The wireless (Wi-Fi) signal strength and connection quality of the signal can be affected by many things including your router type, wi-fi frequency, the position of your router and type of devices connected. The following questions and answers represent some of the most common questions we’ve been asked.

While reading these questions keep in mind that the construction of your building, the thickness of walls, the types of interference in the area can all have an effect on your signal so use the below questions and answers as a good starting point and not an absolute rule.

Question: Is there a best spot in my home to place my Wireless Router? Can you move the router location for me?

Answer: A good analogy for a Wi-Fi signal is a giant bubble which expands from your wireless router. The further you are away in any direction the weaker the signal is. In most situations, this means that the best place to put a wireless router is somewhere central in your home or business. Kentucky Wimax can move the location of your router to a different exterior room for you for a one-time service call charge of $65.00. Please contact us at 859-236-8503 if you would like your router moved.

Question: Does the type of wireless router I have affect my Wi-Fi signal? Which router is best?

Answer: Your wireless router can have a dramatic effect on the signal strength you see on your wireless devices. Since routers are constantly being updated, new models released and old models no longer sold we do not have a specific recommendation for a router. We do recommend the website, smallnetbuilder.com which performs detailed reviews of routers which will help you judge which router is best for you. We can offer some general recommendations

• Routers with external antennas on average have better signal then built-in antennas.
• Routers operating in 2.4 GHz have better range and signal then routers operating in 5.7Ghz.
• Routers with high powered CPU’s better handle multiple clients and connected devices.
• A good return policy is worth a routers weight in gold. Some routers perform better for specific homes or businesses so make sure your router is returnable if it does not meet your expectations.

Question: My wireless signal doesn’t reach far enough, can I buy a booster or extender of some kind?

Answer: Many vendors are coming out with Wireless Extenders to extend the range of your wireless network. These devices work by being placed at a point in your home or business away from your router but still within the wi-fi coverage area and creating a new wireless signal from that point. These devices require an AC power wall socket and need to be setup first to connect to your wireless router. If your not comfortable in setting up a wireless extender many local computer repair companies have the ability to install these devices for you.

Question: My Wi-Fi router has dual band, what does that mean? Which is best?

Answer: Dual-band wireless routers are routers which feature both 2.4 GHz wireless and 5.7 GHz wireless signals. The 2.4 GHz wireless network, in general, is capable of slower speeds but penetrates walls and obstacles better producing a stronger signal. The 5.7 GHz wireless network, in general, is capable of faster speeds but does not penetrate walls or obstacles as well. In a modern router, a 2.4 GHz signal is capable of up to 300 Mbits per second so unless you are transferring large files or live in an area that is saturated with 2.4 GHz routers the best choice is to use the 2.4 GHz network.