Weak Wi-Fi coverage in homes is often due to poor signal reception. If you are seated in a corner room separated by three or more walls from the wireless router in your living room, then your reception may be weak or even non-existent.

It is also possible your neighbours have upgraded their Wi-Fi networks and disrupted your wireless signals.

Here are some ways to check for problem areas and optimise your Wi-Fi signals around the home.

1. Turn on the power

Most wireless access points come with an option to control the actual power setting to boost or reduce the signals by a notch. Chances are that the default setting of your wireless router is not at the most optimum power output to cater to your needs.

To change this setting, you have to access the control menu of your device on a computer that is connected to it.

For example, with the 2Wire 2701HGV-E ADSL-2 gateway, you type in ‘http://192.168.1.254′ in your web browser.

Navigate to the Home Network tab and then click on the Wireless Settings link. Click on the Edit Settings button and at the bottom of the window under the Additional Settings section, change the power settings from the default 1 to a maximum of 6. (left)

For other brands of wireless routers, try searching for this setting under the Wireless, Advanced Settings section. It may also be labelled as Tx Power. (right)

In most instances, this new setting will boost your signals, thus increasing the coverage of your Wi-Fi network around the house.

2. Switch channels

After boosting the power output, if you are still experiencing intermittent problems with your Wi-Fi signals, such as inconsistent coverage from room to room, it is time to check what your neighbours are up to.

They could be disrupting and interfering with your home Wi-Fi network by transmitting and receiving on the same frequency (or channel) as your device.

Download and install the free software called inSSIDerto check.

If the surrounding Wi-Fi networks are overlapping with your channels, then it is time to use another channel.

In the example above, the two Wi-Fi networks are too close to each other, using channels 2 and 3 respectively. Because the frequencies at which the channels operate overlap, choose a channel that is at least five steps apart.

For example, if you detect your neighbour’s Wi-Fi network is occupying channel 6, change the channel setting of your wireless access point to either channel 1 or channel 11.

3. Time to upgrade

If the two tips do not help, it is time to upgrade your hardware.

First, try a simple cost-effective solution. Change the length of your cables and relocate your wireless access point to a more central location.

If this fails, a more drastic action is needed. If your device allows for it, one option is to upgrade the antenna of your wireless access point to a more powerful one. Measured in dBi (or decibels), an example is the Planex ANT-1N-10P 10dBi directional antennae. However, I found that it adds little to the coverage and strength of the Wi-Fi signals.

A more cost-effective solution is to upgrade your wireless router to one that is capable of 802.11n. If you shop around, you can find one that is around the same price as the antennae. Examples include Aztech WL852RT4 Wireless-N150 Router and TP-Link TL-WR740N WL-N150 Router, which is quite cheap.

The added bonus is that if you are in possession of an Apple iPad or iPhone 4, you will see a marked increase in the performance of the Wi-Fi transfer rates. Compared to the 802.11g data rate of 54Mbits per second, the 11n standard is capable of a maximum of 150Mbits per second.

4. Extend your network
If you need a much broader Wi-Fi coverage to include, for example, the swimming pool, three floors as well as the attic of your landed property, it is time to get serious.

One way is to get hold of the Aztech HL110EW 200Mbps HomePlug AV 2-port Wireless N extender. The bundle also includes a HL110E HomePlug. Connect the latter via an Ethernet cable to your ADSL or cable router and then plug it into a three-pin AC electrical point.

Next, plug the HL110EW to an electrical point at a location that is beyond the range of your existing Wi-Fi network, for example on the second floor of your bungalow.

If needed, you can use additional HL110EW adapters to expand your Wi-Fi network even further. Read more on HomePlug from Aztech HL105E Twin Pack Homeplug Turbo Powerline Adaptor

Copyright @ DigitaLife Sep 8, 2010