How to Improve Wi-Fi Signal Strength?
Updated
Your Wi-Fi signal strength is the quality of communication between your SimpliSafe® System and router. Think of Wi-Fi signal strength as two people talking in a room. If the room is empty, they can hear each other quite well. But as the room becomes more crowded, they may have trouble hearing one another. In this analogy, more people in the room equate to more devices connecting on your network. The more devices that connect to a network, the weaker the signal will be for other devices.
There are some steps that you can take to improve connectivity. First, we always recommend rebooting your router if it’s been a while since you’ve done this. To reboot your router, simply unplug it from power for 30-60 seconds, then plug it back in. This will provide a fresh connection for your network devices.
If you’re still having trouble after a router reboot, there are some additional steps you can take to improve your overall signal strength.
Router Placement
The placement of your router is crucial to how it interacts with devices on your network. We recommend having it out in the open rather than inside of a cabinet or other furniture. It’s also a good idea to have it in line of sight of your cameras and Base Station, whenever possible. You can also opt to move the router closer to your cameras if your space allows for it.
Connect Other Electronics/Devices To Ethernet Or 5GHz
If you have multiple smart devices such as computers, TVs, or gaming consoles connected to your Wi-Fi, try moving them off your network and onto ethernet, if possible. This will help clear up bandwidth on your Wi-Fi network to allow a more streamlined connection. If you cannot hardwire your other electronics to the network, the best option is to move them to the 5GHz network created by your router. This will allow SimpliSafe® devices to have more bandwidth on the 2.4GHz network by not competing for signal strength with your other electronics.
Create A Dedicated Wi-Fi Network For Your SimpliSafe® System
Many modern routers have the ability to split the Wi-Fi signal to create dedicated networks. Consult with your router’s manual, or talk to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for more information.
Once you have created a new network for SimpliSafe®, you can use the SimpliSafe® Mobile App to change the Wi-Fi network.
Open the SimpliSafe® Mobile App and navigate to the “My System” gear at the bottom of the screen.
Select “Base Station Settings”
Tap on “Wi-Fi Network”
Choose the new network from the list of available networks
Enter your password
Choose “Connect” at the bottom of the screen when finished to join the network
Change Your Router’s Channel
Some routers allow you to change the channel that your router broadcasts. This is an important step to take, especially if you live in an apartment or have a business in a busy shopping plaza. We typically recommend using channels 1, 6, or 11 as they have the least amount of overlap with other channels, however, your router may recommend a different channel depending on its own settings.
To change your router's channel, please consult with your router manual or contact your ISP for further assistance.
Install a Wi-Fi Extender
A Wi-Fi Extender is a great way to increase the reach of your wireless network within your home. SimpliSafe® has a recommended Wi-Fi extender, which has the appropriate configuration options to be compatible with our cameras.
If you decide to purchase a different brand, we recommend you confirm that it is compatible with the following:
You are able to name the extended Wi-Fi network differently than the main Wi-Fi network
The extender supports 2.4GHz, with the ability to either turn off the 5GHz frequency or give the 5GHz frequency a different name
Upgrade Your Router
As Internet-connected devices improve, they demand more from your Wi-Fi router. Because of this, routers that are more than a few years old may have trouble keeping up with the demand from electronic devices.
If you rent or purchased your router through your Internet Service Provider (ISP), contact them for further assistance on getting the latest hardware for your router.