How To Improve the Wifi Signal In My Garage

With an increasing need for internet connectivity it becomes apparent which parts of the house have great signal strength and which areas have poor signal strength. Often wifi signal is weakest in outdoor areas like the garage. Relying on 4G data for areas of poor coverage isn’t ideal because most people have limited plans and in some areas of the home 3G reception is all that is received.

Why is the wifi signal weak in the garage?
There could be many reasons for this but some of the most common reasons are:
  • Your router is in a convenient location in the home which happens to be far away from the garage
  • Your router is old and has a weak antenna
  • Interference from other electronics
  • Network setting not-configured properly
  • Wall density in your home (concrete, brick)

What are the solutions?

Move Your Router

For convenience, routers are usually placed close to where the cable comes in the house. This is great for easy installation but not ideal for signal strength and speed. Having the router in a central location is the easiest way to boost a wifi signal. If you aren’t up to the task of running network cable from your basement to a central location, then there are devices that carry internet over the power lines (more on this later). Running cable is a relatively simple task and worth all the work if it means faster and more reliable wifi.

Upgrade Your Router

If you have a stable wifi signal and fast internet with a router from 2005 then don’t change anything. If you are having signal issues then buying a more modern router with new technology will result in better performance.

Depending on the square footage of the coverage you need changes what product will be recommended. Any electronics store or office supply place will have high quality routers, often on sale, and the newer antenna technology does make a big difference.

Network Settings

Often times routers are not setup and configured properly and this is what causes the weak signal strength. Modern routers operate on 2 frequencies, 2.4 and 5.0 gHz. The newer 5.0 frequency is capable of transmitting faster speeds but the range is smaller, and vice versa for 2.4. Make sure when setting up your home network you configure the network settings properly. Just because you are receiving internet does not mean its the fastest possible speed.

Powerline Adapter

As mentioned above, there are devices you can buy that take the internet and send if over the powerlines in your house (wires already run!). You plug in one unit near your modem and the other unit where the wifi signal is weak. These solutions cost around $99 are very easy to install and work very well. If hardwiring isn’t an option this is a quick and easy way to solve all your internet woes.

Google Home (Mesh Network)

Modern routers from Google, D-Link and Linksys have 3+ routers that each get installed throughout your home. Seamlessly your device will connect to the router that has the strongest signal based on your location. You can think of them a venn diagram of network connectivity improving the wifi signal throughout the home. The only drawback is that these devices are close to $400 but could be worth it depending on how much you value reliable connections.

Maybe you don’t spend a lot of time in your garage now… but after a visit from Garage Perfect you will be finding all kinds of new things to do in that room. As we rely more and more on our devices and being connected its important to upgrade your home network to get coverage in the garage. By upgrading your Internet, you can get better signal strength and speeds in the backyard, basement as well as the garage.