Wireless networks have become a staple of businesses large and small. If yours falls into the latter category (meaning you work in a home or small office), check out Microsoft’s 10 tips for improving your wireless LAN. A few examples:
- Change your wireless channel. Wireless routers can broadcast on several different channels, similar to the way radio stations use different channels. In the United States and Canada, these channels are 1, 6, and 11. Just like you’ll sometimes hear interference on one radio station while another is perfectly clear, sometimes one wireless channel is clearer than others. Try changing your wireless router’s channel through your router’s configuration page to see if your signal strength improves. You don’t need to change your computer’s configuration, because it’ll automatically detect the new channel.
- Reduce wireless interference. If you have cordless phones or other wireless electronics in your home, your computer might not be able to “hear” your router over the noise from the other wireless devices. To quiet the noise, avoid wireless electronics that use the 2.4GHz frequency. Instead, look for cordless phones that use the 5.8GHz or 900MHz frequencies.
The author also recommends updating your router’s firmware, upgrading its antenna, and installing a wireless repeater. Of course, there are homes and buildings where all the repeaters in the world won’t boost the signal sufficiently (owing to various kinds of interference). In that case I recommend a product like the ActionTec MegaPlug AV 200, which uses existing electrical wiring to expand your network. I’ve used it in my home office and it works beautifully. Plus, it takes about 60 seconds to install. The two-adapter kit sells for $170.
