How can I boost my Wi-Fi signal from thick walls?

How can I boost my Wi-Fi signal from thick walls

This article will guide you on how we boosted the Wi-Fi signal of a client who had thick walls?

Our client struggled with the low internet connection. He tried everything to restore his Internet connection but failed miserably. First, we had to find out what caused his wireless router signals to weaken or fade away.

There are several reasons why your Wi-Fi signal weakens or fades away.

Less power from the router

First of all, the less power your wireless router provides to a specific area where you positioned your Wi-Fi base station, the more likely it will weaken that area. Secondly, things like thick walls can reduce the amount of signal penetration from your Wi-Fi base station to external areas within a building or home in this case. Finally, if your location is far away from your existing wireless router base station, the chances of weakening and fading away are going to increase as well.

Use a repeater

1) The Advantages Of Using A Repeater Over a Wireless Extender Or a New Router Base Station Are That It Can Reliably Provide Wi-Fi Signal In The Area, Even If You Have Thick Walls That May Block Wifi Signals – This is because a repeater or Wi-Fi extender repeats the signal from the wireless router base station. When you place your repeater device near any thick wall, it will immediately repeat and distribute the Wi-Fi signals to that specific area where you put your wireless router before.

2) One disadvantage of using a repeater over a Wireless extender is that its range will be limited by one wall. So, if you want to cover every square inch of an entire building with just one single pair of wirelessly repeating devices, then as mentioned earlier —> there can ONLY be ONE such device. Although a Wireless repeater will repeat the signal from any specific range, it is likely to have a very limited coverage/range in comparison with a Wireless extender.

Use access points

You can use your existing wireless router or modem as a base station and set up an additional access point for this specific area using either a Repeater or Wireless Extender device. In this case, you will need just one pair of devices configured to get both of these working at their best. Also, note that generally speaking – the most popularly used routers are not capable of by default repeating function out-of-the-box (in technical terms: they do not support the ‘access point’ option in their configuration). There is no harm in trying to add this option, but it may require some extra effort to obtain a successful result. We will be happy to help you if needed.

Change SSIDs

In case of no success after trying the above steps, then you should consider manually setting up a new wireless network with completely different settings and SSIDs for each area. You will need an extra access point in both cases (and a little bit more effort). Keep in mind that automatic selection of SSID is not advisable due to security reasons – always use different SSIDs for every Wi-Fi network you create.

Use Wireless Extenders

Please remember that there are two kinds of these devices available on the market: one sends a signal from your existing router wirelessly to get better reach while the other one can be plugged into an electrical outlet to serve as a repeater. The first unit is better if you need more range, but both of them are not suitable for your situation because they do not have external antennas.

If using wireless repeaters, make sure they are configured properly – there’s a chance that you’re experiencing congestion issues caused by cheap pre-configured units which share the same SSID as the main device. It is recommended to purchase high-quality repeaters from reputable manufacturers, those devices tend to come with better software and hardware specifications. Also, try resetting them back to factory defaults.

Use custom routers

Some wireless routers contain an option that enables special device discovery mode – this way, there’s no need to change any security settings or alter configuration files. Please check your router manual if it has such an option available and remembers that flashing your router with DD-WRT firmware will disable this feature!

Change WiFi channels

Try changing the wireless channel on your current Wi-Fi network – finding the least crowded channel may increase signal quality significantly (both bands). Also, make sure that the automatic selection of the best channel is disabled by checking your router manual or performing a Google search.

Use Amplifiers & booster antennas

Some users opt for connecting external “booster” amplifiers/antennas – they claim it works but please note that these solutions may create more problems than they solve (due to poor quality components). On top of that, the laws in some countries prohibit using of these.

Check-in with the neighbor

There are also events when you’re having issues with your neighbor’s router’s interference. In that case, it’s best to call him up and solve this issue between yourselves. Of course, notifying your ISP about your problem is also a good idea (in general), they will be glad to work with you on this issue.

If you’ve done all of the above but still have issues, consult our local IT and network professionals who may help troubleshoot your problem.

Use Home WiFi Mesh Networks

What are home wifi mesh networks?

Home wifi mesh networks are a wireless networking solution that provides great WiFi connectivity in every corner of your house. There is no need for any network cabling, which results in increased convenience. Mesh networks spread out the signal using multiple nodes (wireless access points). This way, even if the main router isn’t located close to your room, you’ll still get great performance and speed to run multiple devices at once.

The fact that everything works wirelessly means you won’t have to mess with cables, allowing increased convenience. You can simply set up each node where needed and let them work their magic! Overall this will lead to better wi-fi coverage all over your home/office; increasing convenience to users by not having to deal with network cables and cords.

However, the biggest disadvantage is that mesh networks require a significant amount of initial setup. You need to ensure that each node has a clear line-of-sight to your main router for them to work properly; which could prove difficult in certain situations (e.g., thick walls). Mesh WiFi is also more expensive than traditional ranges especially when adding multiple nodes. So it’s important to consider availability and price before making such an investment in these systems.

If you’re looking for something low-cost yet reliable, we recommend getting a Wi-Fi extender – they’re easy to set up and will boost your signal! Just make sure that you place it closer to where you need it (ideally next to your router) and avoid any obstructions.

If you still think Wi-Fi mesh is the way to go for you, we recommend reading up on systems like Google Wifi or Eero.

Now, if you are wondering how we fixed our client’s poor network issue – we installed a 5 unit home network mesh system 🙂

Author:
I am a computer engineer holding a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, complemented by a Master's in Business Administration from University of Strathclyde, Scotland. I currently work as a Senior IT Consultant in Melbourne, Australia. With over 15 years of...