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The setup process is a piece of cake because you’re guided from start to finish by the Spot Finder app. All you need to do is connect the WiFi booster to your router by pressing the WPS button and follow the app’s instructions. The simplest option to extend Wi-Fi outdoors is with a mesh system and additional satellite units. This should give you a couple hundred square feet of coverage outside your home. Mesh systems can be expensive but setup is usually easy for novice users.
The setup process varies a lot between different Wi-Fi extenders, but usually requires you to plug it into a power outlet first. Wireless Network WatcherIt's entirely possible the problem has nothing to do with interference or Wi-Fi range. If your network is open, or has a weak password, you could have an unwanted guest or two piggybacking on your network.
Internet connection speed vs. WiFi speed
You can also transform the TP-Link RE350 AC1200 WiFi booster into an access point by plugging an Ethernet cable into its Ethernet port. When in the access point mode, the TP-Link RE350 AC1200 can be controlled using a smartphone app. Thanks to the support for the 802.11k standard, you can move around the house while video chatting with friends or watching an online video without any interruption. On the rear, the Netgear Nighthawk X6S EX8000 has four Gigabit Ethernet ports to connect wired devices, such as your Smart TV, game console, or home security system. When selecting a WiFi booster, make sure you have at least a rough idea of how large is the area that you want to cover. You can use a network analyzer like NetSpot to create a signal heatmap of your space.
So you’ll want to check and make sure your router can at least switch your internal traffic at 1Gbps. Or you can supplement it with a small Gigabit switch or hub. If your ISP is providing you with more than 100Mbps, then of course you’ll have one more reason to make sure your router supports Gigabit Ethernet both on the LAN side and the WAN side. The good news is that Powerline adapters, when coupled with a reasonable access point, will often provide better performance than a simple Wi-Fi range extender. However, like range extenders, none of them actually measure up to their claimed performance.
Update your router’s firmware.
What’s more, a mesh network may be complete overkill for your needs, and likely is if you’re just looking to plug a few holes in your network. Save the settings and run an internet speed test on your device to see if you successfully were able to boost your Wi-Fi signal. Because many owners leave their routers with the factory settings, those channels get overloaded. Find the least occupied channel in your area with the help of such software as NetSpot and switch your router to it.
If you can, you should switch the channel on your router to "Auto." Otherwise, try turning it from Channel 1 or Channel 6, or vice versa. You'll need to log into your router and follow the router-specific directions to make the change. Sushan has been writing about technology for the past five years. He is an expert in the field and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his work. Sushan is an avid reader and his hobbies include playing video games, watching cricket and soccer.
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To reboot your router, either press the restart button located on the back or simply disconnect the router from power and turn it on again. One downside of the 5 GHz and 6 GHz wireless frequencies is that they don’t penetrate solid objects nearly as well as the 2.4 GHz wireless frequency. This can be a problem in office buildings and residential areas, so it’s advisable to always use 5 GHz and 6 GHz in conjunction with 2.4 GHz.
If your house isn’t already wired with Ethernet, this can be a somewhat expensive option. However, it lets you create a design that ensures WiFi connections are nearby wherever you need them most. Digital devices get obsolete fairly quickly in this modern world. There’s a reason many companies offer coverage for up to two or three years.
Try a Wireless Access Point
Plug one of the mesh system devices into the back of your router to connect it to your network. Place the remaining mesh devices throughout your home wherever you’re having trouble connecting to the Internet. The mesh devices all give off full-strength signals to make your wifi network larger and more reliable. Wifi extenders amplify your router’s signal to a wider area. You can buy a wifi extender online or from any electronics store.
Sometimes, a single router — no matter how capable — can’t reliably cover the entire living space with a strong WiFi signal. In such cases, it’s best to set up a mesh WiFi system, which consists of the main router and multiple satellite units that together provide seamless WiFi coverage. When selecting a new WiFi router with support for IEEE 802.11ac or, better yet, 802.11ax, don’t pick the most affordable model you can find. It takes just one bandwidth-hungry application or a client to make download and upload speeds come to a crawl for everyone else on the same WiFi network. Luckily, modern routers support services like QoS , which allow users to prioritize certain applications over others.
Wi-Fi signals can be absorbed or deflected by large obstructions but do a good job of passing through walls and floors, especially if they hit them straight on. The location of your router can also make a big difference. Wi-Fi signals are just radio waves, and if you’ve ever tried to adjust the rabbit ear antennas on an old TV, you know how big of a difference a slight adjustment can make. It manages all the data and makes sure everything gets to the right devices.
So that’s what we’d recommend for most people—although, Etherent categories now go up to Cat 8, which can transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps. 5 GHz will give you more signal strength and faster speed over a shorter range, compared to 2.4 GHz. One other nice feature of using a router as an AP is that routers typically come with a number of LAN ports — allowing them to double as hubs. Dedicated APs usually only have a single Ethernet port, so if you have some wired devices to connect at the same location, you’ll also need a standalone hub. Most of them can be used as a wireless Access Point by simply only connecting the LAN port to your main router.
