Tips on How to Fix a Weak WiFi Signal

1. Check Your Current WiFi Situation

Reboot Your Network Equipment

One of the easiest ways to check and troubleshoot WiFi network issues is to turn off everything, including your computer, mobile phone, internet connection,turn off the modem and router, wait ~30 seconds, and turn them back on.

Next, turn on one device at a time and check the WiFi signal on each. If the issue appears only when specific devices come online, note it — you may be seeing interference or QoS limits.

Perform WiFi Speed Tests

It's important to distinguish between problems with your WiFi signal and issues with your internet service provider (ISP).

To test the speed of your WiFi do this:

Step 1
Stand next to your router and go to speedtest.net or another speed testing service, such as Fast.com or Cloudflare’s speed test. Perform multiple tests and note your average download and upload speeds.

Step 2
Move to the area with the weakest WiFi signal and repeat the test.

Step 3
Compare the speed near the router and in the problematic room.

Notice a big drop in speed the farther you are from the router? That’s a sign your weak Wi-Fi signal is a coverage/interference problem. But if speeds are slow no matter where you are, the issue is likely with your internet provider, not the wireless setup — and it might be time to give them a call.

Keep in mind that online speed tests are the easiest, not the most accurate. For more reliable results, use a Wi-Fi analyzer with an active scan — e.g., a tool that measures throughput over your own WLAN rather than across the wider internet. These are practical moves for anyone asking how to fix weak WiFi signal without overpaying.

Compare your speed with your data plan and terms.

For a typical home, aim for at least 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up so you can stream 4K, hop on video calls, play games online, and keep multiple devices happy. If your internet use is lighter — checking emails, browsing the web — anything between 25 and 100 Mbps should be fine. But if you're consistently below 25 Mbps, expect trouble with gaming, remote work, or high-quality streaming.

For reference: each 4K video stream alone needs about 25 Mbps, so a busy household should have well over 100 Mbps total.

3. Address WiFi Interference and Channel Issues

Run a quick, reproducible test plan

If you’ve done all of the aforementioned steps and are still experiencing poor WiFi, you might finally want to check your signal to noise ratio. A what? Various electronic devices like microwaves, TVs, refrigerators, and even other WiFi networks can disrupt your signal.

Check your signal strength (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with a WiFi analyzer. This won't take long — just 5-7 minutes. Run a quick test:

Step 1
Baseline (near the router): Stand 1-2 meters from the router. Note the "Signal (dBm)" (RSSI) values, and you can also note the SNR value.

Step 2
Problem Room: Repeat the same measurements in the weak spot. If the signal is low across the board, suspect the internet service provider/transport network.

What the numbers mean (rules of thumb):

Signal (dBm):
–30…–50 = excellent,
–51…–67 = good for HD/calls,
–68…–75 = fair,
< –75 = poor/unstable.

SNR (if available):
≥ 41 dB = excellent,
25–40 dB = good,
16–24 dB = poor,
10–15 dB = practically unusable.

For greater accuracy and clarity, use WiFi heatmaps. They clearly show where interference and noise are reducing performance, not just signal strength. Many WiFi analyzers, such as NetSpot and Ekahau AI Pro, include a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) heatmap, which clearly shows clear and noisy areas, taking the guesswork out of it.

It’s a practical way to pinpoint problem spots and figure out what’s hurting your signal — especially when your WiFi is weak all of a sudden after a neighbor adds a new AP.

Choose the Right Frequency Band and Channel

Another common reason for weak WiFi signals is channel interference — and it often goes unnoticed. Even if your router supports multiple bands, the actual frequency and channel selection can make a big difference. When picking a channel, always scan with a WiFi Channel Scanner to avoid congestion.

Modern routers usually support dual or tri-band setups — 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and even 6 GHz (WiFi 6E).

• 2.4 GHz — offers longer range but suffers from slower speeds and heavier interference (especially from neighboring networks and IoT devices). It’s crowded and prone to overlap.
• 5 GHz — delivers faster speeds with shorter range, ideal for streaming or gaming where low latency matters.
• 6 GHz — the cleanest and fastest option, available on WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 devices, with minimal interference and wide channels (up to 320 MHz).

Choose a non-overlapping channel if available — for example, 1, 6, or 11 on 2.4 GHz. But if all channels are taken, it's better to use a fully overlapping channel (e.g., share channel 6) than a partially overlapping one (like 3 or 9), which can cause severe interference.

Also, avoid going too wide on channel width. While wider channels (e.g., 40/80/160 MHz) promise more speed, they also increase the chance of overlap and interference — especially on 2.4 GHz and in crowded apartments. For most users, 20 MHz on 2.4 GHz and 40 or 80 MHz on 5/6 GHz strike the right balance.

5. Check and Optimize Your Internet Service

After you have tried all the additional steps mentioned above and tried your best to troubleshoot WiFi interference, it may, indeed, finally be time to share your grievances with your ISP.

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