How to boost Wi-Fi signal
In a very large, multi-storey home with several enclosed rooms or thicker walls, the Wi-Fi signal may be weak or non-existent in the rooms furthest from the Helix Fi gateway or router.
An effective solution to this problem is to add Wi-Fi pods or extenders to your Internet access.
How to improve the performance of your Wi-Fi network?
If your Wi-Fi network's performance is slower or poorer than usual, fix the problem by checking the factors that may be affecting your devices’ connectivity.
Use the Helix Fi app’s Full Network Test feature
With the Full Network Test, you can test all your devices that are connected to the Helix Fi gateway’s Wi-Fi network to ensure that the coverage properly meets your needs. Using the Helix Fi app’s Full Network Test feature.
Restart your devices regularly
Restart your gateway or router frequently to extend its lifespan and improve the quality of your Wi-Fi. Restarting the device allows it to update its software, which improves connectivity and makes the service faster.
Connect devices using an Ethernet cable
If you’re using a stationary device for bandwidth-heavy activities (e.g., playing online games or streaming movies or shows), your best bet is to hardwire the device to the network with an Ethernet cable. You’ll get a more stable connection on your stationary devices and better performance. It will also free up the Wi-Fi for other uses.
Good to know
Protect your Wi-Fi network with a strong password
This will prevent neighbours from connecting on the sly, which affects your network’s performance and, more importantly, creates a major security breach! Check out our tips on how to select a strong password.
Check the other factors that may be slowing down the connection
Here are other things to check when your network speed isn't up to par:
- Older devices or obsolete operating systems may not have the appropriate capacities for the connection.
- Your devices may be too far from your Helix Fi gateway or router, which weakens the signal.
- Some of the programs on your devices may be using a large amount of bandwidth and slowing down your network (e.g., P2P software such as µTorrent).
- Your Internet plan may not meet your usage needs, causing congestion and slowing down the network.
- Using a virtual private network (VPN) feature like Apple’s iCloud Private Relay means that your Internet requests no longer go through a network route optimized to display information as quickly as possible, which can cause your connection to slow down.
Use our speed test to learn more about what might be influencing the performance of your Internet connection.
9 tips for troubleshooting Internet or Wi-Fi speed issues
Discover our smart solutions for improving the speed of your Internet connection and the quality of your Wi-Fi signal. Read the article
Choosing the right frequency
With the Helix Fi gateway
Your Helix Fi gateway is smart: it will automatically choose the most appropriate radio frequency (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz). Each frequency has its benefits.
- The 2.4-GHz frequency provides better coverage and can easily travel through matter (e.g., walls or large obstacles).
- The 5-GHz frequency is less affected by interference, which can be caused by things like microwaves. It's also up to three times faster than the 2.4-GHz frequency.
We recommend that you keep the automatic setup, but if you wish, you can choose the network to which your devices will connect by separating the two networks.
With a router
If you use a router, the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks operate independently. You must select the network of your choice manually, based on your needs. See how to connect your devices to Wi-Fi.
Where is the best place to put my Helix Fi gateway or my router?
Given the performance factors and sources of interference, the best place to put your Helix Fi gateway or router is:
- In an open area.
- In as central a place as possible, preferably on the main floor, in an open room (avoid the basement or the upper floors).
- Off the floor, about a metre from the ground.
- Away from any solid surfaces (e.g., concrete walls, furniture, metal surfaces).
- Away from large sources of water (e.g., aquarium, water heater).
- Away from devices that cause interference (e.g., baby monitors, wireless phones, microwave ovens, refrigerators, and Bluetooth devices).
During the installation, the technician will advise you on the best place to put the gateway or router.
What can affect a Wi-Fi signal?
A number of things can interfere with the signal. The main sources of interference are:
- Physical obstacles, such as walls. Metal and concrete are some of the materials that produce the most interference.
- Shared antenna time, meaning the number of devices connected to the network at any given time.
- Other nearby Wi-Fi networks.
- Devices that also use a 2.4-GHz or 5-GHz frequency band, like speakers, baby monitors, Bluetooth devices, or microwave ovens.
