“Muuuuum! My Wi-Fi isn’t working again!”
How often do households around the UK hear those immortal words? WIFI is now such a fundamental need in a normal house that when it drops out it is suddenly the end of the world. Is there a solution? Is there a way to ensure Instagram can be checked and Fortnite can be played without the risk of World War III breaking out? Thankfully, at Hughes, we have various solutions.
The first rule is to not use Wi-Fi when you don’t need to. If you have devices at home that can be hard-wired to your Internet network at home – then do it. The less your router has to find, the better. We have countless solutions for getting hard-wired capabilities all around your home, which can give you better connection for your smart TV streaming.
But what about making the Wi-Fi stronger for devices that can only be used wirelessly? Access points hold all of the answers. These are clever little devices that enable you to send your internet signal around your home, giving you multiple “starting” points for your Wi-Fi signal, so that you don’t have everything trying to find your router. By taking your internet signal, and sending it out to access points, you allow your internet speed to be sent out from all over your house, ensuring you have less clashes and less issues over speed and signal strength.
Imagine what it is like in your own house. Downstairs in the living room, your WIFI signal is probably really strong. This is because you are near the router and there is very little interference from walls, microwaves, and other barriers to the signal. What is it like when you go upstairs? Especially in the bedroom at the far end of the house? Does the signal drop? Probably… and this is because barriers are preventing that Wi-Fi signal from reaching you. By adding access points around your home, the phone doesn’t need to find the router, it is just looking for the strongest Internet signal which is now coming from multiple locations.
So how do these work in your home? Ideally, you would run cables from your router. These cables would then run around your home (outside) and re-enter your home at points where a small dish-sized device is installed (the access point). This will give you better Wi-Fi in a larger area. The cable it uses is an Ethernet or cat5/6 cable. Your home may already have this installed, so why not use pre-existing cabling to boost your Wi-Fi? It is like having a separate router in various places around your home and, of course, you can add as many as you need! It may be that you just need one adding at the back of the house or maybe multiple devices dotted about to help you ensure a constant and perfect signal. This system is very flexible with the right installation and the cables… well, we can hide them outside for you so that we reduce the amount that have to be seen. As a rough guide, prices start from around £150 for an access point (other devices and installation may be required).
If cable runs are not a feasible option, MESH systems use the same basis as traditional access points but do so wirelessly (just using mains power) to distribute a better internet signal around your home. These devices then bounce the Wi-Fi signal along and around your home, to ensure you have the perfect Wi-Fi reach where you need it. This is a simple and effective solution that just works. Prices for MESH systems start from £200 (additional devices and installation may be required) and outdoor Wi-Fi is also becoming a more frequent desire, and of course, it wouldn’t be Hughes if we didn’t have an option for that as well!
Both solutions work. Of course, some homes need specific solutions, but by having multiple options Hughes can tailor a solution to suit you. Why not book a free in-home survey to see how we can help you improve the Wi-Fi in your home. Don’t forget, with our brilliant Sky broadband offers, we may even be able to save you money on your broadband at the same time!
