Wi-Fi is misunderstood
I am often told that “My broadband is down” or “The internet is down” only to find that wireless networking isn’t working.
To clarify, Wi-Fi is neither broadband nor “the internet”. It is just a means of extending your routers broadband capability to other parts of your house or office without using cables. You connect to your Broadband Service router using wireless.
Although it is very convenient to use Wi-Fi for this, it is certainly not the quickest or most reliable way of connecting to broadband for various reasons.
1. Wi-Fi signals get weaker (therefore slower) the further away from the router you are.
2. Walls and other structures block Wi-Fi signals
3. Electrical equipment such as wireless telephones and microwave ovens interfere with Wi-Fi.
4. For security, Wi-Fi signals have to be encrypted by the router and then decrypted by your computer, thus slowing everything down.
5. Wi-Fi channels (frequencies) can get crowded especially if all of your neighbours use Wi-Fi to connect to the internet. When this happens everyone suffers with slow Wi-Fi connections.
So, Wi-Fi can be slow and unreliable, what’s the alternative? Your broadband router also has connections for Ethernet cables which are the best alternative. Although this can be cumbersome if your router is in the hallway and your office PC is upstairs. No-one wants to have to install cabling in the home.
Another solution is to install “Power-line” adapters which routes the broadband signal through house mains electrical wiring. You will need a minimum of two adapters. One next to your router and another at an electrical socket near your computer.
If you have problems connecting to the internet, give me a call. There are always better alternatives.
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