在家工作，孩子在线学习以及与同事和家人的视频会面，COVID-19大流行增加了我们对互联网服务的需求。
对于许多困在家里的人来说，近几个月来网络连接问题变得更加麻烦。更糟的是，互联网服务提供商可能不愿意派遣维修人员到您的家里来解决您的问题。
建筑材料和室内设计决策可能会对WiFi信号在房子内部传播的距离产生不利影响。它们会降低连接速度，特别是当每个人都在使用大量计算设备的时候。自己动手做了这本入门手册，以解决一些导致家庭网络故障的问题。
一种简单的解决方法是添加多个访问点（有线连接）和无线中继器设备。这就像在房间之间增加电话线以插入更多电话，以及在整个家庭中使用无线电话站一样。
路由器通常缺乏蜂窝塔的发射功率，甚至无法到达房屋和小型办公室中很小平面的角落。低成本路由器往往具有很糟糕的性能问题。
查找和修复有线/无线家庭或办公室网络的错误需要反复测验。如果您有使用原始固件和默认设置运行的旧路由器，则可以使用新路由器解决连接问题。考虑一个多通道的设备。
如果新路由器无法解决问题怎么办？路由器传输的无线信号较慢，可能无法在您的家中传播。这就是为什么在您的房屋中添加中继器或多个有线接入点可以提供更好的接收并消除可怕的死区。
硬件线路限制
另一种选择是通过在整个房屋中延伸电缆线来扩展硬连线网络。每个硬接线连接都无需从无线路由器传输信号，而是馈入台式机或笔记本电脑。
当您要将手机，平板电脑等连接到网络时，这并非最佳选择。但是，在扩展的布线中添加一个接入点会使无线扩展器或路由器更靠近整个房屋中的移动设备。
电缆调制解调器通常提供足够的插座，以插入来自三台或四台计算机的电缆。您可以购买电缆卷并自行铺设。该解决方案可能适合邻近的房间。
在地板之间嵌入弯曲的电缆是另一种情况。在这种情况下，请陈述安装需求并让网络服务支付商（ISP）在每个楼层安装单独的调制解调器的成本。
在大型家庭和办公室中，这种硬接线策略为您提供了在每个楼层上运行WiFi路由器的其他好处。该策略有效地扩展了家庭网络的覆盖范围，而又不损害信号强度和连接性。
它还使您的WiFi路由器在物理上更靠近这些房间中的设备。这样可以为您提供更强的信号，而不会因距离延长和连接的设备过多而占用带宽，降低信号强度。
不过要小心。您可能需要WiFi路由器。该路由器可以配置为多通道使用，以实现更好的连接性。
让我们开始吧
要找出是什么阻碍减缓了您住所内的网络速度，请检查您的空间以了解影响Wifi信号的五个基本要素。这样可以消除添加多个中继器或接入点的需要。如果您确实这样操作，它也可以改善。
在继续尝试改善WiFi连接之前，请先找出您现在的速度。回答以下三个问题可以帮助您制定计划，以改善连接性并扩展房屋或办公室中网络的范围：
● 您的WiFi最近是否变得麻烦且通常变慢了？
● 在台式机和笔记本电脑上，有线互联网连接速度很快，但WiFi上速度却很慢吗？
● 您是否在一个或多个家庭或小型办公室设置覆盖了盲区，以防止您无线连接移动设备和笔记本电脑？
您可能面对两个不同的问题，具体取决于您对这些问题的回答是还是否。首先，请确保来自您的服务提供商或ISP的硬连线连接没有问题。一些提供商将WiFi服务作为网络电缆调制解调器的功能之一。
如果您有单独的路由器，请将调制解调器的WiFi速度测试结果与外部路由器提供的WiFi速度进行比较。
即使将外部路由器连接到电缆调制解调器以获取网络信号，路由器的性能也会有所不同，并且可能会超出调制解调器的WiFi功能，您可以将其关闭以防止干扰。
确认您的需求
您可以通过致电ISP来验证通往您家的有线网络管道是否正常工作。如果是的话，接下来要考虑的是将您的网络信号传送到调制解调器。在多台设备上进行视频聊天或流式传输会耗尽您的可用带宽。这会大大降低您的无线速度。
您的提供商可以远程检查电缆调制解调器的连接信号质量并进行调整。您有可能认为将网络升级到更高的速度也可以提高WiFi速度。但是请记住，无线速度始终比有线速度慢。
将更快的网络速度传递到电缆调制解调器可按比例分配更多带宽，以实现更快的无线速度。只需为更快的速度付费就可以为多台计算机连接，为WiFi连接的打印机和无线安全摄像机留出更多带宽。因此，可以升级路由器的容量。
通过访问速度测试网站，您可以轻松掌握网络速度（包括有线和无线）。尝试通过Ookla或Fast进行速度测试。使用这些站点或其他站点来监视您的家庭网络性能的改进。
调查时间
您不能指望ISP解决您的网速问题。您可能不会让ISP代表同意您的速度投诉。在这两点上相信我。我去过那里。
一些自己动手做的研究可以帮助您提高Internet速度，或者至少可以确保您已经从当前的Internet计划中获得最大收获。然后，您可以决定升级计划或升级路由器是否值得。
无论哪种决定都不会消除死区或连接中断的问题。为了扩展有线和/或无线家庭和办公室网络的覆盖范围，您需要采取一些自己动手的举措。如果您的有线和无线网络现在可以为您提供低于标准的性能，那么添加更多的设备和硬件将无法解决这些问题。
进行室内信号调查时，请注意以下几点：
● 调制解调器或外部路由器与设备之间的物理距离可能意味着足够的速度来满足您的需求或互联网速度缓慢。您可以使用智能手机上安装的WiFi分析器应用程序确定WiFi路由器的覆盖范围。
