The WiFi coverage problems They are a common evil in many homes and that causes all kinds of problems to arise. tips and tricks to improve itsome of them quite questionable. One of the viral tricks that has been circulating the most lately is the one that ensures that simply By placing a coin on top of the router we can amplify the signal of our WiFi. I wish it were that simple.
The trick has been successful because it combines several factors: it is very easy to do, problems with WiFi are very common and it has a certain scientific basis. The logic is that, as the antennas are metal and the coin too, if we put it on top of the router we will make the signal increase. Let’s explain to you why it doesn’t make any sense.
Debunking the myth of the coin and the router
Placing a coin on the router has the same effect on the signal as leaving it next to it: none. For a metal to act as an antenna, it has to be connected to the circuit that emits the signal, but this is not the case. Between the coin and the circuit are other components, air and a plastic casing. Come on, it’s not going to have any effect.
Placing metal near a router can even worsen the signal. If we surround a signal emitter such as the router with metal, we will achieve the well-known effect Faraday cagethat is, the signal is blocked. Obviously with a single coin we are not going to make WiFi worse, but this destroys the belief that a metal object on top of the router is going to amplify the signal.
Photo by Pierre G on Unsplash
As we said, the basis of the trick is that the antennas are made of metal, but there is a key issue and that is that not just any metal will do, it must be one who is a good driver. The metal that conducts electricity better It is silver, followed by copper, gold and aluminum. Euro coins are made of different materials depending on what currency it is. The 2 euro one combines a copper-nickel exterior with a nickel and brass interior; those of 50, 20 and 10 cents are made of Nordic gold (an alloy of copper, aluminum, zinc and tin) and those of 5, 2 or 1 cent are made of copper-coated steel. Even if the trick worked, none of these materials would be ideal for building an antenna.
Tips that will improve your WiFi
Most WiFi problems at home have their origin in one very specific thing: the router is incorrectly placed. The usual thing is that the installation comes through a wall and that we install the router right there, but it is a mistake.
The more focused you are, the better.
The router emits the signal in all directions, so if we put it at one end of the house we will be making the signal very good in that room and outside (on the other side of the wall), but it will be increasingly weaker as we move away from it. The best location for the router is to place it as centrally as possible within our house.
Another issue to take into account is the obstacles. The walls, the closets full of clothes, the appliances… all of this will weaken the signal of our WiFi, so the fewer obstacles you have to cross, better.
There is more tips that allow you to optimize the WiFi signal at homehow to keep your router updated or choose well what we connect to each bandbut if nothing works you can always turn to additional devices such as a WiFi PLC amplifier or what is by far the most effective: a WiFi Mesh system. I myself have suffered problems with WiFi at home due to a poorly placed router and The only thing that solved it was installing two additional mesh routers. I wish it had been as simple as putting a euro on top of the router.
Image | Alex Alcolea, Xataka
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