If you are experiencing slow internet or webpages are not loading as fast, or as smoothly as you want, it may have something to do with your WiFi connection. It is, therefore, essential to measure WiFi signal strength which could be hampered by distance or the thickness of the walls in your residence. What is a WiFi Signal? WiFi networks employ radio waves that determine communication between various devices. These include smartphones, computers, tablets, as well as network routers. Routers serve as the interface between wired connections to the Internet or Ethernet networks and those wirelessly connected gadgets. Routers easily decipher radio signals transmitted from users of wireless networks and send them to the internet. Reciprocally, data received from the web is readily converted from binary data to radio waves for distribution to the numerous devices using the network. These radio waves comprise wireless signals that utilize the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. These bands are generally higher than the regular frequencies used for cell phones or televisions. They allow much more data to be transmitted than lower frequencies. Why WiFi Signal Strength is So Important One thing that is generally common when setting up a WiFi network is the unevenness of the coverage. Thick concrete walls and furniture are known culprits that ultimately weaken the wireless signal as it passes through them. Interference can be caused by other WiFi networks nearby. Moreover, the farther you are away from your router, the weaker the signals will be. But when you have a strong signal, you will enjoy super-fast downloads, video streaming, Skype conversations that are entirely lag-free as well as browsing the internet without continually waiting for webpages to load. This is why it is highly crucial for you to choose a vantage point where your router will be positioned for optimum benefits. But you cannot readily select a perfect place for your router if you have not carried out a WiFi analysis of the area using the #1 tool known as NetSpot, which correctly analyzes wireless networks. This will enable you to quickly determine the strength of the signal, which will tell you the perfect place to position your router. NetSpot is the leading tool that works as a WiFi signal strength meter app to detect as well as analyze all wireless networks quickly. It will display relevant information about the security and configuration of the WiFi networks. NetSpot can also visualize or depict the signal strength of WiFi networks as highly convenient heatmaps. This will help you decide precisely where to place your router. How to Measure WiFi Signal Strength When a wireless signal is strong, it becomes possible to connect multiple devices and even move from one room to another as download light or heavy files and stream high-definition online videos from the web without any interruption, glitches, or loss of connection. These are just a handful of the benefits that a strong wireless signal brings to the table. And this is why it is vital to measure WiFi signal strength in order to get the best of the service you are paying for. You can use the leading WiFi signal analyzer, NetSpot, to measure WiFi signal strength. Start by downloading and installing NetSpot. Launch the app and go over to ‘Discover Mode.’ Move the slider located at the upper-left corner to the ‘Discover’ position. NetSpot automatically finds all the WiFi networks in your locality or area and presents you with exhaustive information or data about them, including the strength of the signals.
This is all you need to measure WiFi signal strength at a particular location. If you want to measure the overall strength of the wireless signal throughout your network area, move the slider to the ‘Survey’ position. Then start a brand-new survey; however, you may be asked to upload a map of the area using the map drawing tool on NetSpot or draw one. Once the map is ready, you can meticulously start moving through the surveyed area until you cover every spot. When you are done, click the ‘Stop Scan’ button located in the bottom-left corner. How to Improve WiFi Signal Strength Some tasks, as well as devices, require a particular amount of WiFi signal to be usable. But it is not all about making your devices usable; they have to smoothly and without interruption. You can do the following to significantly improve your WiFi signal strength: Update and Restart Your WiFi Router: Using an outdated router or one whose configurations and settings are not up to snuff with the modern version can affect WiFi signal strength. Routers generally work like computers and function exceptionally well if it receives software updates from time to time. These updates improve the performance of the router and also help to fix bugs. Log in to the router’s administrator interface to check if any updates are pending installation. You can also restart the machine to give it a fresh start. Do Away with Any Source of Signal Interference: Get a more suitable WiFi channel: Many things in your home can easily interfere with wireless signals. This includes baby monitors, cordless phones, wireless security cameras, and other home appliances. Getting rid of these sources of signal interference may not be possible. However, you should not place your WiFi router in their path in places where it is exposed to these signals. Re-position Your Router: The position of your router can impact the coverage of your wireless signals. After measuring the strength of the wireless signal using NetSpot, you would have discovered the areas in your office or home with the strongest WiFi signal via the drawing of a signal heatmap. Place your router in the perfect position where there will be no interference of signals from your other appliances or devices as well as by your furniture and thick walls. Conclusion Having the best wireless signal is paramount if you want to have an uninterrupted browsing experience. Measuring WiFi signal strength should be a walkover with NetSpot, the #1 tool – and the best – for wireless analysis and troubleshooting. You should have no trouble having a seamless browsing experience! About the author Jordan Connor has been working with moible networking solutions for more than ten years and enjoys sharing his expertise online.
