Can I Add An Antenna To My Router

7 Proven Ways to Increase Your Wi-Fi Signal

Get a Stiff Wi-Fi Connection and Keep It

Are you having problems connecting, or keeping a connexion, with your wireless router? Are y'all seeing poor betoken strength with one or ii confined, like you lot encounter below? Before y'all throw the laptop out the window or surrender on Wi-Fi altogether and resort to an quondam-fashioned wire connection, proceed on reading. I'll aid you detect seven ways to extend the range of your wireless router. Chances are that at to the lowest degree one of them will work for yous.

Soon you'll exist able to browse the internet and bank check Facebook from your favorite spot in the home, without worrying well-nigh getting disconnected. If you're a operation hog, or enjoy streaming shows from Hulu or online gaming, y'all might also see an improvement when virtually the edge of your Wi-Fi coverage.

Earlier you lot fix the problem, you lot might desire to know why you're here in the first place. Well, there are numerous causes for poor wireless range. If you're lucky, it's simply because you have a large abode. Newer wireless N routers can requite yous up to a few hundred feet of range. Withal, the reach of the signals vary profoundly upon the inter-makeup of the edifice. Plaster walls, for instance, slow the bespeak downwards more plain drywall. So, even if yous don't have your mansion still, your stock wireless router might not fifty-fifty cover your rental or starter habitation.

Find the Sweet Spot for the Router

Earlier you throw money at the problem, you should first bank check that your wireless router is placed in the right spot. Remember, the router is sending the Wi-Fi signal in all directions equally, more or less.

The analogy below shows an example of how a router placed in the corner of the home might not provide whole-firm coverage.

Therefore, putting the router as close as possible in the middle of your desired coverage area (remember vertically and horizontally) will normally give yous the best range, as depicted in the next analogy. Don't only option the middle of your home, think well-nigh which rooms really demand coverage.

As you might retrieve, your Internet modem is connected to the router. So you need to consider the locations of cable or telephone outlets; cablevision if you lot have a cable Cyberspace connection and telephone if you lot have DSL Net. This will limit where y'all tin identify the router.

If it looks like there is a meliorate spot for the router where you can too claw upwardly the Internet modem, go alee and effort it. Then come across if it fixes your connection bug. If not, you can try the other techniques that follow.

Create a Virtual Access Point

A new feature that debuted in Windows 7 lets you create what Microsoft calls a Wireless Hosted Network. It substantially makes your wireless adapter a virtual wireless router, even when you're connected to another wireless network. Other Wi-Fi users tin connect to the virtual router. They'll go Net access through the host'southward connection.

This tin can be a temporary or permanent solution to become the Wi-Fi point extended to a computer outside the router'southward coverage area. If you have a Windows PC or laptop that gets a good connection to the router, and it'south in between your router and the reckoner that'due south having bug connecting, you lot can apply the Wireless Hosted Network every bit a "repeater." This isn't the best solution, though, if you want full performance on that faraway computer.

The illustration bellows depicts this technique.

On the Windows machine, connect to your regular wireless network. Then you tin can use a utility like Connectify (opens in new tab) (screen shot below) to create the virtual router, instead of using the Command Prompt. Now, on the estimator or device that was having connection problems, connect to the virtual router instead of the existent router.

Upgrade Your Wireless Router

Similar well-nigh other technologies, Wi-Fi keeps improving. Wi-Fi products take, over time, gotten faster and reach further. They are based on a standard developed past the IEEE (an engineering science consortium). The starting time major standard was 802.11b. Then 802.11g was released, increasing the speed and range. Now nosotros have 802.11n, which once again allowed for dramatic improvements.

Like you may run across elsewhere, we'll drop the funny number for the standard and only call them wireless B, wireless K, and then on.

The point here is that if yous're still using wireless B or K, you should recollect about upgrading to wireless N. As the photo beneath shows, virtually wireless North routers have 3 antennas. Upgrading just might increase the range of your wireless router enough to go that trouble figurer connected. Areas where you currently become spotty coverage, for instance, should get a good connection after upgrading.

If you aren't sure which wireless standard you're sporting, take a look at the router. It should give you some blazon of clue. If you're unsure, get the model number and search for it online to discover the product details.

For optimum range and operation, you want both the router and the wireless adapter on the figurer to be wireless N. You'll typically have to lay down $50 – 100 for a router and $xxx – seventy for each computer yous desire to upgrade.

Y'all can option a "normal" router, which is what yous'll notice on most shelves and sites. But for even more range, there are "special" routers that come with features similar hi-gain antennas that heave coverage.

Editor's Note: Here is a link to our favorite wireless AC routers, the latest Wi-Fi standard.

Slap on a Meliorate Antenna

Not all antennas are created equal. Wi-Fi vendors near ever slap on the cheaper antennas. But you can purchase antennas that are enhanced, more often than not giving you better range and performance. Replacing the antenna(s) on your router can give you improve overall coverage. Replacing the antenna(due south) on the wireless adapter will give yous amend range for that item computer.

Go along in mind when shopping, the higher the proceeds (measured in dBi), generally means the farther it volition transmit and receive. Even so, the higher the proceeds also means the more than directional the antenna. For the router you'll probably desire to stick with a not-directional antenna that sends and receives in all directions, which they call omni-directional. For wireless adapters, y'all could consider a directional antenna though. Y'all'll just have to make sure it points toward your wireless router.

