Ways to Bring Dead Zones Back to Life

 

Have you ever suffered from a weak or even no Wi-Fi signal in specific spots of your apartment? Or have you ever had the experience that your signal disappears in certain parts of your home? Be careful, you may have a Wi-Fi dead zone.

A Wi-Fi dead zone is an area where you are supposed to have wireless signals but your devices can’t connect to the internet. Unfortunately, dead zones are a pretty common problem. Potential causes include:

• Signal Interference

Wi-Fi signals are broadcast through radio waves, and many elements can interfere with or even block them.

• Range Limitations

A router typically can’t reach every corner of a house, so areas on the edge of or beyond its transmission range become dead zones.

• Receiving Devices with Low Sensitivity

Devices may not be sensitive enough to receive wireless signals.

If the root cause of your issue is from the first two problems, you can try solving the problem with your router by following the tips below.

4 Tips to Eliminate Dead Zones with Your Router

• Upgrade the Firmware

Let’s begin with a simple but effective way. Check if there is any upgrade available for your router’s firmware. If there is, then download the latest one from Download Center and upgrade it (you can refer to the User Guide if you’re not sure how). The latest firmware will usually improve the stability, functionality, and performance of your router.

• Adjust the Antennae

If your router already has the latest firmware version, adjusting the antenna may also improve your coverage and signal strength.  Generally, you will get the best coverage if the antennas are pointing vertically upwards.

• Identify Obstructions and Replace the Router

As previously mentioned, Wi-Fi signals are radio waves. Anything standing between your router and device, like walls, ceilings, and furniture, can influence those waves. If you want to reduce interference and eliminate dead zones, try minimizing things that can obstruct the signal, either by moving them away or relocating your router. Obviously, there’s not much you can do about walls and ceilings. But large metal objects (like fridges, washers, and dryers), large furniture, and devices that also use radio waves (like TVs) can significantly disrupt the signal and should be taken into consideration.

• Use a Wired Connection

If dead zones still exist, you can always use a wired Ethernet cable. Notice that this is only applicable for devices with Ethernet ports.

If you’ve done all of that and things aren’t getting better, you may need to consider adding devices to extend your Wi-Fi coverage.

Showtime for Devices that Expand Wi-Fi Coverage

If you can’t solve your problem by adjusting your router, your dead zones are probably due to limitations of your router’s signal range. To get rid of those dead zones, you should really consider introducing new devices to expand your Wi-Fi coverage. Access points, range extenders, and powerline adapters are reliable and effective options.

• What is an Access Point?

An AP is a device that connect to the router via an Ethernet cable and transmits a wireless signal to extend coverage. AP products give you a flexible wireless networking experience with various operation modes.

• What is a Range Extender?

A range extender, also known as a repeater, is a small hub that expands the Wi-Fi coverage by receiving wireless signals from the main router and then transmitting them out to cover more areas. By placing it in the right place, an extender will send signals to even the hard-to-wire spots, eliminating dead zones.

• What is a Powerline Adapter?

Powerline adapters can transform an electrical circuit into a Wi-Fi network by transmitting signals via the electrical wiring already in your walls. As a frequently-used device to eliminate dead zones, they provide stable transfer rates on a line up to 300 meters long. Powerline adapters are deployed in sets of at least two and you can add more to the network if needed.

• Which is Right for Me?

APs, range extenders, and powerline adapters can all expand Wi-Fi coverage and help eliminate dead zones. There is not an absolute best choice, as it depends on your particular situation. Here’s a chart to show you some of the strengths and limitation of each.

	AP (Default Mode)	Range Extender	Powerline Adapters
Strengths	Stable data transfer Ability to send signals through walls with built-in cables Signals not influenced by the quality of electrical wiring	Flexible placement No need for Ethernet ports and cable Signals not influenced by the quality of electrical wiring	Plug, pair and play Ability to send signals stably through electrical circuit No need for Ethernet ports and cables
Limitation	Needs to be connected to the router (you can choose other modes)	Signals influenced by thick walls and large obstructions	Signals influenced by quality and distance of electrical wiring

 

To sum up, when you find dead zones at home, first consider dealing with the problem with the router in hand. If you still have dead zones at home, choose products that expand Wi-Fi coverage based on your actual situation. An AP, a range extender, and powerline adapters are trust-worthy devices to bring some life to Wi-Fi dead zones.