Everything You Need to Know About WiFi Boosters

Follow these 5 tips and your WiFi speed should perform better than ever!

​1. Make sure your router is in a good place.​

This is super important, guys! Avoid placing your router close to metal objects that emit electromagnetic waves. 

The best place for your router is to elevate it - place it on a desk or an end table and try to avoid placing it on the floor.

2. Buy a WiFi repeater, WiFi booster, or a WiFi network extender.​

I mean, of course this was going to be one of the tips - seeing as these three things were the bulk of the article.

Instead of reiterating what we previously said, we'll sum it up to this:

Each of these three things take a WiFi signal, amplify it, and transmit it again (at a faster pace).​

​3. Reboot if necessary.

The #1 thing most IT guys will say when you call them for assistance is 

"Well, did you turn it on and off yet?"​

Sometimes, all your router needs is a good reboot. This clears the routers memory and allows new system updates to install.

​4. Say "goodbye" to WiFi leeches (yes, this includes your friends).

When you host small parties for your friends or family, do you notice how fast your WiFi speed decreases? Yeah, same.

My best advice for you during times like these? Create a separate guest network that your friends and family use.​

Oh - and don't think your neighbors won't try to use your WiFi (if it isn't password protected). They will! 

Come up with a well encrypted password for your WiFi and be stingy about who you give it out to!

5. Switch to a different WiFi channel.

Think of WiFi channels as a highway - there are tons of roads you can get off on that are far less congested than the previous.

Most countries have six non-overlapping WiFi channels (1, 6, 11, and 14) and, because users don't realize they can change the channel, they leave it on the default one (1 or 6).

These two channels are usually the most congested ones which means lots of traffic jams and piss poor connection.

Find a better WiFi channel to use and voilà! Better connection.

We have two answers for this particular question!

Let's talk about where your WiFi extender in your house.

As a simple rule of thumb, your WiFi extender should be half-way between your wireless router and your computer. Take a look at the image blow to see the do's and don'ts:

You'll often get the best connection when there's a clear line of sight from the WiFi extender and router as well as the WiFi extender and computer.

This means, you don't want to have a thick wall blocking the connection from either side.

Where should you put your WiFi extender in your RV?

This question weighs heavily depending on the booster you buy, but more often than not, you'll want to put your WiFi extender on the roof of your RV.

By doing it this way, you'll need to run a cord out of the window.

Many RV enthusiasts attach their WiFi extender to their TV antennas, which can be raised or lowered from the roof.

This works out perfectly, since it allows your booster a bit more height to clear trees.

You can... with a few pit falls.

​The number one thing you want to avoid is connecting one WiFi extender to the other. 

By doing this, you risk the quality of your connection. If you're planning on using two WiFi extenders, be sure they're both connected to the main router.

Be sure you don't broadcast the same SSID (service set identifier) as your main router. 

However, if you're able to wire your extenders to the main router with an Ethernet cable or power line, you should be fine to broadcast with the same SSID.

The short answer? No.​

The longer answer? No, not WiFi extenders - but WiFi repeaters do.​

Because a WiFi repeater is wireless, it's susceptible to interference. 

This means that thick walls, floors, and ceilings will often disrupt the connection and weaken the signal.

The further your WiFi repeater is from the router itself, the weaker your signal will be.

WiFi extenders, on the other hand, connects to your WiFi network through a wired connection. 

By connecting directly to the router, you get a far stronger connection regardless of thick walls, floors, and ceilings.

The point here? Make sure you pick up the WiFi extender and not a WiFi router!