How to boost your wifi performance

Today’s world runs on wifi. Whether in businesses or at home, routers and internet signal are all important for countless everyday tasks. As we become more reliant on wifi enabled goods, how to get a reliable wifi signal becomes the subject of many facts and fictions. In this article we’ll be busting some myths and offering legitimate methods of increasing your bandwidth.

• TRUE: ‘Your wifi performance will drop if there are loads of wifi networks in one place’
  

  
  At home in a typically suburban area, you are likely to pick up 10 to 20 wireless networks that are not your own. This marginally affects your available bandwidth and slows down your network speed. However, it’s in the city centre office – where 150 networks compete for signal – that you need to worry. It’s not enough to grind you to a halt, but expect a 33% average drop in network performance. Signal boosters are the ideal remedy here.

• FALSE: ‘To get a true wifi speed test you have to use specialist analytics tools… and they cost a fortune’

  Buying lots of expensive analytics tools and equipment will make you look like you have a clue what you’re doing. In reality you’ll have all the gear and no idea. For Mac users, understanding more about your wifi network is as easy as holding down the Option key and clicking the wifi symbol in the right hand corner of the menu bar. Included in the information will be your transmission rate, the strength of your signal and the type of security that is enabled.
  
  For Windows users, there are many wifi analytics tools that can be downloaded to your phone or computer and these will provide just as much information.

• TRUE: ‘The further you away from your wifi router, the weaker the signal’

  Of course we all know that this one is true, but it’s worth repeating. You can expect workable speeds from a distance of 50 feet, which is more than enough for most people. Once you get past this distance there will be big drops in wifi performance.

• FALSE: ‘DIY antenna boosters are for preppers and conspiracy theorists’

  Actually these little homemade devices have been shown to work consistently. Various tests posted online show that you can improve the signal by 10% at short range and a whopping 40% at long range. What’s great is that you can find printable templates on the web. After you’ve printed one out, all you need is a piece of thin cardboard, glue and tinfoil and you could be enjoying better bandwidth in a matter of minutes.

Indos Computer Services have been supporting small and medium businesses in Hemel Hempstead, St Albans and Watford since 1980. Our team are on hand 24 hours a day to offer comprehensive business IT support, so you can rest assured you’ll never be without essential IT services. To receive the best in backup services, technical support, email setup and IT training, contact Indos Computers today.