Digital Technology - Making a good connection

Walls, cupboards, and even bookshelves can dampen your Wi-Fi signal. Physically moving the router can make a real difference to your speeds and how far its wireless transmissions can reach. The perfect spot will depend on your home but try not to hide your router in a corner, under a cupboard, or inside a drawer—the more central and prominent it is, in the better.

Wi-Fi signal is divided into channels. Your router uses a particular Wi-Fi channel to communicate with the devices around your home. If you have close neighbours who have routers using the same Wi-Fi channel, then everything can get congested quickly. Switching channels can solve this problem.

Every router will handle this differently. Check its documentation or look up the instructions online if you're not sure, but you should be able to find the option somewhere in the device settings. Channels 1, 6, and 11 are the ones to try, as they'll have the least interference when multiple devices get hooked up.

Most routers now use dual-band technology, broadcasting at the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz frequencies. If your router settings allow you, you might be able to prioritise one or the other for certain devices—the 5-GHz band will get you a faster connection to the internet, though it has a shorter range than 2.4 GHz. We suggest leaving both frequencies enabled since older devices will often work only on 2.4 GHz.

If messing around with your router settings seems too daunting, and you have a few dollars to spare, invest in a Wi-Fi extender or repeater. These devices plug into a spare wall socket, connect to the wireless internet getting beamed out by your router, and extend it.

They're (usually) simple to set up, easy to use, and can instantly get rid of Wi-Fi dead zones in your house. The extended or repeated wireless signals won't be as strong as the ones coming straight from your router, so, again, positioning is important. Try to use these devices to connect gadgets that don't need a huge amount of bandwidth.

You've got plenty of options: Take a look at the Linksys AC1900 ($80, Amazon) or the Netgear EX7300 ($100, Amazon). Make sure the maximum supported Wi-Fi standard (e.g., 802.11ac) matches that of your router so you get as speedy a connection as possible.

A better alternative from a extender may be mech Wi-Fi. A mesh network is a group of connectivity devices, such as Wi-Fi routers that act as a single network, so there are multiple sources of connectivity around your house instead of just a single router. Google calls the first mesh device you set up a router, and each additional mesh device a point.