How to Improve Your WiFi Signal at Home
Weak WiFi is frustrating — and it is often fixable without buying new equipment. Here are practical steps to improve your signal strength and internet reliability at home.
Router placement matters enormously
Your router should ideally be placed in a central location in your home, elevated off the floor, in the open rather than inside a cupboard. WiFi signals travel in all directions — a router in a corner of the house sends half its signal into the walls. Moving it even a few metres can make a significant difference to coverage.
What blocks WiFi signal
Thick walls (especially concrete and brick), metal objects, large appliances, and other electronic devices all reduce WiFi signal. Microwave ovens and baby monitors can interfere with 2.4GHz WiFi. Neighbouring WiFi networks on the same channel cause congestion. Understanding these obstacles helps you position your router and devices better.
2.4GHz versus 5GHz — which to use
Most modern routers broadcast on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. 5GHz is faster but has shorter range and struggles more with walls. 2.4GHz is slower but travels further and penetrates walls better. For devices close to the router, connect to 5GHz. For devices further away or through walls, 2.4GHz is often more reliable.
Cheap improvements that actually work
A WiFi extender or powerline adapter (around £20-40) can significantly improve coverage in problem areas. Updating your router's firmware (check the manufacturer's website or router admin page) often improves performance. Restarting your router weekly prevents the gradual slowdown that many routers develop over time.
When to upgrade your router
If your router is more than five years old, a modern WiFi 6 router will provide significantly better performance, especially in homes with many connected devices. WiFi 6 handles multiple simultaneous connections much more efficiently. For large homes, a mesh WiFi system (such as those from Eero or Google Nest) eliminates dead spots entirely.
Get a full computer health check in minutes
Cerebro Scan gives you 17 tabs of live diagnostic data on any Mac or Windows PC — no installation required. Launching very soon.
Learn More →