It is clear that a fast Internet connection is the basis of everything we do with many of the devices we have at home, not only the computer, but also the tablet, the smartphone etc. When you have problems in any area, the first thing is to know the quality of the WiFi signal.
Whenever you are in a room in your house and notice that the Internet is not working properly or that you have more problems than usual, for example, opening a website or something else, the first thing you should check is the WiFi router signal.
If you verify that the signal is really low, then you should resort to repeaters, Mesh systems or something of that style. But it is clear that you must make sure that the quality of the WiFi is good enough to not have any problems.
Here are ways to check the WiFi signal strength or quality.
Speed test
It is clear that the vast majority of users, the first thing they are going to do is a speed test. With this, you will know how many Mbps you have both upload and download and compare with what you have contracted, always bearing in mind that WiFi loses some speed.
But not only are you going to obtain data on how much speed your connection has, you will also know what its ping is.
The ping is how you measure the latency of the connection, which is nothing more than the exact time it takes to transmit a packet within the network. That is, the time it takes to receive from the server what you have pressed .
For example, if you have 60 milliseconds, it means that this is the time it takes for the information from the servers to reach your own computer.
If the speed differs a lot from what it should or an excessive ping is shown, we recommend moving the router to see if the connection arrives in a better way.
You can also use network expansion devices, whether the ping is high or the connection is slow.
Put the correct band
In combination with what we have told you above, you must choose the band that best suits your needs.
It is true that the 2.4 GHz network has less speed, but more range. However, the 5 GHz network may not reach as much, but it does have higher speeds.
But this is not always 100% fulfilled, so it is good to check the speed you have, varying from one band to another and thus know which is the one that best compensates you.
For Windows
Thanks to Windows, you can know what the signal of your router is like and thus decide what to do.
You will verify if it is adequate or not to obtain a repeater or similar device for the area where we are looking. The better the connection, the better you will ensure that there are no outages or problems when managing different types of WiFi uses in a home.
To achieve this, follow a few simple steps that we list below:
- Press the Windows + RÂ keys .
- In the pop-up window that appears, write cmd and then click on the OK key.
- Now you need to type the following command: netsh wlan show interfaces.
- You will see how the wireless networks are shown and the signal that reaches each one of them. The name, the WiFi band, the type of encryption, etc., will not appear until you look at where it says Signal.
If you put 99%, then you will not have a problem with the signal intensity.
If this data is very low, it is time for you to solve it, moving the router, buying a repeater or equipping yourself with a Mesh system.
Via software
In addition to what we have told you so far, you can also use third-party programs that will help you analyze what our WiFi signal is.
This way, you will know what it is like in that specific place, to know if you have to take any measures.
Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector
Xirrus WiFi Inspector may be the most complete of all, in addition to being the best for measuring the power of your wireless network .
It is capable of showing you the SSID, the MAC addresses, the IP addresses, the DNS, the gateways, the channel, the frequency, the WiFi mode and, of course, the signal strength.
Something that is really good is that we are talking about an absolutely free program, valid for both Windows and Mac OS X.
Acrylic Wi-Fi Home
This tool also shows you the signal you have in a graph that may be to the liking of many people, because there will be someone who understands it better when drawn.
Acrylic WiFi Home is very complete, since it gives many different data .
The counterpoint may be the fact that it is an application that is quite oriented towards all those people who already have knowledge of networks and, therefore, those who are more limited in this sense will surely tell them a lot more to understand it.
It is a software for which you do not have to pay anything to enjoy its complete information. There is only a version for the Redmond operating system, that is, for Windows.
As you have been able to see, knowing how to control your WiFi router signal, to be aware of whether you have to take any type of measure in this regard in any of the rooms of your house, is much simpler than you could imagine.
