There are many broadband users in India who are using a WiFi router and sharing their broadband connection with multiple devices. Here are some common issues that you may face and a quick fix for the same.
Wireless Router Position
The major issue with most WiFi Routers is the range. For better results the WiFi router should be in sight i.e. there should not be any obstacles between the router and devices – but that is not always possible. Usually there will be a wall or two between router and devices, more the obstacles the lower will be the WiFi Range. Hence it needs a little bit of planning to get a better signal at home / office.
The best option would be to place the Router in the center of you home / office so that the signal is available in all the rooms. But most of the times it is not that easy placing the router in the center because of home / office design, cable point etc, limitations.
Router Signal issue
If you face signal fluctuations on particular device – low bar / fluctuating bars etc, just move close to the WiFi router and it should fix. A stable bar / max bar will give you better connectivity and consistent speed.
If you have a desktop placed in a room and the WiFi router is on the other end, it will be difficult getting a good signal. In such a case it makes sense to go with a WiFi extenders – as the name says these devices will extend the WiFi signal, the best part is you can keep adding extender in series and get the signal at a longer distance.
Make sure not to use more than 2 extenders as that will reduce the speed.
WiFi Router Speed issue
Even if you are getting a good WiFi Signal, you might experience slow speed, laggy bandwidth. Now this can happen if there is some issue with your broadband provider. Listed below are the reasons why you might be getting lower speed, even when your primary net is working fine.
- Too many devices connected to primary router.
- Interference with other devices
- A device downloading a big file hogging bandwidth
- Desktop / Laptop might be downloading OS updates
- Distance between device and router
To fix the issues
- Disconnect / switch off devices not in use
- If big files are being downloaded either stop the process or wait for the same to complete
- Move close to the router
- Restart the router and / or the extender
How to select the best WiFi router
If you can afford go for dual band routers (2.4GHz + 5GHz). These dual band routers will give you better and stable connections. You might still need an extender to get perfect signal at every corner depending on your house / office structure.