by Fredy Künzler
Reading time: 4 minutes
When your WiFi falters
For most households, Wi-Fi is the means of choice for connecting their end devices to the Internet. The number of devices connected to the Internet in each household is growing inexorably, and with it the demands that each of us places on Wi-Fi.
WiFi: A blessing and a curse
Our support team is therefore constantly in contact with customers who need help solving various WiFi problems. Over time, we have been able to gather a lot of experience and have developed some recommendations from this.
One thing must be clear from the outset when it comes to WiFi: Connecting via WLAN is always more susceptible to interference and slower than connecting via LAN cable. Unfortunately, this fact cannot be changed.
An Ethernet cable is a dedicated transport medium between two communicating devices. In contrast, WLAN uses the air as a shared transport medium. You can compare this to a bar: If only two people are sitting in a bar talking, they speak quietly and communication is clear.
However as soon as the bar starts to fill up and a DJ plays music, everyone naturally begins speaking louder just to be heard. The noise level climbs. Before long, people are practically shouting—but still struggling to understand each other, simply because too many voices are competing in the same limited space: the air. In technical terms this is known as the «signal-to-noise» ratio. WiFi works the same way: too many devices lower the overall signal quality. And neighbors blasting their own WiFi are like the ones pumping music through the walls—adding to the chaos. Too much «noise» makes for a pretty unpleasant WiFi experience.
Cable connection for important device
Rule of thumb number 1: Always connect devices that rely on a continuous connection and/or high speeds to the router via Ethernet cable, especially TV streaming devices, games consoles and gaming computers.
Apart from that, WiFi problems can usually be divided into two categories: Connection stability/range issues and connection speed issues.
7 Ways to optimize your WiFi signal
1. Position the router skillfully: Ensure that the router is positioned in the middle of the house or office. This will optimize signal coverage and improve stability.
2. Remove obstacles: Place the router in a location that is as free as possible from physical obstacles such as walls, furniture or electronic devices. These obstacles can weaken the WiFi signal. Basically, a clear view ensures good reception. The effect varies depending on the wall – a simple plaster wall hardly interferes with reception, while a concrete wall reinforced with steel is practically impenetrable for WiFi signals. The physical effect of the Faraday cage occurs.
3. Use a WiFi repeater: A WiFi amplifier or repeater helps to optimize the WiFi signal and extend the range, especially in larger homes or offices. For our Easy7 customers, we recommend one or more FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX from AVM. This device is very easy to connect to the FRITZ!Box 5530.
4. Use modern WiFi standards: The router and the other devices should support the latest WiFi standards such as 802.11ac or 802.11ax. These standards offer higher speeds and improved performance compared to older standards. It is advisable to discard Wifi devices of earlier generations.
5. Check the WiFi band: The router can support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WLAN frequency bands. In apartment buildings, the 2.4 GHz band is often very disturbed because every neighbor has uncoordinated WiFi devices in operation. Sometimes it helps to switch off the 2.4 GHz band if your devices can also handle the 5 GHz band. This is less susceptible to interference and is therefore faster, but the range is smaller compared to the 2.4 GHz band, which can be advantageous in environments with high WiFi density.
6. Check the speed: Use the speed test to compare the cable connection with WiFi. If the difference is significant, the reason for the poor WiFi performance is usually due to local conditions.
7. The FRITZ! WiFi App from AVM can be helpful for diagnosing. It’s available for iPhone and Android and helps with the management of FRITZ! WiFi repeaters.