10 tips - Improving Your Wireless Network

Problem with your weak signal of your wifi in your computer/laptop at home/office ? Are you looking to improve the signal for your wireless network ? Then try to follow some of these tips to get improving your wireless network performance at home/office and extending your wireless range within your area.

1. Put your wireless router(or wireless access point) in a central location
Put your wireless router in a central location in your home/office so you can cover and get more signal from other side of your home/office.

2. Move the router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects (such as metal file cabinets)
Metal, walls, and floors will interfere with your router's wireless signals. The closer your router is to these obstructions, the more severe the interference, and the weaker your connection will be. So keep it mind to take away your router/access point from these.

3. Change or replace your router's antenna
Your antenna's router are designed to be omni-directional by antenna's router supplier, meaning the antenna broadcast in all directions around the router. Most routers don't allow you to increase the power output, but you can make better use of the power. Upgrade to a hi-gain antenna that focuses the wireless signals only one direction. You can aim the signal in the direction you need it most, so it won't waste your power signal.

4. Change or replace your computer's wireless network adapterWireless network signals must be sent "from and to" your computer. Most of your router can broadcast strongly enough to reach your computer, but your computer can't send signals back to your router. Meaning of that, your wireless network computer need to be replaced with a USB network adapter that uses an external antenna to improve this. In particular, consider the Hawking Hi-Gain Wireless USB network adapter, which adds an external, hi-gain antenna to your computer and can significantly improve your range.

Note : Laptops with built-in wireless typically have excellent antennas and don't need to have their network adapters upgraded.

5. Add a wireless repeater
If you still want to keep your router at the first placed and don't wan't to move it then you have to use Wireless repeaters. Wireless repeaters extend your wireless network range without requiring you to add any wiring. Put the wireless repeater halfway between your wireless access point and your computer, and you'll get an instant boost to your wireless signal strength. Find out the information to get the right wireless repeater from your wireless router/repeater supplier.

6. Change your wireless channel
Wireless routers can broadcast on several different channels, similar to the way radio stations use different channels. Same like you'll sometimes hear interference on one radio station while another is perfectly clear, sometimes one wireless channel is clearer than others. So try to changing your wireless router's channel through your router's configuration page to see if your signal strength improves. You don't need to change your computer's configuration, because it'll automatically detect the new channel. So play your channel with correctly :D.

7. Reduce wireless interference
If you have cordless phones or other wireless electronics in your home/office, your computer might not be able to get the good signal from your router over the noise from the other wireless devices. To reduce the noise, avoid wireless electronics that use the 2.4GHz frequency. Instead, look for cordless phones that use the 5.8GHz or 900MHz frequencies.

8. Update your firmware or your network adapter driver
Router manufacturers regularly make free improvements to their routers. Sometimes, these improvements increase performance. To get the latest firmware updates for your router, visit your router manufacturer's Web site. Please read carefully the manual information of update firmware or driver and risk from your network adapter supplier before update your firmware or driver by your self.

Similarly, network adapter vendors occasionally update the software that Windows uses to communicate with your network adapter, known as the driver. These updates typically improve performance and reliability. To get the driver updates, do the following:

Windows Vista
*Click Start menu, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update.
*In the left pane, click Check for updates, and then wait while Windows Vista looks for the latest updates for your computer.
*Install any updates relating to your wireless network adapter.

Windows XP
*Visit Microsoft Update, click Custom, and then wait while Windows XP looks for the latest updates for your computer.
*Install any updates relating to your wireless adapter.

9. Pick your wireless equipment from a single vendor
If you want to buy wireless equipment, pick your wireless equipment from a single vendor. Never mixed your wireless equipment from multi-vendor.

10. Choose compatible devices 802.11g or upgrade 802.11b devices to 802.11g
If you want to buy wireless equipment, definitely choose 802.11g, it's usually in the 13-23Mbps range. But if you had 802.11b(2-5Mbps) which is the most common type of wireless network and you're unhappy with the performance then upgrade it to 802.11g by replacing the router and wireless network adapter because it is around five times faster.

Enjoy your wireless with your hands ;P!!