How to Extend the Range of your Wi-Fi or Wireless Network

Wi-Fi is now the known newest way of having the internet connection without the needs of putting cables to your laptop or PC. All you need to have is a hardware which can detect wireless connection signals. However, Wi-Fi can be unstable since it relies on your distance from the main router and some hindrances may affect the stability of your Wi-Fi signal. For this instance, you may want to extend the strength of your Wi-Fi signal making it more convenient for you to be connected to the internet wherever you are under the Wi-Fi connection.

Boosting Your Wi-Fi Signal

1. http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index). This is a firmware which is tried and tested to increase the strength of the Wi-Fi signal produced by the router. For this to be successful, you need to increase the transmit power produced by the router as well as disabling the frame burst and after burner. You can access these settings by going to the web dashboard as provided by the firmware. If in case DD-WRT is not compatible with your router, you can try the Tomato firmware instead which works almost the same with DD-WRT (download link: http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato)
2. Many of the wireless routers sold in the market today are unidirectional. This means that the signal may go anywhere making it more difficult for you to gain its full strength. For this, just get a home-made deflector (http://www.labnol.org/software/increase-wifi-signal-strength-with-aluminum/8064/). Place it on aside of the wireless router and with that, the deflector can prevent the signal from going to that direction.
3. You can install InSSIDer which is a program that can help you detect the strength of Wi-Fi. You can install InSSIDEer to your laptop by getting into this link: http://www.download.com/InSSIDer/3000-2085_4-10848357.html. This is a free program and is very useful. After installing it, you may walk around an area and check the strength of the Wi-Fi signal.
4. Make sure you will put the wireless router far away from metallic things. Metallic things or objects may get the signal thus, weakening the Wi-Fi signal that may reach you. It is advisable for you to put it on a high place with no hindrances. Put it at the center of the area so that all portions may get equal Wi-Fi signal as much as possible.

Extend Wi-Fi Signal Using Hardware

If there is no way for you to put the wireless router at height, then you may now need the help of hardware. The price may depend on the brand and effectiveness of such hardware.

1. Have your Wi-Fi repeater. (Link: http://amzn.to/UkYXI5). This is the hardware which allows the Wi-Fi signal to be expanded on several portions. You must put it on a place wherein there is an ample amount of signal then, this Wi-Fi repeater will reflect the signal to other portions of the area.
2. You may also get another wireless router and connect it to the main router as well. Use an added Ethernet cable for this to be possible. This is actually the cheapest way of expanding your Wi-Fi signal.
3. How about using the advantages of Access Point? (Link: Best Computer Networking Wireless Access Points) Actually, this is an expensive way of expanding your wireless network in a sense that there will be added ports for added routers. With this, you can pass on more files to multiple connected systems with its added LAN ports.
4. If you are using an old PC or laptop, just add an extended wireless adapter which is in USB form.