WiFi Coverage Problems and How to Fix Them: Diagnosis Before Purchase
WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them is a subject where most people buy something before they understand what is wrong, and the something is usually the wrong thing. The connection is slow in the bedroom, so they upgrade to a faster plan and the bedroom is exactly as slow, because the bottleneck was never the connection.
The signal drops in the kitchen, so they buy a repeater from a shop, plug it in where the signal is already weak, and now the kitchen has a strong signal carrying the same weak connection at half the speed. Video calls freeze in the study, so they blame the provider, who tests the line at the router and finds nothing wrong, because there is nothing wrong with the line.
What is wrong is that WiFi is a radio signal, it behaves like one, and a single router in the corner of a masonry-walled house was never going to reach every room. Almost every coverage complaint has an identifiable cause, most of the causes are cheap to fix once identified, and the expensive fixes are usually the ones people reach for first.
This guide covers working out what is actually wrong before spending anything: separating WiFi problems from connection problems, how signal behaves in buildings, placement, interference, device and router limitations, and then the fixes in order of cost — from moving the router to adding wired access points — and when the sensible answer is to call someone.
The value of understanding WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them is that the fix matches the cause, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them approach that diagnosed first will spend far less than one that bought a repeater on the way home — which is why WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them begins with a test rather than a purchase.
Table of Contents
- Diagnose Before You Buy Anything
- The Kenyan Context
- Is It the WiFi or the Connection
- Testing at the Router
- How WiFi Signal Actually Behaves
- Walls, Floors and Construction
- Distance and Why It Matters Less Than Walls
- Router Placement
- The Provider-Supplied Router
- Dead Spots
- Slow in Some Rooms
- Dropping and Reconnecting
- Interference From Neighbouring Networks
- Interference From Devices and Appliances
- The Two Frequency Bands
- Channel Congestion
- Too Many Devices
- Old Devices and Old Standards
- One Device Consuming Everything
- Router Age and Firmware
- Heat and Overheating
- Power Interruptions and Router Reboots
- Extenders and Repeaters
- Mesh Systems
- Wired Access Points
- Powerline Adapters
- Cabling as the Real Fix
- Outdoor and Compound Coverage
- Multi-Storey Homes
- Apartments and Shared Buildings
- Small Business Premises
- Security While You Are Fixing It
- When to Call an Installer
- What the Fixes Cost
- Frequently Asked Questions
Diagnose Before You Buy Anything {#diagnose-first}
The order matters and most people invert it.
Establish whether the problem is the connection or the WiFi.
Establish where the problem occurs and where it does not.
Establish when it occurs, since a problem only in the evening differs from one all day.
Establish which devices are affected, since a problem on one old phone differs from one on everything.
Try the free fixes first, including moving the router and changing the band.
Only then consider buying, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them purchase made without diagnosis is a guess, and repeaters bought on guesses fill drawers.
Most fixes are cheap once the cause is known, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them sequence that starts with testing rather than shopping usually ends with less spent.
The Kenyan Context {#kenyan-context}
Local conditions make coverage problems more common than they would be elsewhere.
Masonry and concrete construction is standard, and it attenuates WiFi far more than the timber-framed buildings much online advice assumes.
Multi-storey homes and apartment buildings put floors between the router and the user, and concrete floors are worse than walls.
Provider-supplied routers are frequently basic, with modest range and limited configuration.
Power interruptions reboot routers several times a week, which produces drops that look like coverage faults.
Heat affects equipment in rooms without ventilation.
Dense housing means many neighbouring networks competing on the same channels, particularly in apartments.
Older handsets are common and their WiFi capability limits what they receive regardless of the network.
Mesh systems are available and cost more here than in some markets, which affects the fix-selection calculation.
The router is usually wherever the installer left it, which is where the cable came in rather than where coverage needs it, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them diagnosis often ends there, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix that costs nothing is moving the router.
