How to Extend Your Laptop Range

Plug a repeater into a wireless router's ethernet ports to boost its signal.

Few things are more frustrating than a weak WiFi signal. If you need to take some time out with your laptop in a quiet room to finish some work or indulge in a little private web surfing, it's common to find that the further away you move from your router, the weaker your signal becomes. There are a number of steps you can take to boost the range of your laptop.

Instructions

1. Move your router to an optimal location. If your router is situated on the floor and obscured by a pile of books or stuffed under a table with all of your other wiring, it's likely you're not making the most of its signal. Think about where you use your laptop most frequently and move your router to ensure you get maximum coverage to all the areas where you need it. Avoid corners and try to elevate it above the ground.

2. Buy an external WiFi signal booster. These come in the form of a USB dongle or a USB antenna and plug directly into your laptop to boost the strength of its network adapter. You can buy these from computer hardware stores or online.

3. Buy a repeater or additional wireless access point. These connect to your main router, usually by Ethernet cable, and need to be placed between the router and the area in which you're experiencing a weak signal. Again, these are widely available from computer hardware stores and online.

4. Reset your router and ensure it's configured correctly. Consult its user guide to establish how to optimize its setting for peak performance with the rest of your hardware.

5. Move cordless phones, cellphones and other equipment that might emit a radio signal away from your router and out of the signal's path between it and your laptop. These signals can interfere with WiFi transmissions.

6. Replace your antenna with a high-gain alternative. Most routers ship with a omni-directional antennas that transmit a signal equally in all directions. A high-gain antenna focuses its signal in one direction that you can focus on the area where you need optimal signal strength.

References

• Microsoft: 10 tips for improving your wireless network