使用以下应用程序之一找出您的WiFi信号到底有多健康或微弱：NetSpot，Wifi分析仪，OpenSignal，网络信号信息，WiFi监视器或ScanFi。
尝试移动路由器并清除信号路径。找到死区并重新放置调制解调器或路由器的位置，以获得更好的连接。另外，请参阅以下其他修复程序来解决家中的死区。
● 障碍物可能会阻止或减慢您的Internet连接。各种障碍物会阻碍或部分吸收您的WiFi信号。这些包括墙壁，管道系统，家具和器具。如果太近，其他可能会成为问题的材料是水，玻璃，木材，塑料，泡沫和纸板。
将您的移动设备靠近调制解调器/路由器，直到信号改善。然后确定在信号良好的位置与信号不良的位置之间的大小。清除阻碍者。
● 来自其他电子设备和无线电网络的干扰会大大降低您的WiFi速度。 WiFi信号与收音机，手机，微波炉，婴儿监视器和许多其他设备共享相同的电磁频谱无线电频带。相邻公寓中的其他WiFi网络或人口稠密地区的其他建筑物也是如此。
关闭所有电子设备。检查您的WiFi连接。然后打开每个设备，直到您的WiFi信号消失或变慢为止。考虑设备会间歇性地引起干扰。例如，当窗户空调或冰箱打开时。
重复和扩展拓扑
在家庭或小型办公室中扩展网络连接的范围很容易。为此，需要添加称为“中继器”和“扩展器”的微型设备。研究满足您需求的最佳产品。安装和配置它们需要一些计划，但是其中包含的说明并不复杂。
将现有路由器视为物理网络拓扑中的集线器。该集线器是提供从街道到调制解调器的Internet的中央设备。
一个或多个无线访问点通过电缆连接到集线器。电缆是辐条，接入点是节点。
一个无线中继器无线连接到每个无线接入点。现有的支持WiFi的路由器也可以拥有自己的无线中继器。
中继器从现有路由器向外扩展信号，并向外扩展范围。现有路由器通过电缆为接入点供电。然后，接入点将馈入转发器，转发器又将馈入最终用户设备。
规划布局
忽略在初始调查中获得令人满意信号的房间。信号强度较弱的区域应硬连线至集线器。无线转发器应覆盖信号强度很差或没有信号强度的区域。
例如，如果现有路由器位于在房子的另一侧，厨房的信号很差，在房子另一侧的走廊上放置一个有线接入点。在厨房里放一个无线中继器。
有线无线接入点的功能类似于移动的现有路由器，将无线信号向下延伸到走廊。无线中继器将拾取信号并将其分配到厨房中的低功率设备。
接入点设备与范围扩展器或中继器设备之间的主要区别在于，接入点通过电缆连接到已经连接到网络调制解调器的路由器。范围扩展器/中继器设备以无线方式连接到WiFi路由器，并且必须放置在WiFi路由器的信号已经很强的地方，而不是在实际死点的位置。
请注意，范围扩展器和中继器（而不是接入点）会降低网络的速度。根据家庭或办公室的大小和布局，仅通过将无线中继器插入接收效果差的区域附近的电源插座中，您就可能会获得良好的效果。
制定您的游戏计划
我从进行相同的调查和内部信号强度分析中学到了如何为ISP花费的钱获得更多的WiFi能量。我的家用互联网调制解调器住在三层楼房屋底层的家庭办公室中。调制解调器和WiFi路由器在我办公室的最后角，那是在房子的后端。
起初，重新布线Internet调制解调器的位置太昂贵且不便。多台台式计算机通过电缆连接到调制解调器。家庭成员可以在位置良好的地方无线使用笔记本电脑。速度通常不是主要的挫折。
多年来，随着我们对移动设备的使用成为主流，容忍死区和衰落的无线接收变得越来越成为问题。然后，我的ISP强制调制解调器升级以完成服务升级。
因此，我不得不（不是通过选择）升级到由ISP提供的新电缆调制解调器。新的调制解调器具有自己的内部WiFi电路。它提供的无线连接速度比我老化的外部路由器慢。
我的旧路由器缺乏升级固件的能力。这导致与新的电缆调制解调器的连接不良。我的无线连接问题急剧恶化。
问题解决了
我购买了新路由器，并将其连接到ISP的新调制解调器。本质上，我创建了两个单独的WiFi网络。一个由新调制解调器中的内部路由器提供。另一个是由Internet调制解调器提供的新路由器提供的。
我运行两台无线打印机，无线家庭扬声器和来自Internet调制解调器内部路由器的多个智能电视无线连接。我为笔记本电脑，平板电脑，手机和Chromebook的收藏设置了默认的无线连接，新的外部路由器速度更快。
拥有两个独立的WiFi网络缓解了干扰问题。我能够策略性地将WiFi扩展器放置在第二层和第三层，以提供可靠的快速移动设备连接，并且没有死区。
我购买了带有四个7英寸天线和匹配TP-Link中继器的TP-Link路由器。这种结合是一个完美的解决方案，无需安装接入点。注意，请选择天线更长的路由器。如果路由器带有1或2英寸天线，则可以更改为更长的天线。
另外，请查看我的相关文章“如何解决WiFi速度和连接问题”。
How to Soup Up Your Home WiFi With Multiple Repeaters and Access Points
Does flaky Internet connectivity have you scrounging for solutions?