Is It the WiFi or the Connection {#wifi-or-connection}
This single distinction resolves most confusion.
The connection is what the provider delivers to your router.
The WiFi is how the router distributes it inside the building.
A slow connection is slow everywhere including next to the router.
A WiFi problem is fine next to the router and poor elsewhere.
Upgrading the connection does nothing for a WiFi problem.
Changing router placement does nothing for a connection problem.
Providers test the line at the router, which is why they find nothing wrong when the problem is coverage.
Test both, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them complaint about the bedroom that tests fine next to the router is a WiFi problem, and one that tests slow next to the router is the provider’s, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them diagnosis that established which has already halved the possible causes.
Testing at the Router {#test-at-router}
The baseline test takes two minutes and settles the first question.
Stand next to the router with a phone or laptop.
Run a speed test.
Note download, upload and latency.
Move to the problem room and run the same test.
Compare.
A large drop between the two is a coverage problem.
Poor figures at the router are a connection problem or a router problem.
Test at different times, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them result at midday may differ from one at nine in the evening when the provider’s network is busy.
Test with a cable if possible, since a laptop plugged directly into the router removes WiFi from the equation entirely and shows what the connection actually delivers.
Record the numbers, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them baseline lets you see whether a fix improved anything rather than relying on impression.
How WiFi Signal Actually Behaves {#signal-behaviour}
Understanding the physics explains every coverage problem.
WiFi is radio, and radio weakens with distance and with every obstacle it passes through.
Signal spreads roughly outward from the router in all directions, which means a router in a corner sends half its signal into the neighbour’s property.
Obstacles absorb signal, and denser materials absorb more.
Metal reflects and blocks it.
Water absorbs it, which is why a tank, an aquarium or a person standing in the path reduces signal.
Higher frequencies carry more data and penetrate less, which the bands section explains.
Signal strength and usable speed are related but not identical, since a device can show full bars on a congested channel and still be slow.
Each obstacle takes a share, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them path through two masonry walls and a floor may lose most of the signal before it arrives, which is why a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix is usually about reducing obstacles between router and device rather than about boosting power.
Walls, Floors and Construction {#walls-floors}
Building materials are the dominant factor here and the one most advice underweights.
Concrete and stone absorb heavily.
Brick and block walls absorb substantially.
Plaster and timber partitions absorb little.
Concrete floors are worse than most walls, since they are thick and reinforced.
Steel reinforcement in concrete blocks further.
Tiled walls and floors add to it.
Metal doors, security grilles and window frames block and reflect.
Count the obstacles between router and problem room, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them path with two concrete walls will not work regardless of router quality, and the fix is a second access point on the other side of them.
Do not expect one router to serve a masonry house of any size, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them expectation set by advice written for timber-framed houses does not apply to construction here.
Distance and Why It Matters Less Than Walls {#distance}
Distance alone is rarely the problem.
Open-air range is substantial.
Indoor range is determined by what is in the way rather than by metres.
A room twenty metres away through open space may be fine.
A room five metres away through a concrete wall and a metal door may not.
Line of sight from router to device is the ideal, which is rarely achievable indoors.
Diagonal paths through walls are worse than perpendicular, since the signal passes through more material.
Think in obstacles rather than distance, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix that moves the router to reduce walls in the path helps more than one that moves it closer through the same walls.
Router Placement {#placement}
Placement is the free fix and the most effective one.
Central in the area to be covered, since signal radiates outward and a central position wastes least.
Elevated, since a router on the floor loses signal to furniture and a router at head height or above clears it.
Open, since a router inside a cabinet or behind a television is attenuated by its own enclosure.
Away from metal, including fridges, metal shelving and security grilles.
Away from water, including tanks and aquariums.
Away from other electronics, including microwaves and cordless phone bases.
Antennas oriented sensibly where the router has external ones.
Where the cable enters is rarely where coverage needs it, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix may be as simple as extending the cable from the entry point to a central location.
