Your wireless signal should be able to pass through most obstacles around the home, but certain materials can affect the performance of your wireless network. Floors, walls and other obstacles made of dense materials such as brick, stone, concrete and metal can reduce the range and strength of your wireless connection. Some reflective household objects such as mirrors, fish tanks and even metallic Christmas decorations, can deflect the signal.
To achieve the strongest signal, and the most reliable connection, try and find a location for your router in or near the room where you're most likely to use your computer, and avoid placing it right in the corner of the room or on the floor. Try and use your computer in a spot where you can imagine a straight line from the Sky wireless router to where you're sitting, with no thick or shiny objects in the way.
If your neighbours all have wireless networks, there may be some congestion, especially as you may all be broadcasting on the same channel. You may see these connections showing a strong signal when you view the available wireless networks as described above. Changing the channel your router broadcasts on can fix this problem.
By default your router will be set to 'Auto.' To change the channel, you need to log into your router:
Open your web browser, type 192.168.0.1 in the address bar, and press Enter.
In the log-in box that appears, enter the username admin and the password sky.
Select Wireless Settings from the menu
The number listed in the Channel drop-down menu in the Wireless Network section should be 1, 6 or 11.
Try changing it to a different number - but choose from 1, 6 or 11 as these are the only channels suited for Sky Broadband. Click apply when you've made your selection.
Try each option in turn to see which gives you the best signal.
This will vary from home to home, depending on which channels other wireless devices in your area are using.
Bluetooth electrical devices, microwaves, cordless telephones, baby monitors, wireless printers and other devices which emit any kind of wave or signal can interfere with your wireless broadband connection. If your connection is very slow, try turning off some other gadgets one at a time to see if it makes a difference. If you discover that the signal improves when you have one device turned off, you may need to use your computer away from that device if you're connecting to the internet wirelessly. If it's a device you do not wish to turn off, try plugging the yellow ethernet cable between your computer and the yellow ethernet port on your router to go online.
Manufacturers of wireless equipment, such as your Sky wireless router, often develop updates to the software that runs them. These changes to the firmware are designed to fix problems and improve the performance of your devices. You don't need to worry about checking for updates or downloading and installing any new tools, as your Sky wireless router keeps itself updated automatically. If you notice a change in the performance of your wireless connection, such as a weaker or intermittent signal, and you are using your own wireless adapter or a laptop with an in-built wireless adapter, check that your adaptor's drivers are up-to-date. You may need to refer to the manufacturer's guide for your adapter or laptop for help on how to do this.
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