The COVID-19 pandemic increased our demand for Internet service due to working from home, online learning for kids, and video conferencing with colleagues and family members.
For many people stuck at home, Internet connectivity issues became more troublesome in recent months. To make matters worse, Internet providers may be unwilling to send repair techs into your home to fix your problems.
Construction materials and interior design decisions can have an adverse effect on how far your WiFi signal travels inside. They can slow down the connection speed, especially when everyone is home using a slew of computing devices. Put this do-it-yourself primer to work fixing what ails your home network.
One easy fix is to add multiple access points (hardwired connections) and wireless repeater devices. This is much like adding telephone wiring from room-to-room to plug in more telephones, and using wireless phone stations throughout your home.
Routers in general lack the transmitting power of cell towers to reach the far corners of even a small floor plan in houses and small offices. Low-cost routers tend to have the worst performance issues.
It takes trial and error to find and fix the bugs in your wired and wireless home and office networks. If you have an old router running on original firmware and default settings, you can solve your connectivity problems with a new router. Consider a multichannel device.
What if the new router fails to fix the problem? Routers transmit a slower wireless signal that may not travel as far within your home. That is why adding repeaters or multiple cable-wired access points inside your home can provide better reception and eliminate the dreaded dead zones.
Hardwire Limited
Another option is to expand your hardwired network by extending the cable wire throughout your house. Instead of having the signal travel from a wireless router, each hardwired connection feeds into a desktop or laptop.
This is less than optimum when you want to connect cellphones, tablets and such to the Internet. However, adding an access point to the expanded cabling puts a wireless extender or router closer to mobile devices throughout the house.
