Solve the Weak Network Signal
2021.08.21 / By hqt
If you often notice a weak signal from your wireless network, you might want to know why. Other than that, you also want to know how to solve it. Here’s what you can do.
The key to solving weak reception is higher signal strength and less network noise. Certain devices such as cordless phones and microwaves are obvious generators of wireless network noise. So if it’s all possible, keep your router as far away from these other devices and other things that could interfere.
Metallic surfaces also interfere with the wireless signals so try to avoid having large metallic surfaces near your wireless LAN. Wireless normally have a poor quality built-in wifi antenna that radiates signal equally well in both directions, usually referred to as omnidirectional. An omnidirectional antenna is an antenna that produces constant field strength in all directions.
These antennas can be weak over longer distances. This is due to the interference of the source signaling power it radiates in all directions. As the signal continues to travel away from its source, the signal strength begins to grow weaker.
Sometimes, it is better to replace the router’s poor quality built-in antenna with a stronger omnidirectional antenna such as this one. There are some security concerns around these omnidirectional signals, in that the increased power means that your network will be available to more people. So, a somewhat safer choice for the increased range is to use a high gain directional antenna that will send a strong signal in a specific direction.
The focused signal will allow better control by aiming the signal towards the desired location. You can buy a commercially available antenna or reflectors but we’re going to show you more fun and free way to make a parabolic reflector. So, there are many ways to do this, the simplest being a dish covered in tin foil such as this one.
Place the dish behind the wifi antenna pointing towards the location you want the signal to radiate to. Another very well-known way to radiate your wireless signal is to use the humble Pringles packet. Place the hollowed-out Pringles in front of the antenna.
You can see I’ve made a hole in the Pringles packet. The wifi signal will then be strengthened in the direction that the packet is pointing.
