Fix Wi-Fi blackspots fast and often at no cost (2024 update network guide)

30/07/2024
By Ray Shaw
In Guides

You can usually fix Wi-Fi blackspots quickly and often at no cost. That is not to say you can’t improve your home Wi-Fi network speeds at extra cost.

The golden rule to fix Wi-Fi Blackspots – first, move your router

The secret to fixing Wi-Fi blackspots fast and at no cost is to find the best location for your Wi-Fi router. Ideally, that is within a circular radius (line-of-sight) of 10 metres for 5Ghz (fast up to 2400Mbps) and 20 metres for 2.4Ghz (10-100Mbps standard) Wi-Fi for all your Wi-Fi devices. It is not in the garage or at the front of the property where the tech terminated the NBN cable. It is somewhere near the dead centre of the home.

The no or low-cost cure for a typical 100-300m2 single-level apartment/home

Move the existing router by laying an Ethernet cable from the terminator to the best location. A 30m Cat 5e Ethernet cable costs <$20 and either run it through the ceiling cavity or get an Electrician to lay it, usually for about <$200. Regardless of the router brand and speed, you will have decent Wi-Fi coverage in that circular radius. If you can’t move the router, that Ethernet cable could allow you to set up a router or mesh system where it will do the most good.

The higher cost cure for a larger or multi-level home

Every time Wi-Fi signals pass through floors, doors, windows or walls, the signal strength almost halves. PS – there is no such thing as a Wi-Fi Booster that can retransmit faster Wi-Fi. The truth is that they can only transmit the signal strength they receive – garbage in, garbage out (GIGO).

After you have placed your router in the middle of everything, you can place a Wi-Fi access point up to ten meters from the router, and it will transmit the signal a further 10 metres. The trick to its effectiveness (GIGO) is to join the router and access point via Ethernet cable for full-speed front and backhaul. We will talk about Mesh soon.

Move Wi-Fi hogs to Cabled Ethernet

A Wi-Fi hog is typically a 4K TV, streaming sound, Security Camera base station, a PC/Laptop and printer. If you can connect some of these to the Ethernet ports on the back of a router, you bypass Wi-Fi, and these have internet priority.

The inexpensive cure

If they are not close to the router, consider connecting them to a low-cost switch (about $50) and running an Ethernet cable to the router. You would be surprised how easy it is to disguise Ethernet cable under rugs and down carpet edges, and you can get flat or round cables in various colours for just a little more.

Wi-Fi 6 AX, 6E AXE and 7 BE mesh – the definitive answer to your prayers

When we originally wrote this guide, Wi-Fi 5 AC was the fastest. Now, there is a huge difference between the older Wi-Fi 5 AC (and earlier) and Wi-Fi 6 or later. It is called full-duplex and means that the Wi-Fi transmission (Tx) and Receive (Rx) speeds are the same. Think of Wi-Fi 6 or later as a two-way bridge where traffic can pass both ways compared to the earlier half-duplex, which is a single-lane bridge where traffic has to wait until the oncoming lane is clear.

Once you have the NBN gateway, you can add a standalone router or a Mesh system using Wi-Fi or Ethernet backhaul. While these are suitable for most homes, there are major issues with signal strength and reach with multi-story and large homes. Wi-Fi backhaul simply does not penetrate thicker walls, cupboards, windows, doors, and more and satellite extenders must be within 5-7m of the main router.

The main brands are: (Note prices are approximate RRP, and you should shop around as there are some excellent bargains at present. Most have a choice of 1, 2 or 3-packs)

D-Link – Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers. Our picks include.

M60 Aquila Pro AI AX6000 Smart Mesh router is available in a 1-pack ($399.95), 2-pack ($699.95), and 3-pack ($999.95) that will cover 200, 400, or 600m2, respectively.
M30 Aquila Pro AI AX3000 version with the same coverage for $279.95/399.95/549.95. These get CyberShack’s pick for ease of setup and reliable AI Wi-Fi.

TP-link has Deco Wi-Fi 6, 6E and 7 mesh routers. Our picks include

Wi-Fi 6: X90 AX6600 or X95 AX7800—both 2-packs for $699/599. These are excellent dual-band mesh routers that connect to other Deco mesh. Prices vary as these are on runout.
Wi-Fi 6e: XE200 AXE1100 or XE75 AXE5400—These are tri-band and come in 2-packs for $899/$599. Ditto.
Wi-Fi 6: BE85 BE22000 or BE65 Pro BE11000 – These are tri-band and come in 2-packs for $2099/799

Netgear Orbi

970 Quad-band Wi-Fi 7 BE27000 $4299 3-pack
960 Quad-band Wi-Fi 6E AXE11000 – $2799 3-pack
860 Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 AX6000 – $2099 3-pack

So your cheap NBN provider dual-band router will run out of steam with 2 x smartphones, 1 x TV, 4 x Wi-Fi Lights, 2 x Smart speakers and a baby cam. Wi-Fi 5 AC works on a half-duplex collision basis – like a one-lane bridge where only one car can use it at once. Wi-Fi 6 AX (the best to buy) is a two-lane bridge – with full-duplex traffic both ways.

Changing the router will not increase the 10/20m Wi-Fi transmission distance, but it will add more bandwidth and greater signal strength so that each device works faster.

Cybershack view – it is easy to fix Wi-Fi blackspots fast and often at no cost

Start by moving the router. That is all you may need – it is not rocket science, and any DIY can do it.

And remember a few golden rules

Ethernet cables are the cure for most performance issues
If buying a router, look for a mesh-capable Wi-Fi 6 AX dual or tri-band
If buying a mesh router, insist on tri-band Wi-Fi 6 AX, and you may have to run Ethernet cables to the satellites

We have not mentioned Google Nest, Amazon eero, ASUS and the plethora of generic Chinese mesh routers.

Fix Wi-Fi blackspots, Fix Wi-Fi blackspots

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