When you've found it, launch it, click the Window menu and select Utilities (Command+2). You'll need to use Go To Folder (Command+Shift+G) in the Finder's Go menu to access the directory. On the Mac the tool is hidden away in the System/Library/CoreServices directory. A list of networks will appear, with a number of bars representing its strength – the more the better. In Windows, click the wireless icon in the notification area, bottom right. Check the signalīoth Windows and OS X have tools that allow you to monitor wireless performance. If you plan to use the same one upstairs and downstairs, consider placing the modem/router upstairs, if possible. Finally, wireless signals tend to be stronger below the router than above it, so when placing the router, the higher the better. If that's not possible, consider buying a separate wireless router and connecting it to the modem/router with an Ethernet cable. If your telephone or cable point is close to the ground in the corner of a room, buy yourself a longer cable and give yourself more flexibility in where you can position the router. Try and keep the area immediately around the router clear of sofas, bookcases, and anything else that might block the signal. SurroundingsĪs we've said, wireless signals are obstructed by walls and other obstacles. If your telephone or cable point is in the living room and your study is at the other end of the house, you might have to extend the range of your network or create a new one that has a wired connection to the router – we'll discuss both of these options later. Ideally, you'd have it floating in mid-air just below the ceiling in the room that is closest to the centre of the house! Place it as close to that point as you're able. Wireless routers broadcast omni-directionally, and the closer you place yours to an obstacle like a brick wall, the more you'll restrict its signal. Nevertheless, you should, as far as possible, place it well off the floor – either wall-mounted or on a desk or shelf, and as far from the corner of the room as possible. Its location will be dictated by the location of your phone or cable point, and so you'll be limited in how far you can move it. Whether we have cable broadband or DSL, most of us have one box that doubles as a modem and router. It's worth taking time to familiarise yourself with the options available. Select it and change the default SSID and password to something that's memorable to you.Īlso, change the admin username and password for the router settings. Settings screens for routers vary, but somewhere there will be a W-Fi network menu. Type that into the address bar in your browser and log in. Unless you have an Apple router (which is configured using AirPort Utility) you'll probably have been supplied with an internal IP address for the router, usually in the form .x, along with a username and password. The procedure on an mobile device is similar just select Wi-Fi from the Settings app. Type in the default password, and you should be connected in a few seconds. If it's not there, select Join Other Network and type in the SSID. Once you have the SSID and password, click on the Wi-Fi symbol in the Windows system tray or a Mac's menu bar and select the SSID from the menu. If not it should have been supplied to you separately. In most cases, the SSID (Wi-Fi network name) and default password for the router will be on a sticky label on its underside. Setting up the modem/router is as simple as plugging it into a mains power outlet and then connecting the supplied cable to your cable or phone line. If your router has internal antennae, it may use a technology called 'beamforming' that increases the power of the signal in the direction of connected devices. The degree to which adjusting the antennae affects the signal's strength depends on the router. Some (though not all) routers also have external antennae that give you a bit of flexibility in how they're positioned. Most modem/routers consist of a box with one port on the back that connects to your cable or phone line – usually labelled 'WAN' – and around four other ports that look the same, but that are labelled 'LAN' and designed to allow you to connect devices to the router using an Ethernet cable. Nevertheless, given that you can't do much about the device's inherent wireless ability, you need to optimise your network. It could just be that, say, your iPad is more capable than your Android phone when it comes to hooking up to a Wi-Fi network with a less-than-perfect signal. AirPort Utility usefully maps your existing network visually
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