How to Get a Stronger Wi-Fi Signal

We are still many years away from the moment when everyone will enjoy access to ultra high speed Wi-Fi. Until then, we’ll still struggle to get higher Internet speeds in various areas of our houses or offices. And there will still be rooms – or at least areas in some of our rooms – where nobody will be able to stream a movie in HD quality.

If these problems sound familiar to you, it’s good to know that solutions are available. Read on to discover three surefire, and yet inexpensive ways of fixing your Wi-Fi problems.

 

1. Use a Wired Network

The first solution is obvious, and yet I don’t see too many people talking about it: go for wired Internet connections. As I’m sure you know, these connections are much faster in comparison with Wi-Fi.

So if you’ve always had problems trying to access the Internet in your basement, it may be time to connect that computer to your router by making use of a plain Ethernet connection. Most routers have several Ethernet plugs, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

ethernet-plugs

However, your laptop or computer may miss an Ethernet plug. If this is the case, you can buy an Ethernet card, and then install it in your computer. And if you need mobility, you can add another router in your basement, connecting it to the wired cable.

 

2. Purchase a Wi-Fi Repeater

People use repeaters to extend the range of their Wi-Fi networks. The name is self-explanatory: the device receives Wi-Fi signal, amplifies it, and then emits it in a larger area.

Due to interference, Wi-Fi repeaters aren’t as good as wired connections. Still, they are very convenient, because they aren’t expensive and will do a proper job most of the time.

They’re also easy to set up; often times, you’ll be done installing them and connecting them to the network within minutes!

wifi-repeaters

Pro tip: most repeaters come with tiny antennas. It’s a standard feature, because they’re supposed to use as little space as possible – and look lovely while doing so ;). Still, it’s best to replace their antennas with bigger ones, which have a much higher gain. Some people have managed to get the best of both worlds by placing these antennas on top of their cabinets (an option that will significantly boost Wi-Fi signal) and then connecting them to the repeaters by making use of standard cables.

Netgear and D-Link are among the manufacturers that manage to balance price and performance quite well, creating inexpensive products that are able to provide decent Wi-Fi speeds.

Don’t forget that even the best repeater in the world can’t work properly if it isn’t fed a decent signal. So if you don’t get great results, try to move your router as well.

 

3. Get a Powerline Adapter

Powerline adapters are an intermediate solution, trying to offer the best of both worlds: simplicity and performance. They increase Wi-Fi strength by making use of a wired network – the wires used by the power lines in your home.

Simply plug a device into an outlet near your router, and then its pair (they’re sold in pairs) into an outlet that’s close to the area with the weak signal. Then, pair the devices and you’ll be set – how cool is that?

powerline-adapters

Actually, powerline adapters, no matter how expensive they are, tend to disconnect from the network every now and then. Still, they may be a good solution if it’s impossible to bring a wired Ethernet connection in your basement.

Feel free to use one or more of these methods; you may get much better results by combining two of them, for example.

 

Fresh Gadget News

Nightingale

Don’t be fooled by its name: Nightingale isn’t an electronic bird, but a system that’s supposed to cancel all the noise while you sleep, allowing you to get a good night’s rest.

Nightingale uses two devices to create a sound blanket above your bed, diminishing or eliminating the distracting noises. You can choose from a list of 15 different noises and the device works fine no matter if you’ve got wooden floors or carpets in your room.

nightingale-noise-canceling

Each device makes use of two speakers, and their output is intelligently directed, depending on the actual room geometry. This way, the white noise is radiated uniformly, so the brain can’t identify the source of the sound.

Nightingale can also be controlled with a dedicated app, which is available for iOS and Android devices. Don’t worry, if you don’t have any of those, you can use a plain web browser to set it up. The device can be set up to activate before bedtime and shut down after you wake up.

 

Orange Pi i96

If you want to build a drone or a robot that has built-in Wi-Fi abilities without breaking the bank, the $10 Orange Pi developer board may be the perfect solution for you.

But don’t confuse this tiny board with the more expensive Raspberry Pi 3, which packs the power of a small computer. Still, Orange Pi has no match when it comes to building inexpensive smart gadgets.

orange-pi-development-board

Besides the already mentioned Wi-Fi support, the board comes with 2 GB of RAM and 4 GB of storage. It also has a micro USB port and a microSD slot. Believe it or not, this tiny computer also includes a video camera interface, making it a great device when it comes to building robots, which need to “see” the areas around them.

 

Altec Lansing MZW100 Earphones

Believe it or not, lots of manufacturers have started to produce Bluetooth headsets since Apple has decided to retire the good old 3.5 mm plug from its newest iPhone. My guess is that Apple wanted everyone to purchase its AirPods, but most people simply didn’t like the way they look and sound.

Altec Lansing has recently released its MZW100 Bluetooth earphones. To begin with, they are waterproof and sand proof. They are also comfortable to wear, and it looks like they won’t fall off your head even while you’re running.

The sound quality is decent and noise canceling works great. Don’t expect amazing sound quality from these devices, though; real headphones have big speakers inside them, and a pair of $500 headphones will always sound much better than any set of earphones.