Try positions and test, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them router moved from the corner of the sitting room to a central hallway may resolve the bedroom entirely at no cost.
The Provider-Supplied Router {#provider-router}
The router the provider gave you is frequently the limitation.
It is chosen for cost rather than for range.
It may have a single band or limited configuration.
Its antennas are modest.
Its processor may struggle with many devices.
It may be adequate for a small flat and inadequate for a house.
Replacing it is a legitimate fix, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them household that swapped a basic provider router for a mid-range one has often resolved coverage that seemed to require more.
Check whether replacement is permitted and how, since some providers require their device to remain in the chain and a separate router connects behind it.
Ask the provider for a better unit, since some have them and will supply on request.
Do not assume the connection is the problem when the router is, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them test with a borrowed better router tells you quickly whether the device was the limit.
Dead Spots {#dead-spots}
Dead spots are rooms where nothing works and they have a clear cause.
Too many obstacles between router and room.
Distance combined with obstacles.
Metal or water in the path.
The room being outside the router’s effective range entirely.
Fixes in order of cost: move the router, change to the lower band, add an access point on the far side of the obstacles.
Repeaters placed in the dead spot do not work, since a repeater needs signal to repeat and there is none there, and this is the most common repeater mistake.
Repeaters placed halfway may work, at a cost the extenders section explains.
A wired access point in or near the dead spot is the reliable fix, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them dead spot that resisted every wireless fix resolves the moment an access point with a cable arrives, which is why a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them approach considers cabling earlier than most people do.
Slow in Some Rooms {#slow-rooms}
Weak signal produces slow speed and the cause is the same as dead spots at a lesser degree.
Signal that arrives is weak, so the device falls back to slower rates.
Retransmissions increase as errors rise.
Full bars are not the whole story, since bars measure signal strength and speed depends on quality too.
The device may connect to the far band when the near one would serve better.
Congestion adds to it in dense areas.
Test with the baseline, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them room at a third of the router-adjacent speed is a coverage problem, and the fixes are the same as for dead spots.
Force the band, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them device that is holding onto a weak high-band signal may perform better on the lower band, which the bands section explains.
Dropping and Reconnecting {#dropping}
Connections that drop and return have several possible causes.
Marginal signal at the edge of range, where the device connects and loses it repeatedly.
Interference bursts from neighbouring networks or appliances.
Router reboots from power interruptions.
Router overload from too many devices.
Router overheating.
Old firmware with stability faults.
Device-side problems including power-saving settings that disconnect WiFi.
Establish the pattern, since drops only in one room point to signal, drops everywhere at once point to the router, and drops at particular times point to power or interference.
Check the router lights when it happens, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them router that is rebooting shows it, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them drop that coincides with the microwave running has found its cause.
Interference From Neighbouring Networks {#neighbour-interference}
In dense housing, neighbouring networks are frequently the real problem.
Every network nearby competes for the same channels.
Apartment buildings may have dozens of networks within range.
The lower band is most congested, since it has fewer channels and greater range.
Symptoms include slow speed despite good signal, and speed that varies with the time of day as neighbours come home.
A WiFi analyser application on a phone shows what networks are present and on which channels.
Changing channel to a less crowded one helps on the lower band.
Moving to the higher band helps more, since it has more channels and shorter range, so fewer neighbours reach you.
This is the primary cause in apartments, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them tenant in a dense block with strong signal and poor speed is almost certainly competing with neighbours, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix that moves devices to the higher band on a clear channel often transforms it.
Interference From Devices and Appliances {#device-interference}
Household equipment interferes and it is easy to overlook.
Microwave ovens emit on the lower band while running.
Cordless phones on some frequencies.
Baby monitors and wireless cameras.
Bluetooth devices in quantity.
Some LED lighting and its drivers.
Motors and poorly shielded electrical equipment.
