Wi-Fi dead zones: why they happen and how to fix them at home

Why dead zones happen

Wi-Fi is a radio signal. It weakens over distance, and it loses strength every time it passes through something solid. Some materials are far worse than others, and Australian homes tend to have plenty of them:

• Double brick and concrete. These absorb a lot of signal. Older double-brick homes are a common source of trouble.
• Foil insulation. Foil-backed sarking and insulation can act like a shield. So can metal wall frames.
• Mirrors, appliances and fish tanks. Large mirrors, fridges and water all get in the way.
• Long, narrow layouts. A router at the front of a long house has a long way to reach.
• Double storeys. The signal has to get through a floor, and it spreads less well than people expect.

Router placement is often the real culprit. When the NBN was connected, the installer may have put the connection box in the garage, a cupboard or a front room. The router usually ends up right next to it.

First, check it's really the Wi-Fi

Slow internet and poor Wi-Fi feel the same, but the fixes are different.

Stand next to your router and run a speed test on your phone, using a site such as fast.com. Then run the same test in the problem room. If it's fast near the router and slow in the back bedroom, you have a Wi-Fi coverage problem. If it's slow in both places, the issue is likely with your internet connection, your plan or the router itself. In that case, ring your provider.

Fixes that cost nothing

Move the router. This is the best free fix. Routers send signal outwards in all directions, so put it as close to the middle of the home as you can, up high and out in the open. Keep it out of cupboards, away from the TV and off the floor. A longer network cable can often buy you a few metres.

Restart it and update it. Turn the router off for 30 seconds and turn it back on. Then check its app or settings for firmware updates. These can fix bugs that cause dropouts.

Understand the two bands. Most routers use two frequencies. The 5GHz band is faster but doesn't travel as far. The 2.4GHz band is slower but gets through walls better. If your router shows them as two separate networks, try the 2.4GHz one in the far rooms.

Try another channel. If you're surrounded by neighbours' networks, changing your Wi-Fi channel may help. Newer routers tend to do this for themselves.

Fixes that cost a bit

Mesh Wi-Fi. This is the fix we would look at first for most larger homes. A mesh system uses two or three small units placed around the house, and they work together as one network. Your phone moves between them as you walk around. Put the units within good range of each other, not in the dead zone itself. Each one needs a decent signal to pass along.

A Wi-Fi extender. These plug into a power point and repeat your signal. They're cheap and can work for one problem room, but speeds often drop, and some create a separate network that your phone won't switch to smoothly. For most homes, mesh is the better buy.

Powerline adapters. These send your internet through the home's electrical wiring, using a pair of adapters that plug into power points. They can work well in brick homes where Wi-Fi struggles, but results vary with the age and layout of the wiring.

A new router. If yours is the basic one that came free from your provider years ago, it may simply be out of its depth. A recent model can help, though it won't defeat a double-brick wall on its own.

The best fix: a cable

If you have a home office, a gaming console or a smart TV that stays in one spot, a network cable beats Wi-Fi every time. Cables also let you connect mesh units or access points to each other, which gives you the fastest coverage. Many new homes have data points built into the walls that nobody uses. If you have them, they may only need connecting up. In existing homes, a registered cabler can run new cables for you, as it isn't legal for an unlicensed person to install fixed cabling in Australia.

When to call a Nerd

If you've moved the router, restarted everything and the back bedroom is still a dead zone, we can help. We'll walk through your house with proper test tools, work out where the signal falls away and recommend the simplest fix. Sometimes that's moving a box a couple of metres, and we'll tell you if it is. If you need new gear, we can set it up and connect all your devices.