8 Port Ethernet Switch (JYN8397). Not only does this device let you connect multiple ethernet cables easily, but it’s also a perfect way to extend a wifi router or other firewall device.

Further, the switch is very easy to set up as it features automatic cable detection. Each port is backwards compatible. Other features include:

• Up to Gigabit Ethernet
• Automatic connection detection
• Plug and Play
• Store and Forward Switch Technology
• Suits Cat5 UTP/STP Cable
• 4K MAC with Auto Learning