Why Is Wi-Fi Coverage So Bad in My House, and How Can I Fix It?

Full Article (Lifehacker.com)

Adam Dachis touched on a few ways to extend your wireless signal in his guide to going completely wireless in your home, but we'll get a bit more substantive in dealing with Wi-Fi killers in trying to help out a laptop warrior tied to such a small area.

Let's look at some of the common Wi-Fi killers, and how to best them.

Home Construction and Other Obstructions

The way your home is built has likely the most direct impact on how far Wi-Fi can penetrate the house. The vast majority of homes were built before the concepts of cellphones, 3G service, and Wi-Fi were discussed outside of Nikola Tesla reading groups.

Steel structures, concrete, the layout of air-conditioning vents and returns in homes with centralized systems, aquariums, and the spot where your dog chooses to nap can all make an impact on your Wi-Fi coverage. One big signal killer could also be lurking in your walls, especially if your house dates back more than 60 years: chicken wire. Seriously.

As the Wall Street Journal explains, many homes with plaster and lath walls were held up by wood wrapped in chicken wire. When modern homeowners try to live the wireless life, they find terrible Wi-Fi coverage, because the wire is spaced in just such a way to create a perfect shield against Wi-Fi frequencies (sometimes called a Faraday cage). Image via Nanimo.

You can move your aquariums and re-position your router to provide better, more centralized coverage—more on that down below. But you're likely not going to gut your walls to fix your wireless, so let's eliminate other potential culprits. Continue reading...