Most Wi-Fi dead zones come down to one of five things: where the router is, which band your device is using, what’s between them, interference, or the device itself. The first four can often be fixed for free. Work through them in this order before buying an extender or mesh system:
- Where is the router?
- Which band is the device on?
- What’s in the way?
- Is something interfering?
- Is it just this device?
Check 1: where is the router?
Wi-Fi fades with distance, and the faster bands fade first: lower frequencies reach further, and 2.4 GHz has the longest range and the best ability to pass through walls of the three bands. Microsoft’s own troubleshooting advice starts in the same place: keep the device close to the router and free of obstructions.
Check 2: which band is the device on?
A device on 5 GHz or 6 GHz may lose its connection in a room where 2.4 GHz would still work, because those bands don’t reach as far. If the weak room is far from the router, a slower but steadier 2.4 GHz connection may be the better trade. 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz explains how to choose.
Check 3: what’s in the way?
Ordinary interior walls are rarely the main culprit. NIST measured how much signal common building materials stop. Its tests were at frequencies near, but not identical to, the Wi-Fi bands, so read these figures as a comparison, not a prediction for your walls:
| Material (thickness) | Share of the signal lost in NIST’s tests |
|---|---|
| Drywall (13 mm) | About 6% |
| Plywood (13 mm) | About 10% |
| Glass (19 mm) | About 30% |
| Brick wall (267 mm) | About 60% (about 40% got through, at 0.5–2 GHz) |
| Concrete | The most of the materials tested |
Check 4: is something interfering?
Some household devices interfere with Wi-Fi, especially on 2.4 GHz. TP-Link lists microwaves, Bluetooth devices and USB 3.0 devices as sources of interference on that band. Microsoft suggests changing the router’s wireless channel to reduce interference.
Signs it’s interference rather than distance: the problem comes and goes, or gets worse when a particular appliance is running.
Check 5: is it just this device?
Apple’s advice is a good test: check whether other devices can connect in the same spot. If they can, the router and network are working, and the problem is the device, such as its Wi-Fi adapter, settings or software. Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting covers device-side fixes.
When it’s time to add hardware
If the cause is distance or construction and moving the router didn’t fix it, you need more coverage. TP-Link positions extenders for one or two specific weak spots and mesh systems for coverage problems across a whole home.
- One weak room: an extender, or an access point if you can run a cable.
- Several weak rooms or floors: a mesh system, ideally with cable between some units.
Mesh Wi-Fi vs router vs extender compares the options, and How many mesh nodes do you need? shows how to place them. If you’re a gFiber customer, check first whether your plan includes gFiber’s mesh extender: see Wi-Fi extenders for Google Fiber. If coverage is fine but everything is just slow, start with Slow Wi-Fi instead.