The great shift to 'work from home' remains the new norm in Ontario for 2021 as COVID-19 restrictions prevail. With wireless networks sometimes slowing or even breaking down at times, poor performance can impact the processing speed of your applications - which can be VERY frustrating. The following tips and tricks can help you improve the performance of your home's Wi-Fi network:
- Choose a central or close location.
Centralized locations provide the best signal coverage across your entire home. For two-story structures, if your router or access point is on the first floor, place the router or access point high on a high shelf to provide a stronger signal for devices used on the second floor. That said, Wi-Fi signal weakens the farther away from the router you are, so try to setup your computer or laptop closer to the modem for better signal strength.
- Avoid obstructions by elevating.
Radio waves can travel through walls and floors, but the thicker the wall, the weaker the signal strength will be on the other side. Building materials and metal objects can interfere and weaken your router's wireless signals, so locate your router to avoid these kinds of obstructions as best as possible - move your router off the floor and away from thick doors or walls!
- Keep out of the kitchen.
Did you know that your microwave and Wi-Fi router operate using the same 2.4 gHz electronic spectrum? Whenever you use your microwave, it interferes with your Wi-Fi signal. It is best to just keep your router out of the kitchen entirely to maintain a consistent signal.