Introduction
You may have noticed that your wifi signal only have 2 bars or you may not have a WiFi signal. Or perhaps you’re using an old router that can barely stand the weight of all the apps on your phone. If this is the case, it might be because your router has reached its end. That’s where we come in! In this article, we’ll talk about why replacing your routers when they die is important and what you can do if you’re currently struggling with a low WiFI signal. Let us know why does the wifi only have 2 bars, the reasons that causing this issue and the way to replace your router in this article.
Why your wifi signal is only 2 bars?
A wireless router transmits data wirelessly. Your WiFi signal is the data it transmits from the router to your devices. When you have a weak or non-existent signal, your device can’t access the Internet (or you might have errors downloading or streaming videos). By reading the following will know about the causes that make your wifi signal is only 2 bars.
So what could be causing this?
Low Bandwidth
A wireless router’s bandwidth determines how fast it transfers data to and from its wireless network. Your router is responsible for transferring high-priority data like YouTube videos, music and chat apps between your devices using multiple channels (the amount of bandwidth dedicated to those tasks). Your router’s bandwidth is limited by its inability to transfer data at a higher speed than the routers before it (i.e. the bandwidth connection that it comes on). Most routers come with a necessary bandwidth of either 100Mbps or 300Mbps, and eventually, this will be eaten up.
Router Age
All routers have a limited lifespan, and they usually aren’t as cheap as you think. The average lifespan of a router is around five years, with the shortest being 2–3 years and the longest being 8–10. For example, if your router is three years old, then it may be at the end of its life. Check out online to know how long your router lasts.
Closed WiFi Network
Some routers come with a closed network (usually blocked via password) that stops WiFi scanners from accessing their network. Other devices cannot connect to the router unless you permit them. If your WiFi signal is only 2 bars, check to see if the router has a closed WiFi network or is connected via an old CAT6 cable that’s no longer supported by most routers.
Poor Weather
Check to see if the router is suffering from poor weather. Open areas with a lot of metal and metal-framed buildings have increased interference, which gradually chips away at your WiFi’s ability to access the Internet.
Poor Antenna Conduction/Solder Joints
When you change parts on a device (like your router), you should also change its surrounding components to be more secure. It means replacing the antenna, replacing the solder joints and cleaning off the residue from soldered components (for example, if you’re replacing an antenna). It will help to improve electromagnetic interference (EMI) and failure rates.
Poor Antenna Ground
Check the antenna ground, which is the metal ring that surrounds the antenna. It acts as a grounding point and should be connected to a metal object like your case. Connecting it to plastic will change its ability to conduct current (i.e. it might not work properly) and may cause problems with your WiFi signal. If the antenna ground isn’t connected properly or could use some cleaning, this could be your problem. Check out this article if you want to know more about how you can improve an antenna’s ground connection, although keep in mind that this is a lot more technical and requires soldering skills.
Range
If you got a bad router, your WiFi signal would be weak. Most wireless ranges have a maximum range of up to 100 meters or 330 feet. That means replacing your router can help your signal reach those out-of-range. That’s good news for homes that have thick walls or buildings with metal panels! Statistics say that using the best routers makes things faster by almost 75%.
Replacement Options
Here’s some quick information on how to replace your router with a newer one. If you don’t want or can’t upgrade, you can always replace your router with a wireless range extender. The best option for most people is upgrading to a wireless AC router. The new wireless AC routers offer speeds of up to 1300Mbps and will outlast the current generation of wireless N routers by at least two years.
Most modern routers come with two WiFi radios (or ports). To replace your router, you can either
- Buy another one with the same number of ports as your current router. If your current router has a port for an ADSL outlet and you want to keep it, then make sure to buy a new router which supports the same connection.
- Buy a new router with more ports than your old one. If you were looking for more bandwidth and speed, this should be enough. There isn’t a difference between the two types of routers other than the number of ports they have. Ensure that your new upgraded router runs on AC power (most do).
