How to increase WiFi connection on other side of house from router

Optimizing WiFi Coverage Across Your Home: Solutions for Better Internet Performance

Ensuring reliable and fast internet connectivity throughout your home is essential, especially if you work from home. If you’re experiencing significant speed drops upstairs compared to your main router location, this article offers insights into practical solutions to enhance your WiFi coverage and performance.

Understanding the Challenge

Your current setup involves a 1900 sq ft home with an AT&T Fiber 300 Mbps plan. While downstairs near the router, your download and upload speeds meet or exceed plan expectations, other areas—particularly upstairs—experience severe drops. For example, your mobile device receives approximately 81 Mbps download, and your work device struggles even more, with download speeds below 20 Mbps and uploads around 5 Mbps. This is exacerbated when connecting to your work VPN.

Key factors influencing WiFi coverage include:

Distance from the router
Physical obstructions such as walls
Router placement
Interference from household electronics

Given these considerations, let’s explore viable solutions to improve your upstairs WiFi.

Potential Strategies for Enhanced Coverage

Relocate Your Router or Fiber ONT (Optical Network Terminal)
Feasibility: If your ISP (AT&T) permits, relocating the fiber terminal or router closer to your workspace could improve coverage.
Considerations: Contact AT&T to inquire whether relocating the fiber terminal is possible, and understand any associated costs. Generally, fiber ONTs are installed in specific locations due to infrastructure constraints, but sometimes, providers can accommodate upgrades.
Use Wired Connectivity (Ethernet Cabling)
Description: Running Ethernet cables from your main router to upstairs locations enables devices to connect via wired connection, offering superior speed and stability.
Implementation: If your home has accessible wall cavities or crawl spaces, you could install Ethernet cables. Alternatively, use Powerline adapters that leverage your home’s electrical wiring for network transmission.
Expert Advice: Your IT department mentioned plugging your router into a LAN port upstairs. If your home has Ethernet outlets or can be wired accordingly, this is one of the most reliable options for high-performance connectivity.
Deploy a Mesh WiFi System
Description: Mesh WiFi systems consist of a central router and satellite nodes that work together to blanket your home with seamless WiFi coverage.
Advantages: Easy to set up, scalable, and effective in eliminating dead zones. Many models are compatible