How to improve wifi signal at home: placement, bands and extenders

2.4, 5 or 6 GHz: range against speed

2.4 GHz reaches further. Microsoft’s table gives it a longer range and better passage through walls, with slower throughput and more congestion, because microwaves, cordless phones and Bluetooth devices share the band. The FCC says 2.4 GHz connections generally offer broader coverage but process data less quickly.

5 GHz is faster and shorter. Faster throughput and more channels that don’t overlap, says Microsoft, and less good at going through walls; the FCC suggests keeping it for the most important uses, such as work or school. Apple says many Wi-Fi devices can use 5 GHz and, if the router supports both bands, connecting more of them to it might help.

6 GHz needs Wi-Fi 6E on both ends. Microsoft: the best performance close to the router, the shortest range, and a router, a Windows device and drivers that all support Wi-Fi 6E.

One name or three. Here the makers disagree. Microsoft’s page says a router broadcasting several bands should give each its own network name, so you know which one a device joined. Apple’s page of recommended settings for routers used with Apple products asks for one name for every band. This page does not choose between them.

What gets in the way

Building materials and furniture. Google’s Nest help says wood and clear glass do little, while concrete, brick and metal can slow the network or block it from parts of the home; it adds filing cabinets, bookshelves, stoves and refrigerators, and mirrors, for the metallic coating on their backs. Apple’s four levels are in the table above.

Other networks. Google says nearby networks on the same channel compete for bandwidth, which is common in cities and apartment buildings. Lots of networks in a phone’s or computer’s Wi-Fi list, Google says, mean you may experience this kind of interference; the FCC says a list of networks in the router’s settings means performance could be affected.

Other electronics. Google: a microwave can slow or drop the network only while it runs, and some TVs can affect Wi-Fi even asleep or switched off, since their power supplies may cause interference. Its test is to unplug devices one at a time. Apple adds USB 3 and Thunderbolt 3 devices near a Mac: shielded cables, more distance, and no USB 3 or Thunderbolt 3 devices placed on top of the Mac.

Too many devices. The FCC says several devices on one network can create lag, and suggests changing the password or managing which devices connect, to keep non-essential devices off.

Extenders, mesh, powerline and cable

An extender. Microsoft suggests one when neither the router nor the device can move. TP-Link, which sells them, says an extender picks up the router’s signal and rebroadcasts it, should sit about halfway between the router and the weak area, and meets the same obstacles a router does. Google’s Nest help advises an extender from the same manufacturer, for best compatibility.

Mesh. TP-Link describes several units making one network with the same settings throughout; the FCC names mesh routers next to extenders as ways to improve the signal across a home.

Powerline. Adapters that carry the network over the home’s electrical wiring: Google suggests them for larger homes with thick or dense walls, and TP-Link says both adapters must be on the same electrical circuit.

A cable. The FCC says an Ethernet cable between router and device gives the highest speeds and relieves Wi-Fi congestion, and suggests an Ethernet adapter for a laptop without the port.

The router itself. The FCC says an outdated router might need to be updated to take advantage of higher speeds, and replaced if updates are not available; Google suggests the same for a router more than a few years old.