Dealing with Wi-Fi Interference
Typically there are 4 main reasons for poor indoor WiFi coverage
- Walls
- Other Wifi devices
- Other Electronic devices (microwaves, cordless phones)
- Underpowered WiFi device
Walls
Walls are the biggest factor in most home WiFi situations, whilst wood and glass provide little resistance to the signal 2.4Ghz provides better penetration particularly of multiple walls. Some walls also contain foil insulation making them almost impossible to penetrate at either frequency.
Solution:
Move your WiFi host to a different location to minimise structural interference. Choose a 2.4Ghz unit or add an external WiFi antenna that can be positioned in a better spot.
Other WiFi devices
Your neighbours or even yourself could have a WiFi device operating on the same channel and causing interference. It is like being in a never ending traffic jam and searching for a break in traffic to squeeze a few blocks of data through before being stuck again.
Solution:
Check whether your Wireless device is set to Auto Channel and if so manually select a channel and compare the results until you find one that works best.
Other Electronic devices
Many common appliances can cause interference through resonance or by using the same frequency as your WiFi device. For example Microwave ovens and Bluetooth devices use 2.4Ghz and some cordless phones conflict with either 2.4 or 5.8.Also simply having an appliance near your Wireless Device can cause interference by the resonance it creates.
Solution:
Turn off any appliances you suspect may be interfering including a TV or similar if in close proximity to the Wireless Device. If your signal improves try moving the Wireless device to avoid the source of the interference or move the appliance causing it if possible.
Under Powered WiFi device
Your problem could simply be the signal transmitted by your WiFi device is not strong enough to penetrate through the whole house or property. Typically retail products you purchase from your local electronics superstore or retailer are low powered devices designed to provide WiFi within one or two rooms.
Solution:
Extend the range of your WiFi by adding a purpose built WiFi device to your existing WiFi modem or Router. Comnet Solutions carries an extensive range of cost effective devices designed for that very task.
The Ubiquiti Unifi range or a Ubiquiti PicoStation are perfect solutions for indoor coverage. PicoStation and Unifi
You may want to extend your WiFi network to a shed out the back or a granny flat or even a building next door. This can be done by installing a point to point link using the Ubiquiti range of NanoStaion/Loco devices. The entry level LocoM2 will easily handle distances up to 2 kms. Nanostation/Loco