Extending your Wi-Fi

It is a question we get a lot in our shop, "how can I get Wi-Fi in the other room"..

Easy question, many possible answers.

As always it depends on a lot of factors, how big is the area you want to cover, how many walls are in between, how many users are connected and what bandwidth do you need..
It is different to have just enough signal to send an e-mail, or if you want to stream HD quality video.

Let’s go thru some possible solutions, and if you still don’t see what you are looking for i am sure we can find the solution together with you.

• 1Improve the quality of your wireless router. You can try to upgrade the firmware of your router and even replace the antenna for a more powerful one, and this could already make a difference. But if your router is a few years old, replacing the router will give you more result. The new routers have better quality wireless cards and have a faster possible connection speed, of course this depends on the machine you want to connect but most recent laptops, tablets and smart phones will notice the improvement if you move on to a good quality Wireless N Router with 3 antennas.
• 2Cabling. From a central point bring network cables to strategic points in the house, where you later can connect direct to the LAN connection, or connect a Wi-Fi access point. In existing builds mostly a costly solution, but in new builds or during a big reformation definitely the best solution.
• 3Wi-Fi extender.
  

  Wi-Fi extender

  This is device which is extending the range of the Wi-Fi signal by repeating the signal. It has to be in range of the main Wi-Fi router to still be able to communicate with it, and it than relays the communication. It will always slow the connection down when you connect to the extender, which makes it not a good solution when higher bandwidth is needed. The user has to manually switch between the main router and the repeater to have the strongest signal. It is a cheap solution, and in some cases sufficient.
• 4Power line Adapters (PLC-adapters).
  

  PLC-adapters

  These helpful gadgets make use of the existing power lines in the house to bring the signal where the Wi-Fi does not reach. You always need to start with a set, where the base unit connects with a LAN cable to the main router, and plugs into the mains, and the other unit is plugged in somewhere else in the house, the communication will start between them after a few seconds and the second unit will give you a LAN connection or Wi-Fi access point or a combination of the 2. They mostly work straight out of the box, they can be configured so you get maximum gain from these gadgets. If they work well depends on your electrics infrastructure in the house, and if you have a single phase supply or a 3 phase supply. If they work they are an easy and economic solution to extend the network in your house. In most cases the initial set of 2 units can be completed with extra units if you have the need for them.
• 5UniFi (Scalable, Reliable, High‑Performance Wi‑Fi). There are also more professional solutions where you can create a wireless cloud in and around your home or business, where you have more control over the different access points and bandwidth usage per user.
  

  UniFi

  An excellent solution for hotspots, hotels, restaurants or large homes. It creates 1 wireless network where the users roam without their knowledge always to the strongest connection. Similar to how Cell towers operate on the mobile phone. It can be controlled and serviced remotely. Feel free to ask us for more information on these systems; you will be surprised how this can improve your internet service for your guests.

Even the best solution will still need the internet supply to match the demand; depending on your location we can advice you on the best solution.

Also on existing setups we can help you improve the system, sometimes relocating bits of equipment or finding the source of interference can make the difference between a good wireless connection or a poor connection.

More information and advice

Contact us or visit us in our shops for more information.