Having good Wi-Fi coverage is very important today. The rise of mobile devices makes most of our connections wireless. Now, the truth is that we do not always have the best speed, quality and stability. There are different factors that can influence, but one of the most important is the distance to the router. This makes many users choose to purchase a Wi-Fi repeater to improve coverage, but they are not always installed correctly. Therefore in this article we will explain how and where we should place them.
Tips for setting up a Wi-Fi repeater and making it work better
Wi-Fi repeaters are devices that are very present in our day to day. Many buildings have them to be able to offer network to other locations in a company, for example. But also at the private user level it is common in a home. You can improve the signal in a wide space or with multiple floors.
But of course, when placing a wireless repeater , just like with the router itself, the exact location is going to be very important. You will be able to determine the quality of the signal and how it is delivered to other teams.
Whenever possible, wired
Something basic but we must mention is to use cable whenever we can. This basically consists of connecting the router to the repeater by wire. We can put it in a place far from the house without losing signal, and thus be able to have a wireless network in an extreme place.
Keep in mind that this will not always be possible, since sometimes it requires a certain infrastructure to pass cables. However, it is a very interesting alternative as long as we can carry it out. As an option is the fact of using PLCs that work through electrical wiring.
Within range of the router
Now, the normal thing is that we connect that repeater wirelessly with the router. The device must logically be within range , but also have a strong signal. It is of little use to remove it from the action range and that practically no coverage arrives.
This is a vital thing to keep in mind. The interesting thing is that it can receive the signal as well as possible to later distribute it from that area to other devices.
Central place where it distributes for the most used areas
Based on the fact that it must be within the reach of the router, it is very important that it is in a central location , from where it distributes the signal to the other devices that we connect.
It is useless to be in a corner, in a room where we are not going to connect and thus wasting the possibilities. Ideally, you should be in an area where you can spread wireless connectivity well.
Site elevated and away from other equipment
On the other hand, when installing a Wi-Fi amplifier it should be in a high place . Avoid being close to the ground, as the signal could be wasted. A cabinet at a certain height from where it can emit correctly would be ideal.
Also keep in mind that other devices can interfere with the signal. They can cause the quality to be lower and that we do not take full advantage of the available resources. That is why we must isolate them from other devices. A Wi-Fi repeater should be as far apart as possible from other sources that may interfere.
Consider the bands
Of course something that we must take into account are the available bands . As we know, most Wi-Fi devices today operate through the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
We can say that the first is the best when we are going to connect at a great distance, while the second is the one with the highest speed. It is interesting that we correctly choose which one we use and configure in order to achieve the best results.