WiFi signals uses radio waves to move through the home, and the strength of those radio waves can vary depending on the frequency bands of the WiFi signal. WiFi signals use three main frequency bands: the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band. The 2.4 GHz band have a long range and can travel through walls, so it is often used for smart plug and smart sensors.
The 5 GHz band allow for faster speeds then the 2.4 GHz band, but it loses signal strength quick when it encounters obstacles like walls. Finally, the 6 GHz band allow for the fastest speeds, but has the shorter range of the two frequency bands, so devices that are located in the same room as the router should best use it. The physical obstacle within the home can alter the path of the WiFi signals, and may reduce the strength of the signal.
How WiFi Signals Move in Your Home
Signals can be dramatically reduced when they encounter material like concrete walls or floors, but may experience a very small drop in signal when encountering materials like drywall or glass windows. Each time the signal encounter an obstacle in the path, the usable distance of that signal is reduced. For instance, if the router is placed in the corner of the living room, the signal may not be strong enough to reach the bedroom on the upstairs hallway.
The signal does not weaken due to the fact that WiFi signals is meant to be weak, but that the signal encounters obstacles in its path that reduce its strength. Although the WiFi standards have change over time, the physics of the WiFi signal have not changed. New WiFi standards allow for more data to be transferred between devices and allows for more devices to be connected to the network.
However, no amount of new standard can change how walls and distance impact the WiFi signal. Thus, regardless of the age of the device that is being used, if the WiFi signal is weak, the signal will not reach the device. To mitigate this, the router must be placed in such a way that the signal can reach all area of the home.
Placing the router in a high and central location in the home will allow for the signal to spread even throughout all areas of the home. Additionally, placing a second WiFi unit in another part of the house will allow for that area to be covered by the WiFi signal, which is more efficient than attempt to provide WiFi signal to each corner of the house with one router. Many individual may choose to use WiFi extenders to provide signal to areas of the home that currently dont receive the WiFi signal.
However, using extenders can reduce the WiFi speed for the devices that is connected to that network. The extenders will receive the signal from the router, but rebroadcast the signal, which cuts the available WiFi speed in half. An alternative to extenders are mesh systems, which use a dedicated radio signal to communicate between the nodes of the network without reducing the WiFi speed.
Powerline adapters is another alternative to extenders, which use the existing electrical wiring in the house to move the WiFi signal throughout the house. Each of the devices that are placed into the home should be matched with the type of WiFi band that is used by the network. For instance, devices like phone and laptops should use either the 5 GHz band or the 6 GHz band if they are close to the WiFi router, as these bands provide faster speeds.
Smart bulb and smart plugs, however, should use the 2.4 GHz signal, as this signal has the longest range, and the smart devices do not require high speed. Finally, smart cameras may require a balance between the type of WiFi bands, as they require a significant amount of bandwidth but should also be able to communicate with the network through walls. Finally, three main factor can impact the range of the WiFi signal: the frequency band of the WiFi signal, the physical obstacles in the home, and the number of devices using the airwaves to connect to the network.