If you notice that WiFi coverage at home is failing, it may be due to network range. And in this post, we’ll teach you how to find out.
It’s very difficult these days imagine what life would be like without the internet, as it provides access to a world of information, entertainment and more. So when your WiFi fails at home, affecting your browsing experience, it’s a must-try determine what is causing it to resolve. Although in many cases this may be due to network range.
If WiFi fails, it is not always due to possible interference from neighbors or problems with the router, but sometimes it can be caused by something as simple as network reach. And although you may not know it, these networks are designed to cover a certain area in the home.
The best way to fix these problems is to knowledge of WiFi network range. For this reason, we have prepared this post in which we will tell you everything you need to know about it.
What is the network range by signal frequency?
In case you don’t know, a WiFi network works through radio waves, which are responsible for transmitting the signal. That’s something that This also applies to mobile phones and televisions.. However, it helps to understand that the further you are from the emission source, the signal loses power.
WiFi network too works with frequency channelswhich have range limits by default.
- 2.4 GHz: Its range is 45 meters inside the house and about 90 meters outside.
- 5 GHz: Its range is 15 meters inside the house and 30 meters outside.
Currently, however, new WiFi connectivity standards have been developed that work with both frequencies and make it possible to increase their range. Some of these standards are: 802.11ac, 802.11na 802.11ax.
What factors affect the range of a WiFi network?
It is clear that full responsibility for the range of a WiFi network cannot be transferred to the frequency bands with which it works, but there are also other elements that also play an important role when to determine this extent of coverage. In fact, they can greatly affect its performance in some cases.
Construction and materials of the house
Whether you live in a house, building or other place; You should know that the construction and materials used to build the property They can affect the range of the WiFi network. In many cases, it is said to be able to reduce its range by up to 25%.
Houses have zoning inside, be it bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, but also furniture and other decorations. But all this may limit the network range a bit.
Logically, it is not advisable to move into a household that does not have these spaces, but the best solution is to choose a WiFi repeater and place it in a strategic area of your home. Although the apartment is very large, more than one of these pieces of equipment may be needed.
Wi-Fi router
Another factor which usually affect performance and even the range of the WiFi network is the router.
You’ll find out when you look at this device works according to standardslike the ones we mentioned above, they also have configured transmit power and in many cases usually include antennas.
If your router includes antennas in its design, you can try this Adjust them to target specific areas from your home, which could slightly increase the range of the network in those places where the signal used to be weak and unstable.
Standard protocol used
We have already mentioned this the standard that the router uses to send the signal It can also directly affect network coverage.
Currently we can find a wide variety of protocols which are used in routers that are sold in the market. And obviously each of them has a different range of reach.
- 11a: Its range is 35 meters inside the house and 118 meters outside.
- 11b: Its range is 35 meters inside the house and 140 outside.
- 11 g: Its range is 38 meters inside the house and 140 outside.
- 11th: Its range is 70 meters inside the house and 250 outside.
- 11 ac: The range of this protocol is 70 meters indoors and 250 meters outdoors.
It is important to note that there is a much newer protocol than these and that it is hardly sold and used by different teams. We refer to the 802.11ax standardmore commonly known as WiFi 6However, according to some tests carried out, the range results are similar to those of the 802.11ac protocolalthough WiFi 6 handles a stronger and more stable signal.
How can you improve the range of your WiFi network?
Now that you know how can it be measured and what factors affect the range of your wireless network, it’s important to tell you what you can do to try to improve your coverage a little.
These These are simple and practical tips which you can test without needing advanced computer knowledge.
- Use wireless channels that are not as saturated. There are apps that can help you with this.
- Keep bandwidth-hungry apps at bay.
- You can come up with something at home that will help you improve and extend the signal sent by the router.
- Buy a WiFi repeater because it can be the solution to all your problems.
- If you are planning to buy a new router, you can try choosing a router with WiFi 6.