I’m finally about to get much better internet. I’ve been chugging along on an old copper connection that feels increasingly slow; there are four other people in the house besides me, so the connection is stretched to its limits.
But a major internet upgrade isn’t always what you need. Sometimes, it’s about being clever with your existing internet connection and Wi-Fi router placement, making sure that you’re placing your devices where the internet can reach.
I’ve been using an app to map the Wi-Fi signal in my house, and it’s been eye-opening in a few ways. One, it illustrates perfectly why I need not just a new internet connection, but a new router. And two, it’s shown me that there are some areas of my house where the internet simply refuses to reach.
Still, this is a really worthwhile way to figure out just where your Wi-Fi signal sweet spots are, and to finally get the speeds you deserve.
Map your Wi-Fi to find those perfect zones
It only takes a moment, and you’ll find the best Wi-Fi signal
First up, you’ll want to download Ubiquiti’s WiFiman app. It’s a free app available for iOS and Android devices, and you don’t need existing Ubiquiti hardware to scan your home Wi-Fi. So, shoutout to Ubiquiti for not limiting its app to its hardware.
Once downloaded and installed, open the app. It gives you an overview of your current Wi-Fi connection. So, for me, it shows that I’m connected to a home network, that I’m still using the now-ancient Wi-Fi 5 standard, current upload and download speeds, the device I’m using, the Wi-Fi channel, and more.
To start mapping your Wi-Fi, switch to the Signal tab, then select Floor Plan. Now, I’ll caveat this section slightly with the fact that you don’t end up with a really precise area map of your house. It doesn’t really work like that, unfortunately.
However, if you walk around your house in a precise manner and try not to go back on yourself too much, you’ll immediately get a much greater understanding of where the hot and cold Wi-Fi signal zones are. That’s the joy of using WiFiman. It doesn’t create a pinpoint map of your house, but it absolutely shows where your Wi-Fi signal is lacking, and gives you a good idea of where you can improve.
My router is in the center of my house, where it should be. But that means that the extremities of the house suffer from poor signal, especially in the bedrooms. I don’t have a massive house, and as mentioned, my router isn’t the greatest to begin with. This is why mapping my Wi-Fi is so useful, though. I can see that a Wi-Fi extender placed on the floor above will likely give the boost I need to get Wi-Fi coverage into all of the bedrooms.
The WiFiman map colors work as you may expect: green is good, red is bad. Just be careful not to overlap yourself too much while walking around. The map doesn’t return in the same direction, which means it spreads out the more you walk. This is why I used WiFiman to find specific sweet spots for the Wi-Fi signal rather than attempting to make an accurate map of the actual house.
This single page is really useful on its own.
But switching across to the Scan tab is where WiFiman starts to get really interesting. This page shows you the various Wi-Fi signals your device currently detects. But more importantly, it also shows what channel each Wi-Fi network is broadcasting on.
If you notice that your Wi-Fi is broadcasting on the same channel as your neighbors, you can change that. Swapping your Wi-Fi channel isn’t guaranteed to give you a faster signal, but it can certainly help reduce interference throughout your home. And plus, it’s free and easy to do, so why not give it a try?
It’s one of the ways you can fix spotty Wi-Fi connections without buying new hardware.
Map your Wi-Fi and eliminate the dead zones
At the very least, find the green Wi-Fi spots
My house isn’t big enough for a mesh Wi-Fi system. It just doesn’t make sense; the square footage doesn’t warrant it. However, I’m hoping that when my new internet service provider installs proper fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) and I get a new router, my Wi-Fi dead zone problems will be gone for good.
But even after installation, I’ll still turn to the WiFiman app to check out the Wi-Fi signal in my house. Who knows? Even with new, faster internet and a more powerful router, the Wi-Fi might still suck!
