There’s no doubt: we live in a wireless world, where nearly every aspect of our daily life depends on a reliable Wi-Fi connection. The heartbeat of a modern smart home is its ability to manage and communicate efficiently with the multitude of devices in your house.

Wireless networking (officially designated as IEEE 802.11xx) has become a ubiquitous platform since its release in 1997. However, despite advances in technology and implementation, your home Wi-Fi still requires finessing to make it work consistently.

Do you find the connectivity in your Rancho Santa Fe, CA home is inconsistent? Continue reading to learn how we improve your network experience.

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Go Hardwired

It may be a surprise to hear this, but running wires is best for a genuinely reliable and fast connection. This fact does not mean that you have to chuck all of your Wi-Fi and IoT (Internet of Things) devices. Instead, consider directly connecting high-bandwidth units like smart televisions, home theater content, and high-performance audio to free up space for lighting controllers and video surveillance.

Location Is Key

Unlike radio wave frequencies, Wi-Fi’s waves are relatively small. Rather than being able to bend around obstructions like your local sports channel’s transmission, wireless bounces off walls and objects, diffusing its signal. This inhibiting of propagation and the legal limits on power output means you need to think carefully about where transmitters are placed.

As a general rule, routers and mesh extenders should be placed a minimum of 6’ off the floor and never under a bed, desk, etc. In addition, it is best to refrain from putting units in closed cabinets, corners, or behind metal doors or frames. If the architecture and decor demand placement in detrimental locations, it is recommended that you run antenna extensions.

Manage Traffic

Wi-Fi works using very limited spectrums of RF (Radio Frequency) as designated by the FCC. These frequencies are further divided into ‘channels,’ which your routers are set to transmit on. The average urban apartment has about 500 devices surrounding it, with all of them looking for a connection. A device fighting through this haze will have slower speeds and less room for high-resolution content like 4K video.

Much like finding an alternate route to avoid traffic, changing from the default channel goes a long way toward ensuring a reliable signal connection. With less congestion to contend with, your routers focus on delivering data and not fielding requests from unnecessary devices.

Passwords Matter

You probably already know this, but you absolutely need a password on every Wi-Fi device that can accommodate one. Enabling security on your network keeps hackers at bay and prevents your neighbors from stealing bandwidth, whether on purpose or not.

While this does make it more difficult to log on to equipment and interfaces initially, it benefits you in the long run. Using a strong security protocol like AES gives you enterprise-class protection with minimal impact on bandwidth speeds.

Upgrade to Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) became officially available in late 2019, and it is designed to resolve several outstanding issues. Many consider this newest flavor of wireless to be the biggest and best leap forward in over a decade.

The system now has the ability to deliver different types of traffic to more devices with varying bandwidth needs simultaneously. In addition, Wi-Fi 6 is superior at identifying devices that are part of your network and ignoring signals from external sources.

Finally, all of your wireless devices will have longer battery life. Wi-F i6 native units can set designated talk time, turning on their radios only when needed, thereby saving energy.

Connect Better Today

Are you looking for expert home network installation? Our team makes your smart home dreams come true. Call us at (858) 798-9130 or fill out our contact form to start the conversation today!