What Affects Your Wi-Fi Signal?

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Between your personal and professional life, the better part of your work depends on the internet. No matter what you do for a living or what kind of a home you may have, all of us are heavily dependent on the internet for the most basic tasks. This also means that a weak internet connection can result in us not being able to accomplish said tasks, which can take a toll on our overall productivity.

As a homeowner, it is important for you to understand what affects your Wi-Fi signal. There are certainly things which you can do to ensure that your Wi-Fi doesn’t slow down or stop functioning when you need it. This is especially important for people who own smart homes, since most gadgets in your home may require a good Wi-Fi connection to function properly. The following are some factors that may be affecting your Wi-Fi signal, and they will help you understand how to keep it stable. For a well-functioning smart home, FirstEnergy power is also a good source.

Too Much Furniture

When trying to improve your Wi-Fi connection, you must keep in mind that physical obstructions can be an important factor. The more objects there are between your router and your devices, the more difficult it will be for these signals to reach you. This is another reason why a minimalistic décor style may be beneficial for any home.

Having too much furniture in the room where you have you router can significantly impact your Wi-Fi connection. Removing any unnecessary objects that could be getting in the way of your router’s signals may show you instant improvement in how you internet functions. This way, not only will you be improving your connection, but you might also enhance your home’s look and make it feel more open and comfortable.

Thick Walls

Just as too much furniture can have a negative impact on your Wi-Fi’s speed, thick walls between rooms can have the same impact. You may have noticed that simply opening the door to a room will help improve your connection, and the same principle applies to the walls as well. If you are noticing this difference, a good idea is to move your router to a better location, one where the router has less of a restriction when transmitting signals across your home. 

Depending on the make of your home, try to choose a room with a larger opening, preferably one without a wall for even easier access. If you are getting a new home, you may want to look at how it’s built beforehand.

Distance

The further away your router is from your device, the weaker the connection will be. In houses with a lot of rooms divided between different floors, it is important to place your Wi-Fi router quite strategically. You must try to eliminate as much of the distance between your router and your devices as you can. A good way to do this is to place the router somewhere in the center of your home, so all corners of it receive equal signals.

If there are certain rooms in your home that are used more often than others, you might want to place the router closer to them. This also applies to homeowners who live alone, since you most likely use some rooms a lot more often than others. The living room is often a good, neutral place for this.

Number of Devices Connected

As the number of devices on a network increase, it may interfere with how a single device receives signals. For homes with multiple devices, or a larger family unit, it is best to have no devices connected to the internet unless they are actively being used. This will ensure that the internet is always functioning as best as it can.

This can become especially troubling if you have a smart home, since they comprise mostly of gadgets and appliances which require a constant connection to function. In order for your home to respond quickly to your commands and to have better control over all your gadgets, try to get a separate network for them. This will keep your regular network separate, which means that your smartphones, laptops and other such devices will no longer impact how your smart home functions.

Network Interference

The performance of an internet connection has a lot to do with your Internet Service Provider. In a lot of neighborhoods, there aren’t many ISPs available to choose from in the area, which is why most homes have a Wi-Fi connection provided by a single ISP. This can cause the network to be overcrowded, resulting in your own Wi-Fi connection to become slower. Radio devices can also impact your internet’s speed.

For this, you can either opt for an internet package that will give you better speeds, or follow any of the above tips to ensure that regardless of the number of homes sharing your network, you will always have a stable internet connection for your home. 

The Key to a Good Connection

With all the above factors in mind, you may be able to have a much more stable connection. Using these tips, you can improve your Wi-Fi connection at home, without requiring any professional help every time it slows down. This will significantly improve your productivity and make your smart home much more comfortable and convenient to live in.