I have to thank Mashable for their well intentioned, but slightly flawed article on improving WiFi signals for inspiring this post.

This is the time of year when being outside is a real pleasure, but using your laptop, tablet, or smartphone while staying connected on your deck or front porch is a struggle for many.

You might think that you need a new WiFi router, and it's possible that you do, but try my tips before you spring for a shiny new box you may not need.

1. Get the WiFi off the floor!

I've seen many WiFi routers tucked underneath a desk and this is the worst place if you're trying to extend your signal range. Get it up high (minimum of 3 feet off the ground) and you'll see an instant improvement.

2. Don't block the signal path

The antennas of WiFi routers may send the signal in multiple directions, but the path to your WiFi enable laptop, tablet or smart phone is a straight line, not around a corner. Some signal bounce occurs, but mostly its just absorb or blocked by building materials and objects in your home. Avoid putting your WiFi router behind a monitor, as the metal shielding they contain works all too well at blocking signals.

3. Centralize the WiFi router in your home

If your goal is even coverage throughout your home, don't put the WiFi router in a corner of your basement and expect a strong signal (or any at all) on the second floor, at the opposite end of your home. Too often I've found WiFi routers tucked in a corner of the basement under a tiled kitchen floor above. When ceramic tile is laid on a flexible surface like the wood subfloor of a house, they use a heavy steel mesh to keep it from flexing at the grout lines. This mesh is a good signal blocker, and obviously not what you want.

4. Optimize the WiFi router settings

As explained in the Masable article, its a good idea to turn off features you don't need like 802.11b for older devices, but while these improve speed, they won't boost signal strength. What you need for distance is a lower frequency setting (2.4 GHz WiFi), but this comes at a price. If your WiFi router is operating at 2.4 GHz (Gigahertz signal frequency) you are more susceptible to interference from your neighbor's WiFi, Microwave ovens and some cordless phones that don't use the newer DECT 6.0 technology. To combat interference from neighboring WiFi, search for WiFi channels that are not in use near the location of your WiFi router. You can use free software like iStumbler for Mac or inSSIDer on a PC to discover what WiFi channels are in use around you and manually set your router to an unused channel or to one with a weak signal from your neighbors.

There's a common misconception that 5 GHz WiFi will solve all your problems and that is false. While you'll gain some independence from the common sources of interference, this higher frequency (shorter radio waves) cannot penetrate walls and objects in your home as effectively as the 2.4 GHz frequency range can. Also, don't be mislead into thinking that the new 802.11ac standard is going to boost signal, because it won't. The new 802.11ac gives you faster throughput, but operates in the 5GHz frequency range, so the same issues occur whether your router is using 802.11n @ 5 GHz or 802.11ac @ 5 GHz.

5. Spend money wisely

I've tried repeaters or range extenders with unimpressive results. Keep in mind that depending on the type and settings, these can actually slow down the entire WiFi network in your home. If positioning the Internet Service Provider's combination modem/WiFi router is limited by where the cable or phone line enters your home, consider running a physical ethernet cable from the ISP modem/router to your own WiFi router in a better location for signals. This will allow you to either have two separately located WiFi points of access in your home, or a single optimally located WiFi router for maximum coverage. If fishing an ethernet cable through your home is not your thing, consider using Home Plug to extend your wired network to a WiFi router placed in an optimal location for good signal reception.

Secure advice

The technician your Internet Service Provider sends out will not always have your personal security in mind. Take control and make sure no matter how you access WiFi that it is secured with WPA2 encryption. NEVER USE WEP encryption. WEP is old encryption that was permanently compromised not long after it became available. Anyone can download software that will quickly break into a wireless network encrypted with WEP. The WiFi Alliance and all responsible router manufacturers do not recommend it and new routers often default to WPA2 encryption out of the box, but if you have an older WiFi router or a 2WIRE modem/router, these may be set to WEP security by default. You can easily check this yourself. When you are connected to a WiFi network, it will often be shown in the WiFi connection settings. On a Macintosh, hold down the Option key and click on the WiFi signal icon to see what security type your connection is using.

Make sure you have the SPI Firewall of your WiFi router enabled and disable UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) if your router does not pass a stealth test, which you can find here at Steve Gibson's Sheilds UP!! You can also check the full security of your router using Steve's complete test by clicking "All Service Ports" on the Shields UP!! Home page. With these two tests, you can make sure your router is not inviting in the bad guys.

If you find you're not getting the signal strength you need from your WiFi or you discover your security is compromised, I'm here to help. Send me a tweet, drop me an email or give me a call and enjoy your tech on the deck this summer!