3 Powerful Ways to Extend Your WiFi Range

Method 1. Find a Better Place for Your Router

Even the best WiFi router available won’t be able to provide satisfactory coverage if it’s positioned poorly. As you may know, the WiFi signal is affected by all kinds of interference, including walls, furniture, electronic appliances, and other wireless devices. While it may seem convenient to hide the router inside a cabinet, the strength of your signal will suffer considerably. Different physical obstacles absorb the signal at varying degrees, leading to coverage issues.

How Physical Obstacles Affect WiFi Signal

Obstacle	Signal Loss (dB)	Impact on WiFi
Drywall	3–5 dB	Minimal impact
Wooden doors	4-6 dB	Slight interference
Glass (plain)	5-8 dB	Moderate signal loss
Brick walls	10-15 dB	Significant interference
Concrete walls	15-25 dB	Major signal degradation
Metal surfaces	20-50 dB	Blocks most of the signal
Mirrors	10-20 dB	Reflects and distorts signal

As you can see, thick walls, metal surfaces, and even mirrors can severely weaken your WiFi signal. Simply finding a new location for your wireless router can have a dramatic impact on your WiFi signal for a variety of reasons.

💡 Pro Tips for Router Placement

• ✔ Position your router in a central spot to ensure consistent signal coverage throughout your space.
• ✔ Avoid placing it inside cabinets, drawers, or behind thick walls, as these can significantly weaken the signal.
• ✔ Keep the router elevated, such as on a shelf or mounted high on a wall, for better signal distribution.
• ✔ Minimize interference from electronic devices like microwaves, cordless phones, and Bluetooth gadgets.
• ✔ Use a WiFi analyzer to determine the best possible location based on actual signal strength.

You can easily find a better place for your router to extend your WiFi range using a WiFi analyzer and heat mapping tool like NetSpot.

With its WiFi Heatmaps feature, you can visualize your network coverage, pinpoint weak spots, and identify “dead zones” where the signal is lost. This allows you to make data-driven decisions about router placement for optimal performance.

In many real-world projects, simply moving the router 1-2 meters and changing the antenna direction was enough to turn “dead” zones on the heat map into usable areas without additional equipment.

Method 2. Optimize Your WiFi Band and Channel

Another very common reason for weak or unstable Wi-Fi, even when the router sits in a decent spot, is a poor choice of channel, channel width, or band. The good news: you can usually fix this with a bit of tweaking in your router settings.

Sometimes Wi-Fi coverage issues arise not from improper router placement, but from its settings. Often, we don’t consider the router’s frequency and leave it at its default settings. A weak or unstable signal often occurs for two reasons: the router is operating on a congested channel, or the channel is too wide for a noisy environment. Older routers that only operate in the 2.4 GHz band are especially susceptible to this, as they share this band with all neighboring Wi-Fi networks and numerous household appliances.

That’s why it’s important to check what’s happening in the air. Use a WiFi Channel Scanner to clearly see which channels neighboring networks are using, how strong they are, and how much overlap there is.

If you see that the whole 2.4 GHz band is packed and your router is stacked on top of several strong neighbors, or your network’s channel line is much wider than the others, that’s a good hint where the trouble comes from.

On older single-band routers your main tools are channel choice and a sensible channel width. If the analyzer shows that the air is overloaded, don’t just assume “wider is better.” A 40 MHz channel that cuts across several other networks can create overlap that you could avoid with a narrower 20 MHz channel on a cleaner frequency. The goal is simple: find the least busy channel you can, and then use the narrowest width that still gives you acceptable speed.

With newer dual-band and tri-band routers you have more options. They can broadcast on 2.4 GHz and one or two higher bands at the same time. 2.4 GHz reaches farther and goes through walls better, but it’s usually the most congested part of the spectrum. The 5 GHz band, and with Wi-Fi 6E/7 the 6 GHz band, don’t travel as far, but they are typically much cleaner and give you more room for wider channels without constant collisions.

💡 Pro tips for bands and channels

• ✔ If there are no truly free channels, it’s usually better to share one channel fully with a few strong networks than to sit between them on a partially overlapping one. Full overlap tends to behave more predictably than constant edge interference.
• ✔ Use a Wi-Fi analyzer or channel scanner that can see hidden networks as well, so you don’t pick a channel that only looks empty because the SSID isn’t being broadcast.
• ✔ Don’t automatically pick the widest channel. In busy environments a narrower but cleaner channel often gives higher usable speed and fewer drops.
• ✔ When the scan shows that 2.4 GHz is packed but 5/6 GHz is relatively empty, move as many modern devices as possible to those higher bands.
• ✔ The picture in the air changes over time: neighbors replace routers, add extenders, move equipment. Re-scan and review your channels and bands from time to time, especially if Wi-Fi suddenly starts acting up again.

Method 3. Enhance Your Equipment

If the previous steps didn’t fix the dead zones or unstable rooms, it’s time to think about your hardware. Upgrading your equipment — whether it’s a better antenna, a WiFi extender, a new router, a mesh network, or powerline adapters — can significantly boost your coverage and improve connectivity. In this section, we’ll help you choose the best option for your needs.

Get a Better Antenna

If you have a router with a replaceable external antenna, you can easily improve its performance by getting a better one. The gain of WiFi antennas is indicated in dBi (antenna gain in dB above an isotropic radiator). Many budget routers come with a small antenna with just 2 dBi, and replacing such antenna with a high-gain alternative is guaranteed to provide a significant boost in WiFi range.

To reinforce a particular area of signal weakness, you can point a directional antenna toward it, but you need to keep in mind that other directions may suffer. That said, most router antennas tend to be omnidirectional.

NetSpot’s Planning Mode allows you to virtually test different antenna configurations, helping you optimize your Wi-Fi setup before making physical changes.

