There are many ways you can do to extend the range of your wireless network and get more throughput throughout your home wireless network.
1. Centrally Locate Wireless Access Point
This way, it’s most likely that all of your wireless computer and notebook will get reasonable signal strength. If you put it in one corner of the house, nearby computer may get high signal strength, but signal strength for others may drop significantly.
2. Orient Access Point Antennas Vertically
As a general rule, transmission will be better when antennas are vertically straight up rather than horizontal. Keep in mind, that this is only a starting point for positioning its antenna. The exact layout of your house may alter the best positioning of the antenna.
3. Re-Position The PC Toward The Access Point
| Although 802.11x technology does not require a direct line of sight, pointing them in this way tends to increase signal strength. USB wireless cards generally have small antennas that can be rotate, but frequently wireless PC cards don’t, so you may have trouble figuring out the antenna orientation in a wireless PC card. If you have a wireless PC card that doesn’t have external antenna, the antenna is generally built-in the card itself, so point that at the access point. |
4. Consider Using External And Booster Antennas
You can improve its signal strength by using wireless signal booster that promises to extend its range and strengthen wireless signal.
5. Avoid Putting Access Point or PCs Near Microwave Ovens or Cordless Phones
Many microwave ovens and cordless phones operate in the same 2.4 GHz part of the spectrum as 802.11b WiFi equipment. So, microwave ovens and cordless phones can cause significant interference. Cordless phones tend to be the bigger problem.
6. Reducing Obstructions
Avoid placing the antennas of access points or PCs near filing cabinets and other large metal objects. They can both cause significant interference and dramatically reduce throughput.
7. Update the Firmware
Oftenly updating software or firmware for your wireless router or access point can resolve problems with performance or other strange behavior such as unexplained disconnects from the wireless network.
8. Try and try again
The ultimate way to find the best placement for your access point and wireless PCs is to continuously experiment and see what kind of throughput you get. Each house is so different that no single configuration can suit them all.
Also, read another post on Increase Wireless Network Range in Your Guide to Wi-Fi
I have INtel PRO Wireless network, there is a linksys wireless open access but it is out of range so how can i connect to it.
i need to increase my wireless range cuz there is a linksys network near can’t connect to it.
Could you go into more detail on this? Btw, the advice you gave me is really good.
The TWO best things you can do to increase signal strength, quality and range are:
1) Location, location, location – Place your wifi router on a flat surface, 3-4 feet off the ground, in a central location with as much open space around it as possible.
2) Add a high gain antenna — 7dBi, up to 12dBi, depending on your living space. BTW, Wilson Antennas make good ones… but you can make your own CHEAP. (Google Pringle can yagi)
My last piece of advice, is for people who don’t want leeches like Talha (above). Secure your wifi router.
1) Set a WEP or WPA/PSK key
2) Turn off SSID broadcasting.
3) If you wanna get serious, setup MAC filtering.
The first two can be broken, but it’s better than allowing anyone who can see your wifi signal being able to connect and leech off your bandwidth because your wifi signal is available.