How to Boost Wi-Fi Signal

The Internet world was officially unplugged with the introduction of Wi-Fi technology. Instead of an ethernet based wired connection, data is transmitted over a radio link, which provides you with the freedom to access the Internet anywhere, without being tethered to a modem. Just like you sometimes have trouble receiving cell phone signal, you may find it difficult to get a strong Wi-Fi signal on your laptop. The aim of writing this Buzzle article is to explain how to boost Wi-Fi signal of your home wireless network and solve the occasional signal reception problems that may crop up.

How to Boost Wi-Fi Signal Reception?

For boosting Wi-Fi signal, firstly you need to know a bit about how your home or office wireless network works. The web page that you download on your laptop first gets transmitted from the hosting web server, via your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to your network modem, which then transmits it to the wireless router. The router is a transceiver, which then modulates this signal onto a radio carrier wave and transmits it.

This signal is then received by the wireless adapter of your laptop, gets demodulated and displayed in your web browser. When you don't get good Wi-Fi reception, it is mostly because you are out of range of the wireless router. Here are some ways in which you can get around the problem by boosting Wi-Fi signal.

Use a Long Range Router
Since the range of your wireless network depends on the router, if you want the Wi-Fi signal to carry over long distances, you need to switch over to a long range router. The latest dual band transmission 802.11n wireless networking standard based routers provide long range which can solve your poor reception problems quite easily, providing higher transmission speeds.

Reposition Your Existing Router
Another simple way of boosting the reception of Wi-Fi signal on your laptop is to change the position of the router in such a way that it provides greater range. Position it in such a location, that there are minimum physical barriers blocking its signal.

Step Up the Router's Output Power
Along with repositioning of the router, check out the manual for settings which let you increase the output power of the antennas. This automatically boosts the coverage range of the router.

Install Wi-Fi Signal Boosters
Another way of boosting the Wi-Fi signal is to use Wi-Fi signal booster antennas, that can be connected to the router, to enhance transmission range. Check out the appropriate signal booster antennas for your router, in your local electronics store.

Install Wi-Fi Signal Repeaters
If the expected coverage range far exceeds the actual range limit of the router, you may use Wi-Fi signal repeaters to retransmit the signal over longer distances. They receive the signals transmitted by the router, amplify them and subsequently retransmit to extend the range of the router. Using such repeaters and Wi-Fi signal receiver boosters attached to laptops, you can improve the Wi-Fi signal reception quality substantially. Also update the driver software of your laptop's wireless adapter, which may help boost signal strength.

So these were some of the tips I would share with anyone who would ask me how to boost Wi-Fi signal on laptop and extend the range of the wireless router. Using any of the above techniques, you can get over the inherent limitation that Wi-Fi networks suffer from, as they transmit data over radio waves, which is signal attenuation. Using a powerful, long range 802.11n router is the best way out. If you don't intend to spend on a new wireless router right now, tweaking the output power of the router or using a wireless signal booster might just work for you.