This is especially handy when you’re choosing between several antenna models or trying to understand which direction a directional antenna should face.

Using a WiFi extender

A WiFi extender or booster takes the original signal and repeats it to extend its reach. WiFi extenders are also available without any ingress protection for use indoors. Such WiFi extenders are usually considerably less expensive than their outdoor counterparts, and they’re just as easy to install.

They come in a variety of styles including extenders that simply plug into a nearby electrical wall outlet and can solve the problems of an inadequate WiFi range. Regardless of which type you select, make sure to use NetSpot to determine the optimal placement for your WiFi extender so that it extends your WiFi range as much as possible. Remember that each extender “hop” usually cuts real throughput and adds latency, so this is more of a quick fix for one dead zone than an ideal long-term network design.

Use a Second Router as an Access Point or Repeater

If you have a spare router, you can repurpose it instead of buying a dedicated extender. The most reliable option is to connect the second router to your main router with an Ethernet cable and configure it to work as an access point. This gives you strong, low-latency coverage in another part of the house.

When running cable isn’t realistic, some routers can work as wireless repeaters. In that mode, the second router rebroadcasts the main Wi-Fi signal. This is convenient but less efficient: throughput is often cut in half and latency increases. Use NetSpot to check how much performance you actually gain in problem rooms and decide whether a wired access point or mesh system would be a better long-term solution.

Upgrade Your Router

Most home routers don’t fail overnight — they just quietly get overloaded. Every new gadget you connect, every jump in streaming quality, and every extra cloud app pushes a little more traffic through the same old box. If your router is five or six years old and you don’t see any mention of Wi-Fi 6 in its web interface or on the sticker, there’s a good chance it’s holding your network back.

Older routers may not efficiently manage the bandwidth demands of today’s high-definition streaming, online gaming, and smart home devices. They often operate on overcrowded frequencies, leading to interference and reduced performance.

In contrast, newer routers can operate on multiple frequency bands (dual-band or tri-band), offering dedicated channels for different types of devices, reducing interference, and ensuring smoother connectivity.

Additionally, contemporary routers come with advanced features such as beamforming and MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output). MU-MIMO allows the router to simultaneously interact with several devices at once, significantly boosting network efficiency and capacity.

The physical design of newer routers often includes more or high-gain antennas, which can further extend the Wi-Fi coverage area. Furthermore, the latest routers come with enhanced security protocols, providing better protection against unauthorized access and cyber threats.

Investing in a new router can be a straightforward and effective way to extend your Wi-Fi range, especially if you’re experiencing connectivity issues, slow speeds, or have a growing number of Wi-Fi-enabled devices in your home. It represents a critical step towards building a more reliable and faster home network capable of handling today’s digital demands.

The nice part is that you don’t have to guess whether “one new router in the hallway” is enough or if you should plan for several access points. In NetSpot Planning Mode, you can sketch a simple floor plan, drop in different router or AP models, and see a predicted coverage map before you buy anything. That makes it much easier to decide whether a single upgraded router will do the job or you really need a small multi-AP or mesh setup.

Employing a mesh network

If your budget allows it, then we recommend you extend the WiFi in your house by replacing your existing router with a mesh system to create a so-called mesh network.

A mesh network is made up of two or more WiFi access points, typically called nodes, which together blanket a large area with seamless WiFi coverage. By setting up a mesh network in your house, you can gain the ability to roam with your devices from room to room uninterrupted by connection drops and slowdowns.

WiFi Extender or Mesh Network? 🤔

If you’re unsure which solution suits you best, consider your home’s size and network needs. WiFi extenders are best for fixing isolated dead zones, but they degrade signal strength with each hop. In contrast, mesh networks create a unified system where each node delivers full-speed WiFi without drops.

For small coverage issues, an extender might suffice. But if you want seamless connectivity across a large home, a mesh system is the superior choice. Setting up a mesh network is simple:

1. Buy a mesh system that can cover your entire house.

2. Connect the main mesh node to your existing router or modem using an Ethernet cable.

3. Evenly place additional nodes around your and connect them to AC wall outlets.

4. Use a companion smartphone app or a web interface to set up the mesh system.

5. Use NetSpot to create a signal heat map and optimize the placement of individual nodes based on it.

That’s how easy it is to set up a mesh system!

Using Powerline Adapters

Powerline adapters use your home’s electrical wiring to extend network connectivity to distant rooms. They are particularly useful when running Ethernet cables is impractical, such as in multi-story homes, buildings with thick walls, or areas with poor Wi-Fi coverage.

Pros: More stable than Wi-Fi extenders, less interference, works well in homes with thick walls or multiple floors, and provides lower latency than wireless solutions.

Cons: Speed depends on the quality and age of the electrical wiring, may not function well in homes with separate electrical circuits or older wiring.

Some Powerline adapters come with built-in Wi-Fi access points, allowing them to create a secondary wireless network in areas with poor coverage. This can be particularly useful for garages, basements, and outdoor spaces where running an Ethernet cable would be impractical.

💡 Pro Tips for Enhancing Wi-Fi Equipment

• ✔ Choose antennas with higher dBi ratings (at least 5 dBi for better range, 9+ dBi for long-distance signals) and position them vertically for optimal performance.
• ✔ Position Wi-Fi extenders strategically — place them halfway between your router and the weak signal area for the best results.
• ✔ Upgrade to a dual-band or tri-band router to reduce congestion and provide faster speeds for multiple devices.
• ✔ Activate the QoS (Quality of Service) feature on your router to give priority to critical tasks such as video conferencing and gaming, ensuring they run smoothly even when background downloads are in progress.
• ✔ Use a wired backhaul for mesh networks when possible — connecting nodes via Ethernet greatly improves performance and reduces latency.