The pattern reveals it, since interference from an appliance occurs when it runs.
Distance from the source helps.
Moving to the higher band avoids most of it.
Test by switching things off, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them drop that stops when the microwave is off has been diagnosed for free, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix is moving the router away from the kitchen.
The Two Frequency Bands {#bands}
Most routers offer two bands and choosing correctly resolves many problems.
The lower band travels further and penetrates walls better, and it is slower and more congested.
The higher band is faster and less congested, and it penetrates walls poorly and has shorter range.
A device close to the router with few obstacles should use the higher band.
A device far away or through walls should use the lower band.
Routers frequently combine both under one name and let devices choose, and devices choose badly, holding onto a weak higher-band signal when the lower band would serve.
Separating the bands into two names lets you choose per device.
Forcing the right band per location is a free fix, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them bedroom device that was struggling on the higher band through two walls may be fine on the lower one.
Understand the trade-off, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them household that put everything on the lower band for range has also put everything onto the most congested band.
Channel Congestion {#channels}
Within each band, channel choice matters in dense areas.
The lower band has few non-overlapping channels, which means neighbours are inevitably sharing.
The higher band has more.
Routers default to auto-selection, which sometimes works and sometimes picks poorly.
A phone analyser shows which channels are busiest.
Manual selection of a quieter channel helps on the lower band.
Re-check periodically, since neighbours change and a quiet channel becomes busy.
Wider channels increase speed and increase overlap, which is a trade-off in dense areas.
This is a five-minute fix, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them router moved from a channel shared with six neighbours to one shared with none may improve speed substantially with no hardware change.
Too Many Devices {#too-many-devices}
Device count has grown and routers have limits.
Phones, laptops, tablets, televisions, cameras, smart devices and everything else.
Each connected device consumes router capacity even when idle.
Basic routers handle a modest number well and degrade beyond it.
Symptoms include general slowness and drops affecting everything.
Count what is connected, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them household with thirty devices on a router designed for ten has found its problem.
Disconnect what is not needed.
A better router handles more.
Additional access points distribute the load as well as the coverage.
Wired connections for fixed devices including televisions and desktops reduce the WiFi load, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix that cabled the television has freed capacity for everything else.
Old Devices and Old Standards {#old-devices}
The device receiving the signal limits the experience as much as the router sending it.
Older phones and laptops support older, slower WiFi standards.
They may support only the lower band.
They may have weaker antennas.
They may slow the network for everyone, since some older devices force the router to accommodate them.
A test on a newer device in the same room tells you whether the device is the limit.
Replacing the router does not help a device that cannot use what the new router offers.
Diagnose per device, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them complaint about one old phone that does not affect a newer laptop in the same room is a device limitation, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix in that case is the device rather than the network.
One Device Consuming Everything {#bandwidth-hog}
A single device can consume the connection for everyone.
Large downloads, updates and backups.
Video streaming in high definition on several screens.
Cloud synchronisation.
A device infected with something.
The symptom is everything slow while one device is busy.
The router’s interface may show usage per device.
Scheduling updates and backups overnight helps.
Quality of service settings on capable routers prioritise some traffic.
This is a connection problem presenting as a WiFi problem, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them test at the router during the slowdown will show the connection saturated, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix is managing the demand rather than the signal.
Router Age and Firmware {#router-age}
Routers age and their software matters.
Older routers support older standards and have weaker processors.
Firmware updates fix stability faults and sometimes improve performance.
Providers may or may not update their supplied devices.
A router several years old may be the limit.
Check for updates in the router’s interface.
Restart it, since a router that has run for months without a restart may be in a degraded state.
Replacement is reasonable after several years, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them router from a previous generation cannot deliver what current devices expect.
Note the age, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them diagnosis that found a five-year-old provider router at the centre of the network has probably found the cheapest meaningful upgrade.
Heat and Overheating {#heat}
Heat degrades router performance and shortens its life.
