Give your Wi-Fi signal a boost!

31. 8. 2017

I like many of you, enjoy and rely on the great modern technologies we have at hand such as computers, tablets and smartphones and what makes them great is the ability to obtain information instantly over the internet anytime or anywhere depending on your internet connection.
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After the dark ages ended let’s say about 25 years ago when the internet first appeared publicly, we had fixed wired connections to the internet which required a lot of patience and time to connect, search and obtain data. Having a fixed wired connection insured a very good signal but it prevented mobility and also the use by more than one person.

As the internet grew and technology advanced, laptop computers, tablets and smartphones appeared on the market the need for a better and faster connection to these devices was required and as a result Wi-Fi technology and devices were developed about 15 years ago to fill the quick access and mobility requirements of the advanced electronic devices that today we take for granted.

Wi-Fi technology is not very complicated and actually is based upon the older technology that the radio uses. Like a radio tower transmitter antennas that send signals to a radio, Wi-Fi uses a small device called a router that has antennas and uses specific radio wave bands/signals to send data wirelessly to electronic devices such as computers, tablets or smartphones.
For those familiar with radio, from time to time the signals are weak or not available due to distance from the transmitter antenna or obstructions and so it requires to make adjustments to the antenna or relocating a radio to obtain a better connection similar to moving a device to obtain a better Wi-Fi connection.

Despite all the advancements and benefits Wi-Fi brings, the one weak point it has it too can suffer from delivering weak signals due to distance or obstructions from the router’s antennas which is even more affected when devices extend past a certain range or if rooms are separated by thick solid walls or floors.

A few years ago, I experienced similar problems with weak Wi-Fi signals in my apartment since the router was on one side and some devices were used in other locations separated by solid walls. I thought if I bought a new router with several antennas this would solve my problem but after a little research I found a better solution was to purchase a “Wi-Fi booster” or also called “Wi-Fi extender” or “Wi-Fi repeater”.

This simple electronic device, about the size of a pocket camera plugs into a standard electric wall outlet and then you program it to accept your Wi-Fi signal and as the name implies it boosts and extends your Wi-Fi signal further into other locations without any additional wiring or other preparation. The device is very strong and can actually cover several additional rooms depending on its location.

These units are easily found in local electronic shops and there are several types and features offered by Netgear and TP-Link. Since the principle is pretty simple, I decided to buy a basic unit to test its performance and I’m happy to say after two years it’s been working perfectly without any problems.

So, if you are experiencing weak or no Wi-Fi signals in various locations of your home or office I believe you will find buying a Wi-Fi repeater will greatly improve the signal with minimum investment or hassle.