Cable modems usually provide enough sockets to plug in a cable from three or four computers. You can buy rolls of cable and lay it down yourself. That solution may be fine for nearby rooms.
Snaking the cable between floors is a different scenario. In that case, discuss the installation needs versus the cost of having your Internet Service Provider (ISP) install separate modems on each floor.
In large homes and offices, this hardwired strategy gives you the additional benefit of running WiFi routers on each floor. This strategy is effective in expanding your home network's reach without jeopardizing signal strength and connectivity.
It also puts your WiFi router physically closer to the devices in those rooms. That gives you a stronger signal that is not degraded by extended distances and too many connected devices robbing you of bandwidth.
Be careful, though. You might need WiFi routers that let you configure for multichannel use for better connectivity.
Let's Get Started
To find out what obstacles are blocking faster Internet speed within your domicile, survey your space for five essential things that affect your Wifi signal. That could eliminate the need to add as many multiple repeaters or access points. It also could improve your results if you do go that route.
Before you proceed with trying to improve your WiFi connections, first find out what speed you have now. Answering these three questions can help you map out a plan to improve connectivity and extend your network's range in your house or office:
1. Has your WiFi become troublesome and routinely slower recently?
2. Is your hardwired Internet connection fast on your connected desktops and laptops but painfully slow on WiFi?
3. Do you have dead zones in one or more household or small office locations that prevent you from connecting mobile devices and laptops wirelessly?
You may be facing two different issues, depending on whether you answered yes or no to those questions. First, make sure that the hardwired connection from your service provider or ISP is not at fault. Some providers include WiFi service as a feature of the Internet cable modem.
If you have a separate router available, compare the speed test results of the modem's WiFi versus the WiFi speed provided by the external router.
Even though the external router is connected to your cable modem for the Internet signal, different routers perform differently and may exceed your modem's WiFi capability, which you then can turn off to prevent interference.
Checking Your Needs
You can verify that the hardwired Internet pipe to your home is functioning correctly by calling your ISP. If it is, the next thing to consider is the strength of your Internet signal to the modem. Video chatting or streaming on multiple devices can drain your available bandwidth. That in turn drops your wireless speed drastically.
Your provider can check the signal quality of the connection into your cable modem remotely and make adjustments. Chances are in your favor that upgrading your Internet plan to a higher speed will give you improved WiFi speed as well. Remember, however, that wireless speeds always are slower than hardwired speeds.
Having a faster Internet speed delivered to your cable modem gives your more bandwidth for faster wireless speeds in proportion. Simply paying for faster Internet speed can leave more bandwidth for multiple computer connections, WiFi-connected printers, and wireless security cameras. So can upgrading your router's capacity.
You easily can keep tabs on your Internet speed -- both cable and wireless -- by going to a speed test website. Try Speed Test by Ookla or Fast. Use these sites or others to monitor improvements in your home network's performance.
Time to Survey
You cannot count on your ISP to solve your Internet speed issues. You probably will not get the ISP representative to agree with your speed complaint. Trust me on these two points. I have been there.
Some do-it-yourself sleuthing can help you improve your Internet speed or at least be assured that you already are getting the most from your current Internet plan. Then you can decide if it is worth upgrading your plan or upgrading your router.
Either decision will not rid you of dead zones or bogged down connections. To extend the reach of your wired and or wireless home and office networks takes some do-it-yourself initiative. If your wired and wireless networks are giving you sub-par performance now, adding more devices and hardware will not solve those problems.
Here is what to observe as you conduct your in-home signal survey:
● The physical distance between your modem or external router and your devices can mean adequate speed for your needs or sluggish Internet. You can determine the reach of your WiFi router using a WiFi analyzer app installed on your smartphone. Find out how healthy or weak your WiFi signal really is with one of these apps: NetSpot, Wifi Analyzer, OpenSignal, Network Signal Info, WiFi Monitor or ScanFi. Experiment with moving the router and clearing the signal's pathway. Locate your dead zones and reposition the modem or router to get a better connection. Also, see other fixes below for resolving dead zones in your home.
● Obstructions can block or slow down your Internet connections. Various obstacles and objects can block or partially absorb your WiFi signals. These include walls, ductwork, furniture and appliances. Other materials that can be problematic if too close are water, glass, wood, plastics, foam and cardboard. Move your mobile device closer to the modem/router until the signal improves. Then size up what is between where you are with a good signal and where you were with the bad signal. Clear out the obstructing offenders.