Routers in enclosed cabinets, on top of other equipment or in sunlight run hot.
Hot routers slow down and drop connections.
Sustained heat kills them.
Rooms without ventilation in hot months.
Feel it, since a router too hot to hold comfortably is too hot.
Move it to open air and away from other heat sources.
Do not stack it on the decoder or the amplifier.
This is a free fix that resolves a surprising number of evening drops, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them router that has been baking in a cabinet all afternoon fails at the moment everyone comes home to use it, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them move to an open shelf may end it.
Power Interruptions and Router Reboots {#power}
Power interruptions produce drops that are not coverage problems at all.
Each interruption reboots the router.
Rebooting takes a minute or more and everything drops.
Several interruptions a week produce several drops a week.
Brief flickers reboot the router even where lights barely dim.
A small battery backup for the router keeps it running through short interruptions.
It is inexpensive and it removes the drops entirely.
Surge protection prevents damage from spikes.
Check the pattern, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them drop that coincides with the lights flickering is not a WiFi problem, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix is a battery unit rather than anything to do with signal.
The provider’s equipment also needs power, and a connection that stays down after your router restarts may be waiting for their side to recover.
Extenders and Repeaters {#extenders}
Repeaters are the most bought and least understood fix.
A repeater receives the router’s signal and rebroadcasts it.
It must be placed where it receives a good signal, not where the signal is poor.
Halfway between router and problem room is the usual position.
It halves the throughput of what it repeats, since it receives and sends on the same radio.
A repeater on a weak signal repeats a weak signal.
Multiple repeaters chained degrade further.
Devices may hold onto the router or the repeater badly, producing drops at the boundary.
They have a place for a single problem room where cabling is impossible, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them repeater placed correctly may serve a bedroom acceptably.
They are not the fix for a whole house, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them house with three repeaters has three half-speed networks with roaming problems, and a mesh or wired access points would have served it properly.
Mesh Systems {#mesh}
Mesh is the wireless fix that actually works for larger spaces.
Several units communicate with each other and present one network.
Devices roam between units without dropping.
Better units use a dedicated radio for the link between them, which avoids the repeater’s throughput halving.
Placement still matters, since units too far apart or through too many walls will link poorly.
Cost is higher than a single router and the results justify it for houses that need it.
Wired backhaul between mesh units where cabling exists is best of all.
It is the fix for multi-storey and larger masonry houses, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them household that replaced a router and two repeaters with a mesh system has typically resolved the problem it had been chasing, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them purchase here is justified where cheaper fixes have been tried.
Check what is actually available locally and its cost, since prices vary and units should be bought as a matching set.
Wired Access Points {#wired-aps}
Cable to an access point is the most reliable fix there is.
An access point connected by cable to the router does not depend on receiving a wireless signal.
It delivers full speed at its location regardless of walls between it and the router.
One per floor or per zone covers a house properly.
Multiple access points with the same network name allow roaming.
Ceiling or high wall mounting gives best coverage.
Power over the cable simplifies installation on capable equipment.
It requires running cable, which the cabling section addresses.
This is what installers do because it works, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them house with a wired access point on each floor has no dead spots, no roaming problems and no halved throughput, which is why a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them approach that considers cabling early may avoid buying wireless fixes that half-work.
Powerline Adapters {#powerline}
Powerline uses the mains wiring to carry data and its results vary.
One adapter plugs in near the router, another in the problem room, and they communicate through the electrical wiring.
Performance depends entirely on the wiring, since old, noisy or separately circuited wiring performs poorly.
Both adapters must be on the same electrical circuit to work well.
Extension leads and surge protectors interfere.
Results in Kenyan buildings vary widely with wiring quality.
Test before committing, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them powerline pair that works in one house fails in another, and buying from a shop that accepts returns is prudent.
It is a middle option where cabling is impossible and mesh is too expensive, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them household that tested it and found it worked has a cheap fix.
