Is Your Home Wireless Network Slow?

When it comes to home networking, wireless is the obvious trend. However, interference can make it difficult to stream video to your television or play video games. First, do an internet speed test from a 'wired' connection on your router. Don't do the speed test from your smart phone or wireless tablet! You must isolate the possible problem between your internet service provider and your home wireless network. Once you are satisfied that your internet connection is providing the proper data rate, you may find that you have a wireless problem that is impacting your home network. The two keys to improving your wireless home network is positioning your router in an optimal location and reducing interference from other wireless networks and electrical devices.

The Wireless Router Location

When possible, always place the router in the middle of your house. The location of your router’s positioning will impact your coverage area and the strength of your wireless signal. If the router is located in a room on one side of your house, you will not get as strong a signal on the other side of your home. Now position the router’s antenna vertically, so that the antenna is standing straight up. The antenna(s) can be adjusted, but vertically is generally the ideal position.

Make sure your router is elevated away from floors. You’ll get better reception if the router is on a desk or a shelf, not on the floor. Also keep in mind what dense materials may obstruct the signal. Metal, concrete, brick and stone objects are very dense and will greatly impact your signal. This includes the types of materials the router is near. For example, placing the router on a metal desk or against a concrete basement wall will attenuate the signal greatly. Router in the basement and the ground floor is all thick stone tile? It may be a problem too.

Wood floors and walls will typically cause only minor attenuation to the wireless signal. However, the more walls and floors directly between the router and your wireless device- the greater the potential is for a weaker signal. For example, if your router is in the basement near the front of your home and your daughter complains about the signal in her second floor bedroom at the back of the house- the problem is obvious.

Wireless Interference

This can get very technical, but here's some basic advice. Many household appliances can cause wireless interference. These items include cordless phones, baby monitors, wireless alarms or camera systems, wireless speakers, fluorescent lights, garage door openers and even microwave ovens. Don't forget your neighbors too. This is usually not an issue with single family homes, but if you live in an apartment or town home- you must also consider the potential wireless interference from your neighbors too! Did the problem just start? Your neighbor may have just established his or her wireless network on the same frequency band.

Cordless phone interference can be solved by replacing your phones with newer models that operate on a different frequency, such as 900 MHz or 1.9 GHz. Look for products that have a switch to allow you to change frequencies! Cordless phones using only the 2.4 Ghz frequency will often cause problems, especially if your router or older wireless devices are limited to the same 2.4GHz frequency band. Problems with microwaves can often be easily solved by positioning so the microwave or other appliance isn’t between your router and the wireless device. If you are in the market for a wireless baby monitor, look for a 900MHz model or better yet, get a model that connects to your existing wireless network! Never place your router directly under fluorescent lights!

Newer dual-band routers operate simultaneously at 2.4GHz and 5GHz and can automatically 'switch' channels to eliminate interference at some frequencies. However, keep in mind that getting a new dual-band router may not solve the problem if you have an old Bluetooth device, wireless tablet, or game console that only supports only the older 2.4GHz signal!

Like many advanced technologies, a good wireless network can feel like magic, but it isn't- it’s radio waves. A variety of things can interfere with the signal and make your wireless connection weak and frustrating. Hopefully, this article gives you some basic insight to possible wireless network problems. Want to dig deeper? Here's two articles that I recommend:

-The Layman’s Guide to Solving Wireless Network Interference Problems.
-Mythbusters: There’s No Interference at 5 GHz.