How To Get Better WiFi In A Basement (6 Ways)

 

Basements are a great place to put a movie room, office, or game room.

There is usually plenty of space in a basement for these activities.

The one issue that many people run into is that the WiFi signal is not quite as strong.

Unfortunately, this is a very common problem, but there are some things you can do to try and help the signal.

Here are our best tips to get better WiFi in the basement.

 

How to Get a Better WiFi in the Basement

 

1. Plug It In Directly

 

One of the best ways to get better WiFi in the basement is to plug in directly.

Although a wireless connection is something most people want to have, the ability to plug in using an ethernet cable is also quite important.

The great thing about an ethernet cable is that you are going to get quite a bit more speed almost instantly.

When you are plugged in for an internet connection, the speed is almost always higher.

Of course, depending on the configuration of your basement, this could be a bit of a challenge.

The best situation is when you have an outlet and an ethernet hookup directly next to your cable box or gaming device.

If you happen to have this type of setup, you may simply try plugging in for some internet as opposed to struggling to get the WiFi to work.

Sometimes the instant difference in speed will make much more sense than trying to work out the WiFi situation.

 

Cat 6 Ethernet Cable 50 ft White

If you have a long distance between your ethernet adapter and your computer or game console that needs better internet, you can use this Cat 6 Ethernet Cable.

This cable is 50 feet long, and it has the capability of attaching to gaming systems, computer servers, printers, and routers.

The shape of this cable is unique, and it is relatively easy to install.

If you need to hide this around the floor of your basement, you will have no trouble doing so.

Certainly, this is a cheap and easy way to extend the WiFi in the basement.

 

2. Move the Router to a More Central Location

 

Another simple solution for getting better WiFi in the basement is to move your wireless router to a central location.

For instance, if your wireless router is currently set up on the second floor of your home, you may have better luck if you move it to a more central location.

Most people have luck putting the router in the center of the home with equal access to the upstairs and downstairs.

In fact, before you start purchasing products to help your WiFi extend to the basement, you may just want to move it around a bit.

Many people have found that, by putting the wireless router in a different room, they tend to get a much better signal.

If you have just purchased a home and are putting in a wireless router, you may want to consider where it is being installed.

Sometimes the router is placed all the way at one end of the house, where it is easiest for the technician to get to.

If you have any say in the matter, look for a location in the center of the house or closer to an area that would be the most useful to your situation.

If you find that moving the router around does not work for your home, then you must move on to a more permanent solution.

 

3. Wireless Repeater

 

There are several types of devices which can work to help increase your wireless signal in your home.

The wireless repeater is a simple option, and it will work very similarly to the ethernet cable choice we mentioned in our first option.

Essentially, with a repeater, you are going to be repeating the wireless connection in the basement.

You will find the area in your basement where the ethernet cable is and connect another wireless router, a repeater router.

This will transfer a portion of the signal from the router in the other location to the router in the basement area.

There are both good and bad things about this option.

For starters, you won’t really be getting twice the wireless signal,

Instead, you are going to be splitting the signal that you already have.

When you split the signal, it won’t be nearly as strong in the other parts of the house.

For those who spend most of their time using the internet in the basement, this is fine.

If you are a person who streams many movies and television shows, you will need a good internet connection.

Sometimes, when installing this repeater, you can end up taking away from the overall power of the internet that you have in your home.

It gets a bit frustrating, and you may have to increase your plan through your internet provider.

 

WiFi Range Extender – 1200Mbps WiFi Repeater Wireless Signal Booster, 2.4 & 5GHz Dual Band WiFi Extender with Ethernet Port

The Rock Space WiFi Range Extender is a great choice for a wireless repeater.

With this option, you will get reliable data transmission and a quick and easy setup.

You have a few different ways to install this model, and it is compatible with most of the wireless routers that are on the market today.

For the price of this extender, it is undoubtedly worth it to give a try to see if it will work in your basement.

If you have the ethernet connection in your basement, remember that you can sometimes try to put the main router in the basement and the extender on the main floor.

Some people have better luck with switching up the locations of the extender and the router.

 

4. Electric Wireless

 

The wireless repeater helps the internet transfer through the house using an ethernet cable.

Another type of wireless extension is an electric wireless extension.

This is a device that will be installed in an outlet near your main router.

Then you install another device in an outlet in the basement where you need a stronger internet connection.

The two devices will communicate with each other to bring the wireless signal to your basement.

Again, this will be a bit of a temporary fix as the internet connection is not going to be doubled.

It will simply be shared between one section of the home and another.

When you use the electric wireless type of connection, make sure that all of the devices are working on the same channel.

