For some people it regularly happens that their WiFi drops out and/or is unreliable. That is very annoying, and in many cases unnecessary. You can often improve your WiFi signal so that it drops out less often or not at all.
Almost everyone has a WiFi network at home these days. There are a lot of simple things you can do to get the most stable connection possible. Here we list some causes and solutions.
01 Radio interference
The radio signals from all kinds of consumer electronics can cause interference. That means that the signals from those devices cause interference in the Wi-Fi signal. This could include cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens, or even your garage door remote.
If this bothers you, you can move your network equipment or change the radio settings of your Wi-Fi network in your router's settings so that your Wi-Fi no longer uses the same frequency as your other equipment.
02 Poor range or weak signal
Devices that are too far from your router may experience connection problems even without interference. It is always not always possible or practical to place your equipment closer to your router. In that case, you can try to upgrade the antennas or apply other techniques.
03 Wrong network
You may be trying to connect to the wrong network unnoticed. This can happen if two different unsecured Wi-Fi networks near each other use the same name (SSID). This can cause interference and range problems. It is therefore important that you secure your network, so that your equipment does not accidentally connect to the wrong network.
04 Updates needed
Each computer that connects to a Wi-Fi network uses a driver that controls the functions of the Wi-Fi hardware. Network routers have firmware, which does something similar. If the drivers and firmware are not completely up to date, this can cause problems with your Wi-Fi. You can usually update software and firmware updates for free from the manufacturer's website. Make sure you download the correct files for your specific model.
05 Compatibility Issues
Compatibility issues can also cause your Wi-Fi connection to drop. These may include issues with software patches and services of your operating system and other software that controls the networking capabilities of the operating system. If you're having problems with your Wi-Fi after updating your operating system or installing related software, try uninstalling the updates or software to see if that resolves the issue.
06 Overload or overheating
If your network becomes overloaded, you may experience outages. Think of heavy use such as online gaming and copying large files. If too much data has to be processed by your router, it can temporarily fail. And if your router gets too hot, it can also fail until it cools down enough. That is why it is important to place your router in a well-ventilated place.
