How To Get A Better Wi-fi Connection

Most of us have connected our computers to a router using a wireless connection at some time, with varying degrees of success. There's a reason for the problems, and you should be aware that in most cases it's not your equipment, it's the local environment. There are quite a few things you can do about these problems, and you may be surprised to hear that you can provide your own home computer support as well.

The problems

There are 2 popular standards of Wi-Fi in use at the moment:

* 802.11g - this operates on 2.4 GHz

* 802.11n - this operates on 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHz

The 2.4 GHz frequency is a bit too common for its own good. It's used by many other wireless devices which can interfere with your Wi-Fi and cause connection dropouts on your wireless network.

The solutions

There are some quick and easy ways to get better Wi-Fi stability and performance:

* Keep cordless phones, microwave ovens, and baby monitors at least 2 meters away from your wireless router, preferably further if at all possible. Basically, anything with a signal should be considered suspect if you're having problems. You won't be sending emails to your microwave, but you won't be getting much in the way of results, either if your Wi-Fi's in the wrong place.
* Put your wireless router in an elevated, safe position where it won't get bumped or fall off. (These things are tough, but not that tough.)
* Don't put things between the router and the computer if you can possibly avoid it. If necessary, move your whole setup to a better spot. Don't forget those walls!
* Try changing the wireless channel on the router. Try channels 1, 6 or 11.
* Change your router to a dual-band N (802.11n) router. Dual band N routers can operate on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency.

(Note: if you change your router, you must also have dual-band capable N wireless adapters to connect to it. Check with your supplier.)

If you are still having problem with your wireless connection, call gizmo at 1300 275 449 or email us at

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