The setup is quite simple, but you must make sure that it is configured properly to get the proper signal across all levels.

 

NETGEAR WiFi Range Extender EX5000 – Coverage up to 1500 Sq.Ft. and 25 Devices

The NetGear WiFi Range Extender is an excellent choice for a simple plug and play option.

Simply plug this device in, use the WPS button to connect to your router, and you will have a better internet signal in your house.

You can use some of the NetGear technology to help make sure that you are placing your wireless extender in the right location of your home.

With the NetGear products, you always have the ability to set the security preferences to work for you and your home.

 

5. Check the Channel of Your Wireless Connection

 

Many wireless routers come with the ability to change the channel.

If the channel on which you are operating your wireless router is, for some reason, crowded or filled, you can change the channel.

Always make sure that the router and any other extenders are on the same channel for optimum results.

 

6. Purchase a New Router

 

Last but certainly not least, you may want to consider purchasing a new wireless router.

Believe it or not, there are some routers that are just better than others.

Sometimes the purchase of a new router could help to make sure that the signal you are getting in your basement is a much stronger than before.

The new wireless routers are very capable and will give you a faster and stronger signal.

The pricing on wireless routers tends to vary quite a bit.

If you initially purchased something cheap just to get you through, you may want to reconsider and get a more high end wireless router.

 

TP-Link AC1200 Gigabit WiFi Router (Archer A6) – 5GHz

The TP-Link Gigabit WiFi Router is an excellent choice for those who are a bit more budget conscious.

With this router, you won’t spend too much money, but you will get plenty of speed and very easy installation as well.

We are impressed with the capabilities of this router and how far the signal was able to travel.

If your WiFi router is more than a few years old, a simple upgrade to some new technology could do the trick to get you a better signal in the basement.

 

Do WiFi Signal Boosters Work?

 

Now that you have some solutions for getting better WiFi in the basement, it is time to decide if one these signal boosters will work for you.

The reality is that most of the signal boosters do have some effectiveness.

The problem is that there are a few factors which must be considered in order for the signal boosters to work.

For starters, you have to consider the initial speed of the internet.

If you remember correctly, we mentioned that the WiFi speed is going to be cut down a bit by each of these boosters that you put in.

You will never be able to install a booster which gives you more internet speed than what is coming in from the service provider.

The service provider needs to give you more speed from their source, and that is going to cost you more money.

Therefore, when you install a signal booster, it is best to understand that you will not get more overall internet speed.

You will, however, get better internet service in different locations of your home.

You can think about a WiFi signal booster as something that spreads a signal out over a larger area but doesn’t necessarily speed up your internet.

 

Why Is the WiFi Signal So Bad in the Basement?

 

There are a few reasons that your WiFi signal is likely to be pretty bad in the basement.

Sometimes, understanding these reasons will help lead you to a better solution for your WiFi needs.

 

1. Physical Distance

The main issue that you will deal with when it comes to basement WiFi is the physical distance from the main router.

In between the main router and the basement, you will have quite a bit of space to cover.

If you don’t have a wireless router that has a lot of power and speed, you won’t be able to get the signal to the basement.

 

2. Obstructions

Another problem with a basement is that there are some obstructions that will stop the signal from making it to your basement.

The walls and ductwork are two obstructions that will most certainly come into play.

There won’t be much that you can do about this as the basement structure can’t really be changed.

This is why the positioning of the router becomes quite essential.

 

3. Interference

Whether you are having trouble with your WiFi in the basement or simply struggling with WiFi overall, the problem could be interference.

Interference occurs when too many other devices are taking away parts of the signal that you are trying to get a piece of.

In some areas, you may notice that, at certain times of day, it is harder to get the internet speed you need.

Test your basement WiFi a few times throughout the day to see if there is any change in the signal strength.

 

4. Powerful Router

If you remember, one of our solutions was to purchase a more powerful router.

When you have a router that is not all that strong, you won’t be able to get the signal you need in your basement.

The extra money you pay for a more powerful router will pay off when it comes to the internet speed that you can get in the different areas of your home.

 

5. Bandwidth

If the WiFi in your basement is not working because someone is on a video call, it could simply be too much going on at once.

You will want to take a look at the devices that are tapping into the WiFi at any given time.

Try to control the number of devices and see if that will help to give you a better signal in the basement.

 

Conclusion

As you can see, getting a good WiFi signal in the basement can be a bit difficult.

However, with a bit of trial and error and a few helpful products, you will be well on your way to a better WiFi signal.

The WiFi range extenders don’t cost all that much, and they are easy to install.

However, you must remember that they will not increase the amount of internet or speed you have coming into the home.