How To Improve Your Wireless Internet Signal?

For Better VoIP Calls .. How To Easily Improve Your Wireless Internet Signal

Nowadays, and for nearly everyone, being online is becoming as important as food or breathing.  Surfing websites pages, chatting, listening to music, or watching videos, if your wireless signal is weak, you will mostly have some unpleasant moments, or even minutes when your pages or videos have stopped because you have moved your chair a little bit. It would be even more frustrating when you have paid a decent amount of money for a high-speed connection. Unfortunately, the speed makes no difference when the signal is weak. Videos or music tracks can wait, but when it’s a call and you started hearing nothing from a moment to another, no one should blame you! It’s a maddening situation! Then how to improve your wireless internet?

VoIP Calls and Internet Connection Quality/Signal

We, previously, on Numero eSIM blog, have discussed the disadvantages of VoIP technology. The main disadvantage was that VoIP calls require a reliable internet connection to afford a clear and hearable voice. If you already have a high-speed connection, check the received signal on the top of your phone’s screen.

Numero eSIM, like other eSIM applications, is a telecommunication gateway that is based on VoIP technology, hence, you need a good internet signal and quality to enjoy all of its incredible services and features. Below are some effective, yet easy to implement tips to improve your wireless internet connection signal on your phone for better VoIP calls.

Easy to Implement Tips: How to Improve Your Wireless Internet Signal on Your Wireless Router / Phone

  • Pick The Best Router Placement

Where you place your internet wireless router is quite critical for the Wi-Fi coverage distance! You may find it easier to place it right where the cable goes in next to the window, but it’s not always the best idea. A wireless router requires open space with as less walls on its signal’s way as possible. Not just walls! Try to place it where there aren’t many electronics around, as their signal can interrupt your wireless router’s signal and weaken it.

Pick The Best Router Placement

Pick The Best Router Placement

  • Utilize Your Router’s Antenna

Never underestimate the antenna (if your wireless router has one). To enhance the router’s signal, try to orient the antenna vertically. Find some upper shelf and place your router there with its antenna elevated. Even better, placing half of your router’s antennas vertically and the other half horizontally. “This is because radio reception is maximized when both client and access point have matched polarization.” – Alt Watt, former Apple Wi-Fi engineer.

There are many tools that you can be used on your smartphone to display statistics of your network’s coverage and tell you where the signal is weak and where is excellent. NetGear’s WiFi Analytics, for example, is an easy application to use, developed mainly for beginners.

  • Get Yourself A Wireless Range Extender

When you live or work in a large property, antennas won’t be good enough. Today, these little devices called Wireless Extenders are affordable and compatible with almost all routers. A Wireless Extender can be considered a very effective portable way to boost the wireless signal. It’s worth-saying that the device is getting cheaper day after day.

Get Yourself A Wireless Range Extender

Get Yourself A Wireless Range Extender

  • Update Your Router’s Firmware

Firmware? Don’t panic! It’s the software that any router operates with. We are not asking you to reprogram the device. Just log in to your router’s page using its default IP Address (in most cases, it’s written on the router’s bottom or box). Enter the username and the password (If not changed before, it’s still the default information that is also written on the router’s bottom or box). You will find the firmware update’s option in a separate tag or in the security tools tag. Updating the firmware wouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

Why should you update the firmware? Most routers manufacturers develop updates for their device so their users can maintain the excellent signal they receive and avoid some technical difficulties such as the delay and data loss.

Update Your Router’s Firmware

Update Your Router’s Firmware

  • The Frequency Trick

Your router’s signal has a dedicated path called the radio frequency. Each device’s signal has a different frequency so signals don’t interfere. In most wireless routers, the frequency is 2.4 GHz. When there is more than one router around the place, it’s more likely that their signals will overlap. If your router is a dual-band one, you would be able to change the frequency to 5 GHz, for it’s not as commonly used as 2.4 GHz.

Open your wireless router’s interface, then look for the wireless network’s frequency and change the value to 5 GHz. Save the new settings and let the wireless router reboot.

  • More Range.. Add Access Points

If you need a constant coverage, the access points (APs) can be just the right choice. APs are more expensive than Range Extenders, but with more preferences and features. What’s preferable about Access Points is that they can maintain a specific speed share, which can be perfect for VoIP calls.

  • Escape Neighbors Range.. Select Your Own Channel

By default, most wireless routers do that automatically, yet you can help that little robot to optimize your wireless signal’s range. A signal channel is the sub path that the signal takes. Having many wireless routers around, like those of your neighbors, could degrade the signal of your own. Use a simple tool like Wi-Fi Analyzer to help you determine whether you need to change the channel or keep it at default settings.

If you have decided to change your wireless signal’s channel, rest assured it’s really easy to be done! On your wireless router’s interface, find network settings and change the channel number. For some users, this simple step have aided their signal range far more than they expected.

  • Borrow Some Magical Kitchen Foil

Sounds odd, doesn’t it? Practically, using aluminum foil can effectively boost your wireless signal. Wrap a small aluminum sheet (in a 2 liter bottle size) and curve it. Place it around your wireless router and reboot. You will notice a significant improvement on your router’s wireless signal.

Kitchen foil trick to extend router signal range

Watch this video to see how it’s done.

  • Get Rid of The Blocking Phone Case

Hard to believe but it’s true! Your phone case could be the one to blame for your weak received wireless signal! If you ever were on a VoIP call and the voice started fading away, it might be the heavy thick case your phone is wearing that is blocking the wireless signal. Excellent cases usually made from metal for extra protection. Such materials can minimize the received signal. To make things clearer, try removing the case for a while and test it out. If you observe any improvement on the signal, look for an alternative case. There are many types of cases available in the market that never affect the wireless signal, and they are robust indeed!

  • Deactivate Auto Connection

In most types of phones, the Operation System, by default, activates an option that connects to any available wireless network around. That means when your wireless signal gets weak, the system will automatically connect to any better alternative with stronger signal. The two seconds of disconnecting and connecting can be a catastrophe for you if you were on an important VoIP call from your supervisor.

For Android phones, try deactivating this option by going to Settings, choose Wi-Fi then hold tap on the network you wish to avoid and deactivate the auto connection.

For iOS phones, go to the Wifi option in the Settings menu. Click on the “I” blue button that’s beside the network you want to disable auto connect to, then toggle off the “Auto-Join” button.

  • Charge Your Phone’s Battery

Whenever your phone is on low battery, it wouldn’t give enough dedicated power for wireless signal reception. Luckily, all modern phones have an option to deal with battery shortage (Battery-saving Mode). You can keep the phone performing on its normal mode, but it’s recommended that you do some simple shutdown processes. When you are on a VoIP call via your phone, you will only need your wireless signal and need it to be at its best performance. Start by lowering your screen’s brightness and closing applications that you don’t work on. And of course, you are ought to turn off other hardware options like NFC and Bluetooth. They will do you no good when they are turned on while your battery is struggling!

How To Maintain a Good Internet Quality

While the strong received wireless signal is very important, it will be all in vain if your internet quality is poor. You may have a high-speed internet connection but yet you keep losing voice or pictures when you are making VoIP calls. That’s because you, or other users on your network, are exhausting the connection. Before you start your VoIP call, make sure that you, and other users on the network, are not excessively downloading files. If you can’t keep your family or friend from downloading for it’s hard to observe others’ behavior on the network, think of purchasing a server router. With a server router, you will be capable of distributing speed for every single user and maintain a good internet quality for your VoIP calls and data.