How do I improve my WiFi signal?

WiFi problems are usually physics rather than faults. The signal is absorbed by water and blocked by metal, which means walls, radiators, mirrors, fish tanks and appliances all matter. Most homes have the router in the worst possible place because that's where the phone socket is.

What you'll need

• Longer cable to reposition the router (optional)
• WiFi analyser app (optional)

Step by step

1. Move the router as central and high as you can.The signal radiates outward and downward. A router on the floor in a corner cupboard wastes most of its coverage on the neighbours and the ground.
2. Get it out in the open — not in a cupboard, behind a TV, or in a metal cabinet.Metal blocks WiFi effectively. So does a large body of water, which includes fish tanks and, to a degree, people.
3. Keep it away from microwaves, cordless phones and baby monitors.All of these operate in or near the 2.4GHz band and cause interference.
4. Check which band your devices are using.5GHz is much faster but has shorter range and worse wall penetration. 2.4GHz is slower but reaches further. Many routers offer both under one name and choose for you.
5. Change the WiFi channel if you're in a crowded area.A WiFi analyser app shows which channels neighbours are using. On 2.4GHz, channels 1, 6 and 11 don't overlap.
6. Update the router firmware.Performance and stability fixes are common, and many routers run years-old firmware.
7. For persistent dead zones, use a mesh system rather than an extender.Mesh nodes cooperate and hand devices over seamlessly. Extenders rebroadcast, halving throughput and often creating a second network you have to switch to manually.
8. For a single critical device — a desk, a TV — run an ethernet cable or use powerline adapters.A cable solves the problem permanently and completely. It's unfashionable and it works.

Tips

• Test speed at the router first, then in the problem room. If it's slow at the router too, the problem is your internet connection, not your WiFi.
• Thick stone walls, foil-backed plasterboard and underfloor heating mats all block WiFi severely. In those houses, mesh or cabling is often the only real answer.
• Older devices can drag down a network by forcing it to use slower standards. Occasionally it's worth checking what's still connected.
• If the router is provided by your internet provider and is several years old, ask for a replacement — they're often free and considerably better.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the router where the socket happens to be — It's usually a corner, at floor level, in a cupboard — the worst case for coverage.
• Using an extender for a large dead zone — Extenders halve throughput and often create a separate network. Mesh is the better answer for whole-house coverage.
• Assuming slow WiFi means a slow connection — Test at the router. The two problems have completely different fixes.
• Putting the router behind the TV — Metal, other electronics, and usually a corner of the room.

Questions people ask