Have you ever found yourself huffing and puffing as you wait for YouTube videos to load on your tablet and as social media feeds and emails struggle to refresh on your smartphone? Having a crummy WiFi signal transmitted from your router can heighten your angst, especially if you have no idea how to test WiFi signal strength.

But does WiFi signal strength really matter? Yes, it does, as you will find out in the next section.

Why WiFi Signal Strength Matters

Having a strong WiFi signal implies a very reliable internet connection. And when your internet connection is reliable, you can maximize the full range of available internet speeds. WiFi signal strength relies on several factors which include:

• How far you or your devices are from the router

• Whether you're using a 2.4GHz or 5GHz connection

• The materials of the walls of your home, etc.

The truth is that the closer you are to your router, the better. Although 2.4GHz connect generally broadcasts further, they tend to have interference issues. Thick walls made of concrete can easily impede a WiFi signal. A weaker WiFi signal, on the other hand, will lead to slower speeds, dropouts, and total disconnection in some cases.

But then, not every connection issue originates from weak signal strength. If the internet on your phone or tablet seems slow, you should consider rebooting the router. However, if the problem persists, check to see if WiFi is the problem.

Then try to use the internet with a device that is connected via Ethernet. If you are still experiencing challenges with connecting to the internet, then the network is the problem. But if the Ethernet performs seamlessly well and resetting your router didn't help, you need to carry out a WiFi signal strength test.

What is Good WiFi Signal Strength?

WiFi signal strength has to do with the reliableness of your wireless network connection. To perform different online activities such as streaming videos, checking emails, browsing the web, etc. you need an excellent WiFi signal strength, irrespective of whether you're using a tablet, smartphone, or laptop.

WiFi signal strength is measure in multiple ways, though the most common unit of measurement is decibels per milliwatt (dBm). However, signals measured in dBm are displayed in negative numbers and ranges from -30 to -90.

A perfect WiFi signal is -30 dBm and is considered the maximum signal strength. You can only get this signal if you are standing very close to the access point. The other most excellent signal strength is -50dBm while -60dBm is considered a good WiFi signal strength.

If you have -90dBm, this is signal strength is terrible, and you may likely not get connected to the internet at this level.

Factors affecting WiFi Signal Strength

Several factors can affect WiFi signal strength, such as:

• The location of the router: The height of a router's location can affect signal strength. The higher your router is, the better the signal strength and vice versa. Your router must also be placed far away from other devices that cause interference such as cordless phones, microwaves, etc. which use the same frequency band as your wireless router.

• Distance from the wireless router

How Can I Test My WiFi Signal Strength?

The first thing you should do before you test your WiFi signal strength is to perform WiFi analysis. This will enable you to readily determine areas where wireless signals are the strongest or the weakest.

You can then proceed to test WiFi signal strength by downloading and installing the NetSpot app on your Android device, Windows laptop or MacBook. The free version is more than enough to test your WiFi signal strength.

Next, launch the NetSpot app and select 'Discover' at the top of the applications main window. Then locate your WiFi network from among the several ones that the app unearths.

You will be presented with multiple statistics as regards your wireless network. This is where you will get your WiFi signal strength. Pay close attention to the signal strength at your current location. Then, move around the entire coverage area with your preferred device running the NetSpot app.

Afterwards, carry out a systematic survey of the entire coverage area while taking note of the WiFi signal strength. Paying attention to the signal strength will reveal problem areas that you may need to work on or address if you intend to keep using your wireless network within that coverage area.

Ways to Improve WiFi Signal

Since you are looking to improve WiFi signal in your home or office, here are a few tips that may help:

Position Your Router at an Excellent Spot

Don't place your router close to appliances that give off electromagnetic waves or metal objects. Metals can quickly create incredibly large dead zones if they are close to your router.

You should also avoid positioning your WiFi router close to wood, glass, cardboard, and foam as they can also disrupt WiFi signals. Placing it close to microwave ovens, dishwashers, and stoves is also a bad idea. Keep your router away from radiant heaters, washing machines, cordless phones, and tumble dryers.

The perfect place to position your router is at the center of your home as this will give you the best coverage everywhere.

Get a More Powerful Antenna

The majority of WiFi routers come with small antennas that are generally weak when it comes to transmitting signals. Most powerful antennas are usually large. But these large antennas can significantly boost WiFi signals without the need to purchase a new router.

Keep Your Network Secure

Be wary of neighbors or individuals nearby looking to siphon your internet connection as they can mess with your WiFi signal. Therefore, lock down your network and don't forget to enable password protection in order to prevent other people from using your internet connection.

Switch Over to a Different WiFi Channel

A WiFi can broadcast via multiple channels. Although most countries concentrate on having 6 non-overlapping channels - i.e. 1, 6, 11, and 14 - most users generally set their router at the default channel which is either Channel 1 or Channel 6.

And this usually results in a WiFi signal traffic jam since too many packets try to drive right on the same line. But the solution is pretty simple: look for the WiFi channel that is least occupied and switch over to it.

Update Your Router Firmware or Network Driver

Neglecting to update your router can put you in a dicey situation. This is what many organizations and individuals are facing today, combating malware attacks that cost them billions of dollars annually. Malware can infect a router and steal bandwidth while spreading itself across the network to other internet-enabled devices.

But you can keep such a nightmare at bay by updating your router. Moreover, routers with old firmware typically perform poorly compared to properly updated routers.

Conclusion

Improving WiFi signal can make things a whole lot easier when it comes to accessing the internet or streaming movies. If your router is acting up, you can test WiFi signal strength in order to determine the best place to position your router.

You can always turn to NetSpot because it is presently the best app to test WiFi signal strength.