- Buy a wireless range extender. These have one WiFi radio and are only three times more powerful than the number of WiFi radios a router has (i.e. 2×2 = 4). If you buy a range extender for your existing router, you will most likely not be able to upgrade it in the future as it will need to be replaced with a newer one that supports gigabit Ethernet.
- Buy a new wireless AC router. For very few dollars, this should be enough for the next five years, which is probably how long it would take for your current router to die anyway.
The sad thing is that most people are using routers far older than the 5-year life expectancy.
How long can the issue persist?
Qualities of a good wireless router
A few brands made solid routers, like Netgear, Cisco and D-Link. Speed is one of the most important things to have in a router. For example, if you have 1,000Mbps speed on a 4×4 router, that’s probably not enough for streaming or downloading HD videos online (Netflix recommends at least 6×4 router speed). If you’re only seeing 200Mbps of speed on your WiFi connection, it means one thing: your signal is weak.
A good router should have good signal strength. Most routers have signal strength indicators on the front, showing their signal bars on the top and bottom green or orange numbers (depending on how many bars). The higher the number, the stronger the signal. If your router bars aren’t as high as you’d like, check to see if your WiFi bands are on channel 6 or 11. Those are the best two channels for WiFi routers to be on.
Get a router that supports multiple bands
If you want a wireless router that supports more than one band with good signal strength, then look for:
- Dual-band routers (2.4GHz and 5GHz bands). Most modern laptops and desktops come with two WiFi radios that support all available wireless bands (i.e. both 2.4GHz and 5GHz). The only problem is that some of these devices only support one band or another (i.e. either 2.4GHz or 5GHz, but not both). So if you’re using an old laptop or desktop with only a 2.4GHz radio, your WiFi range might be weak on 5Ghz.
- AC Routers (802.11ac) – This is the next generation of WiFi technology and will offer speeds of up to 1300Mbps (in theory). If you have devices that are compatible with this, then it’s probably the best thing to get for even better speeds! Just make sure that it’s compatible with your hardware.
- AC + N Routers (802.11ac and 802.11n) – A dual-band router will also have a few older WiFi standards. These are called 802.11a and 802.11g and support speeds of up to 54Mbps, 11Mbps and 54Mbps, respectively. These older standards aren’t as fast as the first generation of wireless standards for PCs (802.11g). If you’re going for speed, you may want to replace your router with one that runs on 802.11ac.
Conclusion
If your router is showing a weak signal and your WiFi is at a low speed, then upgrading to a new router with a higher number of ports and using a wireless range extender as an alternative will do the trick. If you are still having issues, then it’s time to call your ISP’s tech support so that they can diagnose your problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What’s the difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz?
Wireless 2.4Ghz routers use frequencies of 2400 to 2483.5 MHz, while 5GHz band routers use frequencies of 5200 to 5850 MHz. Your old WiFi card can’t connect at higher frequency ranges.
2.What is a wireless range extender?
Wireless range extenders are devices that mimic the power and signal of your router. They communicate with your router via the same WiFi band and must run on AC power to convert a signal from 50/60Hz to 230VAC.
3.What is an AC Router?
Basically, it’s an Ethernet repeater (a device that repeats signals from one location and rebroadcasts it at a higher speed in another).
4.What’s the difference between a wireless adapter, a USB wireless adapter, and PCI wireless adapter?
There are different adapters that you can use to connect your computer or laptop to a wireless router. These include:
Wireless Adapters (also known as USB adapters or wireless network adapters) – These are small devices that are plugged into the USB port of a desktop or laptop. They are used in desktops that don’t have any Ethernet ports.
USB wireless adapters can connect a laptop with one of its USB ports, but only when connected to a power source. Some prefer these because they eliminate clutter around an office space, as you don’t have cables running across the room.
PCI wireless adapters There’s no such thing as a PCI wireless adapter for modern laptops, but there is one for desktop computers.
