How to Fix WiFi Dead Spots in Your Home

WiFi dead spots are the number one reason people call us. The bedroom where nothing loads. The kitchen where video calls drop. The home office that's fine until someone starts streaming downstairs.

Before you buy anything, let's understand what's actually causing the problem.

Why WiFi Doesn't Reach

1. Physical Barriers

WiFi signals weaken as they pass through obstacles. Different materials have different impacts:

• Plasterboard walls: Minor impact
• Brick walls: Moderate impact
• Concrete/stone walls: Significant impact
• Metal (foil insulation, radiators): Severe impact—can block signal entirely
• Water (fish tanks, boilers): Significant impact

That Victorian terrace with thick brick walls between every room? Each wall is halving your signal strength.

2. Router Location

Most ISPs stick the router wherever the phone line enters—often a corner of the house, hidden behind furniture. That's the worst possible place for WiFi coverage.

WiFi radiates outward from the router. If it's in a corner, half the signal goes outside your house.

3. Interference

Your neighbours' WiFi, baby monitors, microwaves, and countless other devices all compete for the same radio frequencies. In dense housing, interference can be the main problem.

4. The Router Itself

ISP-supplied routers are built to a price. They work, but they're not powerful. A house bigger than about 100m² will often struggle with the basic router.

Quick Fixes to Try First

Move your router. If possible, position it centrally in the house, elevated (on a shelf, not the floor), and away from other electronics. This alone can dramatically improve coverage.

Check for interference. If your router is next to a cordless phone base, baby monitor, or microwave, move it. These devices use similar frequencies.

Update firmware. Log into your router and check for updates. Manufacturers fix bugs and improve performance over time.

Change WiFi channel. Use an app like WiFi Analyzer to see which channels are congested, then manually set your router to a clearer channel. This helps in flats especially.

When Quick Fixes Aren't Enough

If you've optimised router position and it's still not reaching everywhere, you need to extend coverage. Options:

WiFi Extenders (Don't Bother)

Those plug-in extenders you see for £30? They technically work, but they halve your speed because they use the same radio to receive and retransmit. See our mesh vs extenders comparison for details.

Mesh WiFi (The Modern Solution)

Multiple units that work together as one network. Your devices seamlessly switch between units as you move around. This is what we install in 90% of homes with coverage problems. See our mesh WiFi recommendations.

Wired Access Points (The Best Solution)

Ethernet cable to a dedicated access point in the problem area. Fastest, most reliable, but requires cabling. Often worth it for home offices or areas with severe dead spots.

Powerline Adapters (Sometimes Useful)

Send network signal through your electrical wiring. Performance varies wildly depending on your home's wiring age and quality. Worth trying if cabling isn't possible and mesh isn't cutting it.

Our Usual Recommendation

For most homes: a quality mesh WiFi system (we like Ubiquiti, TP-Link Deco, or Eero). Three units covers most 3-4 bed houses. Budget around £200-400 for a system that'll last years.

For home offices or areas where you need guaranteed performance: run an ethernet cable. Yes, it's more work upfront, but you'll never have a Zoom call drop because someone's watching Netflix.