Wi-Fi 7 routers have a lot of allure for modern networking. The latest Wi-Fi standards address congestion, latency, and interference, enabling you to add more devices to your network without many issues. While the most appealing solution to your home network’s slowdowns may be to purchase a new router, even the latest Wi-Fi standards cannot penetrate walls. The key to fixing your home network is to understand its limitations first. By mapping your home's dead zones, you can get a good idea of which cost-effective solution will work best for you. Are you trying to fix connectivity to one room? Do you have a second story that gets slower speeds? You don't have to buy the newest Wi-Fi router to fix your network, and there’s more than one way you can improve connectivity without breaking the bank. While most of these solutions require purchasing some equipment, the costs are only a fraction of what a new router would cost, and you’ll address your networking issues holistically.

Router placement

Sometimes, simply moving your router is all you need to improve coverage

It may seem painfully obvious, but the place your ISP initially installed your router isn’t necessarily the best place for it to live. Most network problems start with poor router placement — that’s because routers use radio waves to transmit data over wireless local area networks (WLANs). Those signals can be easily blocked with poor router placement. Although the best router placement will vary depending on your home's layout, a general rule of thumb is to keep your router centrally located; this ensures it broadcasts signals as far as possible in every direction. Next, if your router is on the ground, pick it up. Raising your router by placing it on a shelf, table, or desk also helps it broadcast the broadest possible signal. Floors, walls, concrete, thick wooden walls, and metal can interfere with the Wi-Fi signal. While it’s impossible to expect a seamless Wi-Fi experience, you can make it easier for your router to cover more ground by keeping it off the floor and preferably centrally located. If your router has antennas, move them to improve signal strength.

Other potential sources of interference with your router signal include appliances like your microwave and TV, as well as water. Ensure your router isn’t located behind your smart TV, near an aquarium, or stored in a cabinet. Routers aren’t always the prettiest tech, but hiding them away usually results in a slower network.

Try wired networking, where you can

Wi-Fi will never be as reliable as Ethernet

Wi-Fi isn’t perfect, and even if you upgrade to the newest Wi-Fi 7 routers, you can still expect dead spots in areas that are harder for a wireless signal to reach without a lot of interference. The most obvious and cheapest solution is to try using a wired Ethernet connection where possible. Ethernet cables aren’t terribly expensive and are straightforward to set up, but you can’t wire every device in your house with Ethernet, and retroactively wiring for Ethernet is a complicated fix. That said, if you have existing coaxial cables running through your home that are less than 20 years old, you can use an Ethernet adapter, such as a MoCA adapter.

Most of the other options I discuss below include Ethernet ports, so you have more than one way to get an Ethernet connection throughout your house. Cat6 is all you need, but Cat6A would also work. Just be mindful that the more affordable Cat5 will be limited to 100 Mbps.

Plug in a Wi-Fi Extender

Trying to fix coverage in one room? A Wi-Fi extender is a good starting point

You won’t catch me touting Wi-Fi extenders all that often, since they need to be positioned close enough to your router to repeat its signal (typically about halfway between your router and the dead spot) and don’t consistently deliver the best performance. Wi-Fi extenders won’t boost your router's speeds, and in many tests, they slow them by 50%. Still, if you’re trying to get coverage for a specific room or corner of your house, a Wi-Fi extender can help. Many Wi-Fi extenders also include Ethernet ports, which help address the high latency and congestion users often experience with extenders. It’s not the most convenient solution if you’re trying to boost coverage in a room that’s further away from your router, but you’ll almost certainly get improved coverage.

Add wireless access points

You don't necessarily need new equipment to get whole-home coverage

Wireless access points (WAPs) are an extremely effective way to get whole-home coverage. Though WAPs require a wired connection to your router (in most cases) and are typically installed throughout the house as ceiling mounts, you can turn old routers into access points by putting them into “Access Point” mode, turning off DHCP, and connecting them to your main router’s LAN port.

New WAPs can be a pricey investment if you decide not to go the DIY route, especially if you want to mount them to the ceiling. Still, APs are a tried-and-true method for improving Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the house because they’re hardwired to your main router and scalable as your home's layout changes over time. Plus, the more APs you add, the more devices you can support on your network without congestion. We've seen some great success with EnGenius' range of APs.

Use powerline adapters

An easy way to bypass running Ethernet cables everywhere

Powerline adapters are another quick fix to network issues, though they may not work for everyone. Powerline adapters use your home’s existing electricity wiring to transmit radio signals. It’s typically as simple as plugging a powerline adapter into the wall near your router and connecting it to your router with an Ethernet cable. Although some users may find a powerline adapter a quick and welcome fix for internet dead zones, the adapter's success depends on the quality of your home’s wiring system — and whether the electrical circuits the adapters are plugged into connect with each other.

Like Wi-Fi extenders, powerline adapters aren’t going to support tasks that require low latency or heavy bandwidth. They’ll improve connectivity in the dead zones you need to boost, but don’t expect the speeds to be blazing fast. Still, if you’re on a budget and looking to improve your network, they’re worth trying out.

Understand your network before you try upgrading to a new router

You don’t need the newest router to improve connectivity. The key to improving your home network is first, understanding its faults and strengths. If you’re not getting coverage on the upper floors of the house, for example, consider moving your router or using an access point or Wi-Fi extender in the upstairs space. By taking many speed tests and mapping where connectivity is strongest and weakest, you can find the best solution for your budget.