Welcome to WiFi 101
Internet Lightspeed’s mini course on WiFi
If you have used the Internet on your cellphone alongside your morning coffee or use a laptop or tablet at work, you probably already know the benefits of a WiFi network. The one thing most people love is the fact that you do not have to deal with wires, and you can share an internet connection with multiple WiFi enabled devices. So you understand the basics, but what is the best WiFi for your location will depend on many things since physical environments and what you do on the Internet are the two biggest factors.
To cut through some of the confusion about WiFi and the Internet, Internet Lightspeed has put together a basic tutorial.
The WiFi Playground
Your home can have a multitude of things, you never considered, that can limit WiFi signals and connections. We have all dealt with low signal strength when using WiFi and know how frustrating this can be. We have put together a list of some of the more common environmental factors that can cause poor WiFi in your home.
Your Walls
Yep the walls in your home can be a major factor. Sadly, you might not be able to do much about the development of your current home, especially if you are renting.
Excessively thick walls can be a problem, yet particularly those containing insulation, metal water pipes, metal studs, major electrical lines and air ducts, can all be major issues. Hollow thinner sections, made of just drywall, in general be better for your WiFi experience. Location of the WiFi antenna to benefiting as much as possible from your structural items will be key. Yet if you WiFi broadcast point is in closet, basement etc., you might need to use a Wi-Fi repeater or pods.
Fish Tanks
A small goldfish bowl on the coffee table won’t affect your WiFi, but a large 300 gallon salt-water tank can. It isn’t the fish, it’s the water. A swimming pool or large water feature causes the same problem. WiFi signals struggle to pass through water, so fish tanks, especially big ones, can block a lot of your signal. If your router sits close to an aquarium, the tank is likely absorbing much of the WiFi signal and your devices will suffer. Move your router as far from the tank as you can and you should see a big improvement.
Microwaves/TVs
A few short years ago most people would place their WiFi antenna near their desk. These days it is usually in the living room next to the other electronic devices. That is not the best spot for a strong signal. Appliances such as microwaves and TVs can cause weak WiFi connections. Microwaves, like other household appliances, give off electromagnetic radiation that interferes with radio signals, and even a little of it can disrupt your WiFi. Moving your WiFi antenna away from your microwave, TV and audio equipment will usually improve your WiFi noticeably.
Metallic Objects and Surfaces
Large metal objects like an ornamental divider, a wall of mirrors, or perhaps that 17th century bronze bust of Napoleon, will all be deadly to WiFi in your home. Large chunks of metal, like a bathtub, are easy for anyone to see as an impediment, but mirrors? Not all mirrors will cause issues, yet most do. The offender is the metal backing on the mirror which reflects, or redirects, your WiFi signal. So placement again of the broadcast device and antenna is paramount and the list of obstacles to WiFi continues to include things you never considered like those bedroom mirrored closet doors.
Energy Efficient Windows
Those multi-pane low-E windows are a savvy move for keeping your home’s energy consumption low, yet these windows can really be an enemy to your Wi-Fi. These types of windows have a metal coating, and as we already pointed out metal is not conducive to great WiFi coverage. So locating the WiFi broadcast device near a window so you have coverage in the backyard might not work out so well, especially if you have metal blinds too.
Video Transmitters
This sort of thing can be anything from, remote surveillance cameras, crib monitor, a nanny-cam or even a video doorbell. Basically any device that is producing and transmit pictures by means of remote link or have a receiving device in another point in the house. As an example if you have a video extender from your main TV to two others in the house and you place your modem and WiFi broadcast antenna on the exact opposite side of the room you might be fine. However your TV extender may be causing issues for the neighbours WiFi and he might be doing the same for you.
Your Neighbour’s WiFi
That’s right your neighbour’s WiFi may be causing interference with yours. Most WiFi broadcast devices have a limited amount of channels. So it is possible that Bob next door is using the same channel as you. You can most likely change your WiFi channel so that Bob and you can co-exist peacefully. Once you do though you might discover that Sally across the alley is now your new WiFi arch-nemesis. As we all move to a wireless world the airwaves are getting more and more crowded and it can be a decisive limiting factor.
Other Concerns
There are other things like heat. Locking your unsightly modem and router in the basement storage closet next to the hot water heater will definitely cause you woes. An unstable power source, such as a low grade power-bar or extension cord will cause radical fluctuations in your WiFi. Cable splitters and filters are notorious for causing connection problems for both WiFi and even the Internet Service itself.
These are a handful of the most common, and most fixable, WiFi limiters in your home. The Internet Lightspeed Technical Support Team discovers more weird and wonderful ones every day. We hope this basic list helps you better understand your WiFi and the space it has to work in.
Modem and Router or All-In-One
Which is better a Modem and Router or an All-in-One unit? Basic setup for a modem and router isn’t much more complicated than using a combo unit. Just connect the modem to the coax cable wall outlet to the modem. Then connect the Ethernet cable between your router and the modem. Easy right, and Internet Lightspeed is here to help you along the way. Some people just prefer one over the other and there is no difference in the outcome, you have Internet and WiFi. Still here are some advantages that each set-up has based on our experience:
Advantages of an All-in-One unit:
- A single combo box takes less room, requires only one power outlet and requires fewer wires and cables.
- A combo box is generally an automated set up, especially if it comes from Internet Lightspeed since we offer our Award Winning Technical Support.
Advantages of an All-in-One unit:
- A two-device configuration, modem and router, is easier to replace when it comes time to upgrade. Since router technology is advancing rapidly there are advancements every 12 to 18 months. If you upgrade your internet, you can replace the modem. If you need to upgrade your router, you don’t have to replace the modem as well. Cost is lower to stay at the top of the heap.
- When it comes to cost, renting a combo unit isn’t usually an option. The monthly rental fee for a non-WiFi modem is minimal and will work with any router, giving you more options.
A / B / G / N / AC / AX – What is all this?
You have probably seen this number on WiFi equipment and specs. Not a very catchy name, is it? 802.11 is the name the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) gave to the WiFi standard. It is followed by one or two letters that tell you the version, such as b, g, n, ac and ax. Starting with 802.11n, routers use MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output), which sends data over several antennas at once. Each new version adds faster speeds and more frequency options. Here are the frequencies and limits for each:
- 802.11b (1999) 2.4 GHz (11 Mbps)
- 802.11a (1999) 5 GHz (54 Mbps)
- 802.11g (2003) 2.4 GHz (54 Mbps) – longer range than 802.11a
- 802.11n / WiFi 4 (2009) 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (up to 600 Mbps)
- 802.11ac / WiFi 5 (2014) 5 GHz (up to 3.5 Gbps)
- 802.11ax / WiFi 6 (2019) 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (up to 9.6 Gbps)
- 802.11ax / WiFi 6E (2020) adds the 6 GHz band (up to 9.6 Gbps)
- 802.11be / WiFi 7 (2024) 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz (up to 46 Gbps)
MIMO (not a fish)
MIMO stands for multiple-input, multiple-output. It lets a router send and receive over several antennas at once for faster, more reliable WiFi. A router or combo unit with MIMO costs a little more, but it is usually worth it if you take part in live online events or stream HD content. With extended MIMO you get double the data streams (one for uploading, one for downloading).
We hope by providing a mini course on WiFi technology, the issues, solutions and various technologies available to get you online today we have helped shed some light on how complex this can be. If we have added to the confusion, please contact us with any pre, or post, sales questions about WiFi and what might work best for you.