Why is my Wi-Fi rubbish ?
When you have a wired connection it is just your computer connecting to the network via that 100Mbs or 1000Mbs (1Gbs) cable. Once you connect via Wi-Fi other factors come in to play.
What speed does the Wi-Fi access point support? In 2021 the basic router comes with a 300Mbs Wi-Fi capability, but with better units it can increase to 1750 Mbs.
- Wi-Fi speed drops off with distance
- Wi-Fi is a shared connection so 10 devices each connecting to the same 150Mbs each get 15Mbs
- As with Internet connection speeds, for various technical reasons you never get the headline speed,
So the 300Mbs is often 150Mbs, or 72Mbs or less, shared among the devices means a busy Wi-Fi access point is often delivering less to each connected device than the onward Internet connection will support.
There are two main frequencies for Wi-Fi and you will find that most people are using the common 2.4GHz, so that other peoples Wi-Fi, in other organisations / rooms / buildings with produce a “fog” of background Wi-Fi noise which will help mask your signal and slow your connection further.
What can be done to give me the best signal possible?
- Cable more Wi-Fi access points, but poorly placed or configured can make things worse
- Use Wi-Fi access points that support higher speeds
- Use Wi-FI access points that support Wi-Fi 6 or at least both 2.4 Ghz & 5 Ghz frequency
- Select channel bands that aren’t being used by others in your area
- Use a Wi-Fi controller to balance the load among your Wi-Fi access points
- Place the points to give optimum coverage
Obviously we at CTi Communications Ltd, can help with all or any part of providing you with full high speed Wi-Fi coverage.