● Interference from other electronic gear and radio networks can drastically slow down your WiFi. WiFi signals share the same radio frequency band of the electromagnetic spectrum as radios, cellphones, microwave ovens, baby monitors, and many other devices. So do other WiFi networks in neighboring apartments or other structures in densely populated areas. Turn off all electronic devices. Check your WiFi connection. Then turn on each device until your WiFi signal fades or slows down. Consider that a device can cause interference intermittently. An example is when the window air conditioner or refrigerator cycles on.
Repeating and Extending Your Topology
It's easy to extend the reach of your Internet connection within your home or small office. To do so involves adding tiny devices called "repeaters" and "extenders." Research the best products for your needs. Installing and configuring them takes a bit of planning, but the included directions are not complicated.
Think of your existing router as the hub in your physical network's topology. This hub is the central device that provides the Internet from the street to your modem.
One or more wireless access points connect with cables to the hub. The cable is the spoke and the access point is the node.
One wireless repeater connects wirelessly to each wireless access point. The existing WiFi-enabled router can have its own wireless repeater too.
The repeater extends the signal outward and extends the range outward from the existing router. The existing router feeds an access point via a cable. Then the access point feeds the repeater, which in turn feeds the end-user device.
Plan the Layout
Ignore rooms that have a satisfactory signal obtained in the initial survey. Areas with poor signal strength should be hardwired to the hub. Areas with very poor or no signal strength should be covered by the wireless repeater.
For example, if the existing router is in the den on one side of the house and there is a very poor signal in the kitchen on the other side of the house, place a wired access point in the hallway outside the den. Put a wireless repeater in the kitchen.
The cabled wireless access point functions like a shifted existing router, extending the wireless signal down the hallway. The wireless repeater will pick the signal up and distribute it to low-power devices in the kitchen.
The key difference between an access point device and range extender or repeater device is the access point is connected by cable to a router already connected to the Internet modem. A range extender/repeater device connects wirelessly to WiFi routers and must be placed where the WiFi router's signal is already strong, not in the location of the actual dead spot.
Be aware that range extenders and repeaters, but not access points, reduce Internet speeds. Depending on your home or office's size and layout, you might get good results just by plugging in a wireless repeater into a nearby power socket in an area with poor reception.
Up Your Game Plan
I learned from conducting the same survey and interior signal strength analysis how to get more WiFi bang for my ISP-spent bucks. My household Internet modem lives in my home office on the ground floor of a three-floor house. The modem and WiFi router are in the far rear corner of my office, which is in the back end of the house.
Rewiring the Internet modem's location was too costly and inconvenient at first. Several desktop computers had a cable connection to the modem. Family members used their laptops wirelessly where they had a good location. Speed usually wasn't a major setback.
Over the years, tolerating dead zones and fading wireless reception became more of a problem as our use of mobile devices took precedence. Then, my ISP forced a modem upgrade to complete a service upgrade.
So I had to upgrade -- not by choice -- to a new cable modem supplied by my ISP. The new modem had its own internal WiFi circuitry. It provided a slower wireless connection than my aging external router.
My old router lacked the ability to upgrade firmware. That led to a poor connection to the new cable modem. My wireless connectivity issues drastically worsened.
Problem Solved
I purchased a new router and connected it to the ISP's new modem. In essence, I created two separate WiFi networks. One was fed by the internal router in the new modem. The other was provided by the new router fed by the Internet modem.
I run two wireless printers, wireless home speakers, and several smart TV wireless connections from the internal router in the Internet modem. I made the default wireless connection for my collection of laptops, tablets, mobile phones and Chromebooks the new external router, which was faster.
Having two separate WiFi networks took the strain off interference problems. I was able to strategically place a WiFi extender on the second and third floors to provide a reliably fast mobile device connection and no dead zones.
I purchased a TP-Link router with four 7-inch antennae and matching TP-Link repeaters. The combination makes a perfect solution that obviated the need to install access points. Note, go for a router with longer antennae. You can change to a longer one if your router came with 1- or 2-inch antennae.
https://www.technewsworld.com/story/86677.html
Jack M. Germain
