Boosting a Weak Wi-Fi Signal
Weak WiFi signals are a common problem in a lot of homes where residents' internet provider equipment (modem and router) are placed in an out-of-the-way location in the home.
Many homes for example are designed with the wiring for Internet equipment in a utility area, like a wall panel near the laundry room or garage, far from the location where residents are actually using their computers or other electronic equpment.
In these cases, it's not unusual to experience difficulty getting or retaining a reliable WiFi signal.
One solution that helps in some such cases is to use a WiFi enhancement device.
These types of devices include WiFi boosters, extenders and repeaters, which are a bit distinct from each other but generally similar in their purpose and usefulness. I'll just use the term "repeater" here for brevity.
A WiFi repeater can be set up to expand the area that a WiFi signal reaches in the home, plugging it into an electrical outlet at a suitable mid-point in the house, connecting it to the WiFi signal, and establishing a wireless connection between your computer and the device.
Recent I've set up a few of these devices myself and have seen them result in improved reception for several residents in some of the newer developments in our own community.
Setting up the repeater device usually does not require a great deal of time. If anything, the most difficult part is reading the microscopic instruction sheet that comes in the package! Fortunately the instructions sometimes are available online as PDFs.
These devices run in the range of $20 to $40 and can be found at many electronics store outlets.
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