Don Trauger – Kennett
You may not even know you have a problem. You receive your email and browsing the Web is fine. Every so often your phone or computer disconnects from the Internet. Annoying, yes, but it reconnects after a few tries. That is a sign of a weak Wi-Fi signal. Check your Wi-Fi icon. On your PC computer, it can be found in the group of icons in the lower right corner of your screen on the Task bar. It may also be hidden. Click the little up arrow (caret) that is usually just to the left of the icons. This arrow hides even more program icons. The Wi-Fi icon is fan shaped. It represents the Wi-Fi signal starting from a very narrow shaped source (the bottom of the icon) spreading out at the top. It consists of 3-4 arcs from bottom to top. Count the arcs. 3-4 arcs mean good to excellent signal strength. You should have no problems. 1-2 arcs mean a very weak to a moderately weak Wi-fi signal. Cell phones usually don’t have the wireless sensitivity of a laptop. At my home, my cell phone shows 33% less download speed even though I’m connected on both devices to the modern 5G signal from the Verizon router. A design feature in all Wi-Fi devices is an automatic speed control to lower the download speed to maintain a stable connection to the Internet. No matter how old or how new your device is, they all have a built-in speed control. One of the negatives with Wi-Fi signal strength is that increases in download speed also increase connection and stability issues. Fortunately, speed control works well in maintaining download speed and connection reliability – to a point. It comes down to a balancing act of speed vs. connection stability. Connection stability always gets priority over download speed.
As you move further away from the Wi-Fi signal source (your router or wireless access point), you will encounter a variation of the above issue. Again, the speed will drop off to maintain the prioritized connection. Speed control will try to maintain a connection until it no longer can function and your device will no longer connect to the internet.
What can you do to remedy this situation? The answer is, purchase a Wi-Fi signal extender. This unique device works by capturing your router or wireless access point signal, then rebroadcasting it to extend the coverage area. For best coverage and reliable operation, the extender should be placed no less than 1 bar of signal strength away from the router or access point. This is a rough estimate so you may have to get closer to the router or access point to maintain a reliable connection. In any case, follow the instructions that come with the extender. As I write this Tech Tip, this TP-Link extender is available at Amazon. Here’s the link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wifi-Extender-Booster-Wireless-Repeater-dp-B08RHD97QY/dp/B08RHD97QY/ref=dp_ob_title_ce?th=1
This TP-Link extender, model AC1200, is currently discounted for a limited time by 54% from $49.99 to $22.99. It has a 4.2 Amazon review rating and plugs directly into an existing wall outlet.