The Wi-Fi works reasonably well in the living room, but the signal is very weak in my bedroom. My phone shows about two bars there, while my PC gets only one bar of Wi-Fi. I'm going to install the external antenna that came with the PC, and I'm considering buying a Wi-Fi 6 extender or mesh unit, then connecting my PC to it with an Ethernet cable. Would that noticeably improve the connection?
3 Answers
A wired access point or mesh node is usually the best option. If you can run Ethernet from the router to the bedroom, connect an access point there for a reliable connection. If that isn’t possible, a properly placed mesh node should help, but expect some speed loss because it has to communicate wirelessly with the main router. Check the actual speed and stability rather than relying only on the signal bars.
An extender placed in the bedroom may still receive a poor signal. It would simply repeat that weak connection, so using Ethernet from the extender to the PC would remove the PC’s wireless link but wouldn’t fix the weak connection between the extender and router. Put the extender or mesh node somewhere between the router and bedroom, where it still has a strong signal—ideally halfway rather than in the dead zone.
Install the PC’s antenna first—it’s intended to be used and can make a big difference. Screw it into the antenna connectors on the back of the computer, then position the antenna upright and away from metal or the back of the case. Also, the bars on your phone refer to cellular signal, not necessarily your home Wi-Fi, so they don’t tell you much about the router’s signal.
I assumed the antenna might be an optional extra, so I’ll attach it to the connectors on the back of the PC and test the connection again.
I can’t move the router, but the device I’m considering is a mesh Wi-Fi unit. I’ll try placing it closer to the router and then run Ethernet from the unit to the PC if possible.