If your Wi-Fi works well next to the router but slows or drops out upstairs, in the kitchen or in a back bedroom, the signal usually isn't reaching those rooms. Wi-Fi is a radio signal, and walls, floors, water, metal and distance all weaken it. Most homes have a weak spot or two, and most can be fixed.
This post covers how to rule out your broadband, what blocks the signal, the checks you can make yourself, and when an extender, mesh or wired access points make sense. Moving your router is fine to do yourself. Running new cables through walls, floors and ceilings, close to your electrics, is a job for a qualified installer.
First, check it's the Wi-Fi and not the broadband
Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, points out that Wi-Fi will never be faster than the broadband coming into your home. So run a speed test on your phone next to the router, then the same test in the room that struggles.
- If it's slow next to the router too, the problem is likely your broadband line or package, so speak to your provider.
- If it's fast by the router but slow elsewhere, the signal isn't reaching. That's what the rest of this post is about.
What weakens a Wi-Fi signal
The usual culprits are:
- Solid walls. Ofcom notes that brick internal walls block more signal than hollow plasterboard ones. Older homes with thick solid walls, and extensions built from block, often have the worst dead spots.
- Water, metal and glass. Radiators, fish tanks, mirrors and large appliances all absorb or bounce the signal. So does foil-backed insulation in many loft conversions.
- Distance. Routers usually sit where the phone or fibre line enters the house, often the far end from where you use them.
- Other gadgets. Ofcom lists microwave ovens, baby monitors, cordless phones and fairy lights as things to keep away from your router, worth remembering as the Christmas decorations go up.
Most routers also broadcast on two frequencies. The lower one, 2.4GHz, reaches further but is slower. The higher one, 5GHz, is faster but has a shorter reach.
Simple checks you can make yourself
- Put the router in a central spot, off the floor, on a shelf rather than inside a cupboard, behind the TV or on a windowsill.
- Keep it away from radiators, fish tanks, mirrors and the microwave.
- If it has aerials, point them in different directions, for example one upright and one sideways, as Ofcom suggests.
- Plug in devices that rarely move, such as a smart TV, games console or desktop computer, with an Ethernet cable. Ofcom says a cable often gives a better connection, and it frees up the Wi-Fi for everything else.
- Disconnect old devices you no longer use, as they all share the same bandwidth.
- If your router is several years old or keeps disconnecting, ask your provider whether a newer model is available.
If the router can't reach a better spot, don't trail extension leads across the floor to move it. Your provider or an installer can move the connection point.
Extenders, mesh and powerline compared
Extenders (also sold as boosters or repeaters) plug in between the router and the weak room and repeat the signal. They suit one stubborn room, but Ofcom notes they can reduce your speeds.
Mesh systems use several units placed around the home that work together as one network. Ofcom says they improve coverage without reducing the performance of your broadband. They work best when each unit only has to reach the next through a wall or two, not five.
Powerline adapters send the network signal through your home's electrical wiring, with one adapter plugged in by the router and another in the room that needs it. How well they work depends on your wiring. Plug them straight into a wall socket rather than an extension lead or multi-way adaptor, as most manufacturers advise, and only buy adapters with a UKCA or CE mark.
Avoid stacking plug-in units into an overloaded adaptor. If a room needs more sockets, that's a job for an electrician.
When a wired network is the better answer
In homes with thick walls, a loft conversion or a garden office, wireless units relaying to each other often run out of road. The reliable fix is a wired link behind the Wi-Fi.
This means running a network cable (usually Cat6 or Cat6A, the standard types of data cable for homes) from the router to each mesh unit, or to access points on the ceiling or wall. An access point is a small unit that broadcasts Wi-Fi, a bit like a second router without its own broadband line. Many are powered through the data cable itself, known as Power over Ethernet, so they don't need a socket nearby.
Every unit gets a full-speed connection, so coverage stays strong in the far rooms. A strong network matters for smart home kit too, as we explain in our post on wired vs wireless smart lighting.
Running network cable safely
- Never drill into walls or lift floorboards without knowing where the mains cables and pipes run. A cable detector helps, but it isn't foolproof.
- BS 7671, the UK wiring regulations, requires data cables to be kept apart from mains cables where they share a route or a box, unless they're insulated or separated to the right standard.
- Run any loose cable along skirting boards, not under rugs or across doorways, where it gets trodden on and becomes a trip hazard.
- A garden office or outbuilding needs outdoor-grade cable laid properly. If it also needs power, a new circuit is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations and should be done by a registered electrician.
How we sort out patchy Wi-Fi
We start with a visit to map your Wi-Fi coverage, work out cable routes and agree the kit with you, and you get a written design and equipment list before work starts. We then fit mesh units or access points with neat cable runs, using Cat6A or fibre where needed, test the coverage and show you how it all works. As NICEIC registered electricians, we can add any sockets the network needs at the same visit.
If some rooms are still blackspots after the simple checks, Inspired Smart Living can survey your home and design a network that reaches them. You can book a site survey through our smart home and home networking service.
