You're sat in the living room and everything loads fine. You move to the bedroom or kitchen and suddenly the internet crawls. Sound familiar? Slow Wi-Fi in specific rooms is one of the most common technology complaints I hear — and the good news is it's usually fixable.
Here's what's most likely causing it, and what you can do about it.
1. Distance from the router
Wi-Fi signal weakens the further you are from your router. Walls, floors and ceilings all reduce signal strength — especially older solid brick walls, which are particularly good at absorbing wireless signals.
The fix: Move your router to a more central location in your home if possible. Even shifting it a metre or two can make a noticeable difference.
2. Interference from other devices
Microwaves, cordless phones, baby monitors and even neighbouring Wi-Fi networks can interfere with your signal. Most home routers broadcast on the 2.4GHz band, which is shared with many other devices.
The fix: Log into your router settings and try switching to the 5GHz band for devices that support it. It's faster over short distances and less congested.
3. Your router is in a bad spot
Routers placed inside cupboards, behind TVs or on the floor perform significantly worse than routers placed on a shelf in an open space. Objects around the router absorb and reflect the signal before it even gets going.
The fix: Elevate your router, keep it away from large metal objects, and ensure it's in the open air.
4. You need a Wi-Fi extender or mesh system
If your home is large or has multiple floors, a single router simply may not cover the whole property. In this case, a Wi-Fi extender (also called a repeater) or a mesh Wi-Fi system can fill in the gaps.
Mesh systems like those from TP-Link Deco, BT Whole Home or Eero work particularly well for larger properties and are much easier to set up than they used to be.
5. Your broadband connection itself is the problem
Sometimes slow Wi-Fi isn't about the signal at all — it's about the speed coming into your home. Run a speed test (speedtest.net is a good free option) directly connected to your router via an ethernet cable. If speeds are low even then, the issue is with your broadband provider, not your Wi-Fi setup.
Not sure what's causing it?
I offer a Home Wi-Fi Health Check — a remote assessment of your setup that helps identify exactly what's causing your slow connection and provides clear, practical recommendations to improve it.
If you'd prefer hands-on help getting everything sorted, the Bytova Home Support Plan gives you ongoing access to friendly IT support whenever you need it.