Last week I posted 5 tips to help improve your home network connection speed. Continuing on that theme, here is a Great article by Tony Northrup posted on the Microsoft at Home with some more tips to help improve performance.
If Windows ever notifies you about a weak signal, it probably means your connection isn’t as fast or as reliable as it could be. Worse, you might lose your connection entirely in some parts of your home. If you’re looking to improve the signal for your wireless network, try some of these tips for extending your wireless range and improving your wireless network performance.
Here are the tips in a nutshell.
1. Position your wireless router (or wireless access point) in a central location
2. Move the router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects (such as metal file cabinets)
3. Replace your router’s antenna
4. Replace your computer’s wireless network adapter
5. Add a wireless repeater
6. Change your wireless channel
7. Reduce wireless interference
8. Update your firmware or your network adapter driver
9. Pick equipment from a single vendor
10. Upgrade 802.11b devices to 802.11g
1. Position your wireless router (or wireless access point) in a central location
2. Move the router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects (such as metal file cabinets)
3. Replace your router’s antenna
4. Replace your computer’s wireless network adapter
5. Add a wireless repeater
6. Change your wireless channel
7. Reduce wireless interference
8. Update your firmware or your network adapter driver
9. Pick equipment from a single vendor
10. Upgrade 802.11b devices to 802.11g
Click here to read the full article in more detail.
I would go further with item 10 and say if you’re upgrading, might as well go all the way to 802.11N instead. Even if all your wireless devices can’t use the “N” speed, at some point you might want to replace that device with a more modern unit. Most wireless N routers are backward compatible and will support wireless G devices, although only at that speed.
