Most home Wi-Fi setups have at least one dead zone — a room or corner where signal drops to nothing. Here's how to find them, understand why they exist, and pick the right fix.
Mapping Your Dead Spots
Walk through your home with your phone open to its Wi-Fi settings or a free app like Wi-Fi Analyzer (Android) or Network Analyzer (iOS). Check signal strength in each room. Note where it drops below -70dBm — that's where you'll notice performance problems.
Why Dead Spots Form
Concrete and brick walls absorb Wi-Fi signals far more than timber frame or plasterboard. A single concrete wall can drop signal by 15–20dB. Older Melbourne homes with brick construction often have significant coverage issues.
Floor-to-ceiling distance matters — Wi-Fi spreads horizontally better than vertically. A router on the ground floor of a two-storey home poorly covers the first floor.
Interference from appliances — microwave ovens, cordless phones and baby monitors can disrupt 2.4GHz networks.
Solution 1: Move the Router
The most effective free fix. Place the router as centrally as possible, elevated, in the open — not inside a cabinet. Moving a router from a corner cupboard to a central hallway shelf can eliminate multiple dead spots.
Solution 2: Wi-Fi Extender/Repeater
An extender catches the Wi-Fi signal and rebroadcasts it. Affordable ($50–$150) but has significant downsides: it creates a separate network name, introduces latency, and the extended signal is only as strong as what the extender received. Works for simple situations but not recommended for whole-home coverage.
Solution 3: Mesh Wi-Fi System
Multiple coordinated nodes work together as one seamless network. Devices automatically connect to whichever node is closest. No separate network names, smooth roaming, and consistent coverage. Best solution for homes over 150–200m² or with complex layouts. We install Eero, Google Nest and TP-Link Deco systems across Melbourne.
Solution 4: Powerline Adapters
Uses your home's existing electrical wiring to extend the network. Plug one adapter into a socket near the router (connect with ethernet), plug another in any room you want coverage. More reliable than Wi-Fi extension but speed depends heavily on your electrical wiring quality.
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