First, cheque the vendor website of the router or adapter you want to upgrade. See if they offering replacement antennas for your item model. For example, D-Link offers the Xtreme North 2.4GHz Antenna (ANT24-0230) for virtually $30, pictured below. Information technology works with both the desktop adapters and routers of their Xtreme N and RangeBooster N product lines.

There are besides numerous companies that offer universal antennas. If you lot're using wireless Due north, make sure the antenna supports information technology. You lot'll probably want to detect a wireless adapter that comes with the high proceeds antenna, as opposed to purchasing just an antenna that connects to your current adapter. If y'all do look at lone antennas, brand certain yous get i that has the same connectors as your adapter or router.

Upgrading your router's antenna(southward) shouldn't require whatever tools. They should screw off by hand fairly easy. If not, they probably aren't detachable or replaceable. Then you lot should be able to screw on the new antenna(s). Make sure they screw on tight and indicate them upward.

Upgrading your laptop usually means yous've bought a new wireless adapter with a better antenna(s), rather than simply the antennas. If this is the instance, just plug it into the USB or PC carte du jour port.

Upgrading a desktop PC is commonly easy, too. If you purchased simply an antenna or a set of antennas, screw the former ones off and put the new ones on. Notwithstanding if yous bought a whole new adapter as well, you'll have to open up the computer case if it'south a PCI adapter by following the directions that came with it. USB adapters are easier; you'd just have to plug them into a port.

If you're looking for a directional antenna for a estimator, consider Hawking Engineering'south Hullo-Gain Wireless-150N USB Dish Adapter for around $sixty, released this final July. If you have a MacBook or an Apple desktop, bank check out the new BearExtender n3 for most $45. If y'all're however using wireless B or G, look into the Wi-Burn directional antenna and adapter for $49, pictured beneath.

Employ a Wi-Fi Repeater

Another style to extend your Wi-Fi signal is to use a repeater. The idea is along the same lines as creating a virtual admission point with Windows, which we discussed earlier. You can buy a wireless repeater and identify it in-between your wireless router and the computer having problems connecting. The problem figurer tin connect wirelessly to the repeater, and the repeater connects wirelessly to the router.

Go on in listen that this isn't the best approach, performance-wise. The throughput or speeds for connections between computers on the router and repeater are cut near in half. This isn't a big deal if you just browse the web. But it tin can be noticeable if y'all do network or online gaming, download big files, or if you transfer files betwixt computers. Still, information technology may hateful the difference between getting some betoken on a figurer with a repeater, and getting no signal without one.

When shopping effectually for a repeater, you'll discover nigh vendors call them range expanders or extenders. If you are the DIY type, consider the free DD-WRT software that you lot can load onto supported routers to get repeating and numerous other cool features for free.

Editor's Annotation: Here are our favorite Wi-Fi extenders.

Use Powerline Networking

Wi-Fi isn't the merely un-wired blazon of network for a home. There's also powerline networking, standardized by the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. This technology makes it possible to transfer data across your home'due south electric organisation. You can potentially brand any electric outlet a network port or additional wireless admission point (such as depicted in the illustration below).

Extending your network with powerline adapters generally provides better speeds and performance than using a wireless repeater every bit we previously discussed. Notwithstanding, operation varies depending upon the condition of your electric lines, the other electrical devices plugged into the home, and the powerline adapters yous use. Nevertheless, this arroyo might be expert if you don't want to run wires around the house, like we'll hash out next.

You might look at the 200Mbps Powerline AV Adapter Kit (TPL-303E2K) from TRENDnet for about $90, pictured below. Plus check out the new Powerline AV 200 Wireless-Due north Extender Kit (XAVNB2001) (opens in new tab) from Netgear. ZyXEL offers a 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug AV 802.11g Wireless Access Indicate (PLA450V2) for over $100. Powerline is one of the pricier options included in this article.

Install Another Router or Admission Point

You tin can double your wireless coverage past installing another wireless router or wireless access point (AP) in the home. Consider this only if you lot find the first few methods don't work and you lot really want to increase your Wi-Fi coverage with the best performance possible. You have to connect each additional router or AP dorsum to your main wireless router, so this task is a little flake more complicated than some of the other options nosotros've discussed. However, this is i of the cheaper approaches for expanding coverage.

You can buy another regular wireless router like you already accept, or a wireless AP which is the same affair but doesn't accept the routing capability. If you have a spare router(perhaps you upgraded from wireless 1000 to N) consider using it. Y'all'll besides need a run of Ethernet cabling (Cat 5 or half-dozen) long enough to reach the new router or AP. You tin detect the cabling online or at a local electrics shop for as depression $10. It will look something similar below.

Before installing the boosted router or wireless AP, you want to configure the wireless and network settings. The documentation should help you log in to the web-based configuration screens or the vendor may provide a setup CD. Keep in mind that yous want to set up this additional router or AP to a different aqueduct than the main wireless router. Simply both can be set with the aforementioned network name (SSID). If using an AP, you want to enable DHCP so it automatically gets an IP address for itself.

Unless yous retrieve the Ethernet cabling adds to the décor, you'll want to hide it by running it through a crawlspace, basement, or attic. Yous tin drill holes in closets to bring the wires upwardly into the business firm. Once the cablevision is in place, connect it to one of the iv Ethernet ports on the main wireless router. If y'all're using an additional router, you connect the other end to i of its four ports as well. If it'south a wireless AP, you connect into the unmarried port.