Cabling as the Real Fix {#cabling}
Cable resolves coverage permanently and people avoid it because it seems disruptive.
Network cable from the router to where access points or devices sit.
Surface trunking makes it tidy without chasing walls.
Ceiling voids and existing ducts where available.
External routing along walls in some buildings.
Cost is modest for the cable itself, with labour the main expense.
It is worth doing during any renovation.
Fixed devices including televisions, desktops and consoles should be cabled where possible.
Ask what it would take, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them installer can frequently run a cable to a first-floor access point in an afternoon, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them household that did so has stopped buying wireless fixes.
Renters need landlord consent for anything beyond surface trunking, and asking first avoids a dispute.
Outdoor and Compound Coverage {#outdoor}
Compounds, verandas and outbuildings have their own requirements.
Indoor routers are not designed for outdoor range and their signal through external walls is weak.
Outdoor access points exist and are weatherproof.
Mounting on an external wall or under an eave covers a compound.
Cable to the outdoor unit.
Servant quarters, guest houses and outbuildings may need their own access point.
Point-to-point wireless links serve distant buildings where cable is impractical.
Do not expect the indoor router to cover the garden, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them expectation that a router in the sitting room reaches the far end of the compound will disappoint, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them outdoor unit is the fix.
Multi-Storey Homes {#multi-storey}
Floors are the hardest obstacle and multi-storey homes need a plan.
Concrete floors block heavily.
A router on one floor rarely serves the floor above well and almost never the floor above that.
One access point per floor is the practical rule.
Mesh with a unit per floor works where units can link vertically through a stairwell.
Wired access points per floor work regardless.
Stairwells and open voids help signal travel between floors.
Placing the router centrally on the middle floor serves more than placing it on the ground floor.
Plan per floor, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them three-storey house with one router will have coverage on one floor, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix that adds an access point per floor resolves it.
Apartments and Shared Buildings {#apartments}
Flats have specific problems and specific constraints.
Neighbouring networks are the dominant issue, as the interference section explains.
Smaller spaces mean coverage is usually adequate and congestion is the problem.
Cabling options are limited by the lease.
Metal doors and security grilles block signal within the flat.
Building-provided WiFi where it exists has its own limitations.
Use the higher band, since it is less congested and the flat is small enough for its range.
Choose a quiet channel.
Position the router away from the front door’s metal.
For most flats, congestion management resolves it, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them tenant with good signal and poor speed has neighbours rather than walls to contend with, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them fix on the higher band with a clear channel costs nothing.
Small Business Premises {#small-business}
Businesses have more devices, more users and less tolerance for problems.
Staff devices, customer devices and any equipment.
Separate networks for staff and guests, so customers cannot reach business systems.
Coverage across the working area including back rooms and stores.
Capacity for the number of simultaneous users.
Wired connections for point-of-sale and fixed equipment, since a till that depends on WiFi will fail at the worst moment.
Business-grade access points handle more devices than home routers.
Security matters more, which the security section addresses.
Plan it rather than improvising, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them shop running its payments over a domestic router shared with customers’ phones has a reliability and security problem waiting, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them installer can separate and cable what matters in a day.
Security While You Are Fixing It {#security}
Changing the network is a moment to check its security.
Change the default administrator password on the router, since defaults are widely known.
Use a strong WiFi password.
Use current encryption, since older methods are broken.
Disable remote administration unless needed.
Update firmware.
Guest network for visitors so they cannot reach your devices.
Check what is connected, since an unknown device may be a neighbour using your connection, which also explains some slowness.
Do it while you are in the settings anyway, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them session in the router interface is the natural time, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them network that was open to neighbours may have found part of its speed problem.
When to Call an Installer {#call-installer}
Some situations warrant professional help and it is cheaper than repeated wrong purchases.
Larger houses and multi-storey homes where cabling and multiple access points are needed.
Business premises where reliability and separation matter.
