Anyone who has connected to a Wi-Fi network knows that the range is not infinite. As you move away from the radio transmitter, the signal degrades and eventually drops out. An interesting metaphor for this is your voice, which also fades and eventually dissipates the farther that it travels. Another example is if your house has multiple rooms, then the signal also blocks by the wall. If your router is installed in the living room and you enjoy streaming movies online from your favorite streaming services in your bedroom, you may experience lagging while watching or even playing online games.
Factor #1: Wireless Radio Strength
Not all wireless routers are created. Wireless routers have radios that broadcast and receive signals. The more powerful the radio, the farther the range. Be mindful that your wireless device has a radio too, which means that your maximum range is limited to the weaker of those two devices.
Factor #2: Communication Protocol
Which protocol the communication is using dictates the range as well. Higher data rates and wider bandwidth are both factors that will diminish the maximum potential range. Older protocols like 802.11b provided better range because of the lower data rate and narrow bandwidth. The 802.11ac standard has a higher data rate and wide bandwidth because it was designed with the needs of the modern internet user in mind, but that came at a tradeoff of less maximum range.
Factor #3: Environment
Loss of wireless signal is called path loss, and range is not the only reason it happens. It also occurs because there are obstructions or interference. In a home environment, it is not unusual for walls, ceilings and floors to be difficult to penetrate and thus result in a weaker wireless signal.
What Obstructs a Wireless Signal?
Any solid object can weaken a wireless signal. Consider our voice example from earlier on. If you are in a room and speaking to someone in the hallway, that person can hear you fine. But if that person was to close the door, your voice would now be muffled as it could not pass through the obstruction well.
If you were to take your router and mobile device out into a field, you may find that you could move up to 100 feet without signal loss. With that same equipment indoors, it may be reduced to 50 feet. There are some materials that make it near impossible for a wireless signal to pass through. A concrete wall is an example. Fortunately, most homes are not so dense and thus much more forgiving.
Interference Is a Factor as Well
Obstructions are generally things that you can see and feel. There is also the matter of interference. This is often something that you cannot see but which can have a very real effect on wireless signals. It is common for people in congested urban environments to experience diminished Wi-Fi performance due to the sheer amount of competition that exists between the signals. Other potential sources of interference include cell phones, baby monitors, and microwaves.
Let us return to our voice example. Imagine you are having a conversation with someone in the living room. A second person shows up and starts talking to you at the same. Then, a third person shows up and starts talking as well but also turns on the television and blasts the volume.
Extenders and Repeaters
If you are experiencing obstructions and/or interference, you have some options, including a more powerful Wi-Fi router, better omnidirectional antennas, and a portable cell phone signal booster. But even with your existing equipment, extenders, and repeaters are both options. An extender can use Ethernet wiring, coaxial cables, or even electrical wiring to provide a signal to troubled areas. Repeaters extend your range and coverage in a more general sense. These are essentially relays that receive a signal and rebroadcast it.
