Interference can be caused from many things in your home or office, but they all result in one thing: your wireless network doesn’t seem to provide its expected range. Check the specifications of your wireless router first to make sure that you have realistic expectations from the device. If you are exceeding the maximum range of your device, you may need to acquire better equipment. If you are sure that you are within an appropriate range of your device, there are some things you can do to make things better.
The following are 8 ways to reduce wireless interference that you can use to improve the performance you get from your network.
1. Position your wireless router in a centralized location: In the old days, you could put a router anywhere as long as you had enough cable. With wireless, you get a circle of transmission that centers on the antenna of your router. If you have it located on the far end of your house, your neighbor could pick it up better than you can on the other side of you house. You will avoid the problems of weak reception if you locate your wireless router in the middle of your home where you will get the most access to its strong signal.
2. Ditch your cordless phone: If your cordless phone runs on the same frequency as your wireless router, you could be dealing with serious interference, especially when the phone rings or during a conversation. Try using a phone based on a different frequency or get a router that is on a different frequency. You could eliminate all doubt and stop using a cordless phone.
3. Move your router away from other electronics: Places like next to computer monitors, microwave ovens, or televisions are good sources of interference, especially in wireless signals. You want to keep your wireless router away from those to minimize their potential impact on your network.
4. Secure your router: If it is, go ahead and make sure you have security enabled. If your router supports logging, be sure to turn it on so that you can tell if someone else is using your network. Two more things: make sure the Web based access to your router has a password on it and that you change it periodically. Dittos for your wireless security key.
5. Mount your router away from the floor and away from metal walls: In fact, choose the area of your home where as few walls as possible come in between your wireless devices and your router. This will minimize interference and help deliver the best possible speed.
6. Adjust the internal radio channel on your router: If you are still getting problems with your wireless network connections, try setting your router to use a different channel. This is usually done by logging into it using your Web browser and then changing the applicable settings.
7. Get an auxiliary external antenna: Most consumer grade wireless routers will have cheap antennas that are not designed for high performance. To improve your immunity to interference get a third party external antenna that will have transmission strong enough to overcome the interference that is in your area. Be sure to check with your manufacturer first to make sure you buy an antenna that is compatible with your device.
8. Upgrade your firmware: This suggestion may sound like a stretch, but still, from time to time your router’s manufacturer will make changes to the firmware of your device and make it available as a free download. This could be helpful if they make changes to the way your router transmits and receives data, making it more resistant to interference or giving it more power.
Try these 8 ways to reduce wireless interference and you may see that with a few simple actions you can get much better results from your wireless network.
This is a guest post by Kip Keilty, from BroadbandCompare.com.au, a broadband comparison website offering ADSL, cable and mobile plans.
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