Compounds with outbuildings.
Where the free fixes have been tried and the problem remains.
Where cabling is required and you would rather not do it.
Where a survey would establish the right design before buying.
A survey with a proper tool shows signal and interference throughout the premises and produces a plan.
Ask for a design and a quote, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them installer who surveyed and proposed access point positions with cabling has produced something that will work, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them household that spent on three repeaters and a mesh before calling has usually spent more than the installer would have cost.
Check what they propose against this guide, since an installer proposing repeaters for a whole house or a single router for three floors has not designed it.
What the Fixes Cost {#costs}
Costs run from nothing to substantial and the order matters.
Moving the router, changing band and channel, and restarting: free.
Battery backup for the router: modest, commonly from around KES 3,000 to KES 8,000.
A better router replacing a basic provider unit: commonly from around KES 5,000 to KES 20,000.
A repeater for a single room: commonly from around KES 2,500 to KES 8,000.
Powerline pair: commonly from around KES 5,000 to KES 12,000.
Mesh system of two or three units: commonly from around KES 15,000 to KES 50,000.
Wired access point with cabling: commonly from around KES 8,000 to KES 25,000 per point installed, depending on cable run.
Professional survey and installation for a house: commonly from around KES 15,000 to KES 60,000 depending on scale.
Spend in that order, since a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them sequence that tried the free fixes, then the cheap ones, then the structural ones will stop at the first that works, and a WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them household that started with a mesh system may have spent on something the router’s position would have resolved.
Frequently Asked Questions {#faqs}
The WiFi is slow in the bedroom. Should I upgrade my internet plan?
Test next to the router first. If the speed there is fine and the bedroom is poor, the problem is WiFi coverage and a faster plan will change nothing. If it is slow next to the router too, it is the connection or the router. This one test separates most complaints and it takes two minutes.
I bought a repeater and it made things worse. Why?
Probably placed where the signal was already weak. A repeater needs a good signal to repeat, and it halves the throughput of whatever it receives. Placed in a dead spot it repeats nothing; placed halfway it may serve one room at reduced speed. It is not a fix for a whole house.
My signal is strong but the speed is terrible. What is happening?
Congestion, most likely — neighbouring networks competing on the same channel, particularly in apartments. Full bars measure signal strength, not quality. Use a phone analyser to see which channels are busy, move to the higher band and choose a quiet channel. This often transforms a flat’s WiFi at no cost.
Why does the WiFi drop every evening?
Three common causes: the router overheating after an afternoon in a closed cabinet, neighbours coming home and congesting the channel, or power flickers rebooting the router. Check the router lights when it happens, feel whether it is hot, and note whether the lights dimmed. Each has a cheap fix.
What is the difference between the two WiFi names my router shows?
The lower band travels further and through walls better but is slower and more congested; the higher band is faster and less congested but has shorter range and penetrates walls poorly. Use the higher band close to the router and the lower band through walls. Devices choose badly on their own, so separate the names and choose per location.
Will mesh fix everything?
For larger and multi-storey masonry houses, mesh usually resolves what repeaters could not, and it is worth the cost once the free fixes have been tried. But a unit per floor still has to link through concrete, and a wired access point per floor is more reliable still. Try placement and band first, since mesh is a purchase that placement sometimes makes unnecessary.
My house has thick walls. Is there any wireless fix?
Reduce the walls in the path by moving the router, and use the lower band for range. Beyond that, walls are what they are, and the reliable fix is an access point on the far side of them with a cable back to the router. Surface trunking makes it tidy without chasing walls, and an installer can usually do a floor in an afternoon.
When should I stop trying and call someone?
When the free fixes are exhausted, when the house is large or multi-storey, when it is a business with payments running over the network, or when cabling is the answer and you would rather not do it. A WiFi coverage problems and how to fix them survey and installation frequently costs less than the sequence of repeaters and mesh units bought on guesses.