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4 Quick ways to boost your wireless signal

With the number of cord cutters continually rising as consumers around the world choose to go wireless, it's crucial that you know how to get the very best out of your wireless devices. 

In this article, we're going to share with you our top tips for improving wireless connectivity and performance; something that we hope will save you an awful lot of time and frustration. 

Aim High!

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This is fairly common knowledge, but definately worth a reminder. It's not a hard and fast rule, but generally speaking, the higher your device, and antenna is positioned, the better its chances of picking up wireless signals. Find a shelf or vantage point for your router, radio or wireless transceiver in an effort to get the best radio reception possible. It's also true that those on the top of the hill are also more likely to receive strong radio signals than those down in the valley; although admittedly, it is somewhat less practical to relocate your home just for this purpose. 

Invest in an antenna

It's not the most obvious upgrade, but is one with the largest upside with the right application. Many common devices with stock antennas attached sacrifice short distance for their 360 radious, these types of antenna are commonly referred to as being "omni-directional", in that they offer equal performances in all directions. Whilst this may be ideal for some environments, like a typical family home, there are better solutions when it comes to driving pure RF performance. Consider upgrading to a "high gain" antenna, which is engineered to perform optimally in only one direction, if you have the freedom to set your wireless systems up in a way which allows you to direct your antenna in this way, an omni-directional antenna simply can't match its potential.  

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Here at RF Solutions, we offer one of the most extensive selections of antennas to cover a wide range of specification requirements. You will benefit from our range of antennas when it comes to variation and performance, browse by frequency, type and range to find the antenna to suit your project. 

Make sure you have the latest firmware updates

We know it's a hassle and might not seem like a great deal, especially when seemingly unimportant releases are being rolled out by your device's manufacturer; but the changes listed in the update's logs are there to fix underlying problems related to performance, and perhaps more importantely in this day and age, security. Many manufacturers will give you the opportunity to make this download and installation process automatic, so it may be worth delving into the settings menu to see if you can enable this method of delivery. 

If you find your device is lagging behind, or you just can't seem to remain connected, taking a couple of seconds to investigate whether or not you have the latest firmware package is a no-brainer. 

Be aware of limitations

Some wireless devices are designed to operate out of the box with a very low transmit power, as they're expecting to be used in conjunction with devices that won't be positioned far from the wireless access point, this isn't an issue. However,  when you add obstacles such as brick walls and installations to the mix, you might find that your wireless device begins to struggle. Be aware of these factors when it comes to positioning your wireless router or access point.

This is especially true for Wi-Fi connections. Generally speaking, a 2.4GHz band will sacrifice interference and performance for distance, and a 5 GHz band will allow you to achieve optimal data delivery rates by reducing interference - which is especially important if you live in a residential area and your wireless device is competing with many others in a relatively small radius.  

Click here to see the RS range of RF Solutions antennas

RF Solutions produce quality components and systems that utilise the latest RF technology to create practical solutions for a range of applications. We also offer a variety of bespoke services with friendly, dedicated customer support.
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