Struggling with Wi-Fi signals is one of the most frustrating complications of the modern era. Having to deal with dropped bandwidth and continuously trying to fix the signal strength to no avail happens far too often. However, there are plenty of different methods that you can try out to boost the signal.
So, does opening doors help Wi-Fi? Yes, but not as much as you might think. Most bedroom doors are made out of hollow wood, so they don’t restrict the waves of wifi too much. Opening the door will free up space for a smoother signal, but it might not be much more since the door isn’t too much of a factor in the first place.
Throughout this article, you’ll also learn the following info about Wi-Fi:
- How doors affect Wi-Fi signals
- How you can improve the strength and bandwidth around your home
- Various reasons why Wi-Fi drops or gets blocked
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Does Opening the Door Help Wi-Fi?
Doors are often believed to be the source of Wi-Fi problems. Even small gates are blamed, but are they actually causing any problems? It’s safe to say that your bedroom door won’t limit your usage of the Wi-Fi unless the router and modem are very far away. Even with that example, the distance plays more of a role than anything else.
However, doors can be a bigger issue if they’re solid or made with a foam core. Solid metal or wood doors are much more of a blockade than air-filled wooden doors. Metal causes signals to bounce, which could make the Wi-Fi signal bounce right off the door and in a different direction. In most cases, houses only have metal doors near the main exits.
Doors with foam cores aren’t too uncommon, but they don’t pose as much of an issue as solid metal or wood doors. The foam won’t reflect the Wi-Fi signal, but it’ll definitely weaken the strength by the time it gets to your device. You might not notice a huge difference by opening the door, but even a small boost is always welcome.
If you’re trying to access your Wi-Fi from outside of your home, you might have a bigger issue on your hands. Since the outer doors are made out of solid wood or metal, it’s likely that the signal will be severely weakened. On top of that, screen doors add another layer of wifi-reflecting barriers to your device.
The best way to access your Wi-Fi from outside is to open as many exits as you can. Prop open the screen door and the main door, open the windows, and even consider opening the garage. It might seem a bit overboard, but these measures are definitely worth it if you’re having an outdoor barbeque or relaxing by the pool.
In short, doors definitely impact the strength, but only solid cores and screen doors are a real issue. Hollow doors barely limit the signal since they don’t have much in the way between you and your router and modem.
How Can You Improve the Wi-Fi Signal Behind Closed Doors?
If you want to access your Wi-Fi and the door is closed, then you can still use a handful of suggestions to improve the signal. You’re not going to be stuck with bad signal forever as long as you try out everything at your disposal.
Here are five ways that you can improve your Wi-Fi signal when the door is closed:
- Consider purchasing a Wi-Fi booster. These boosters enhance the strength of your wifi to allow the signal to travel further, providing fewer drops and a better consistent strength that you can rely on. They’re relatively affordable and almost every company supports them if you need a professional to install it for you.
- Move the modem and router closer to your room. You can even put it inside if there are enough outlets. The biggest variable with Wi-Fi is distance. Moving it closer will undoubtedly increase the signal strength, even if it’s sitting outside of your room. Try to place it in the middle of your home to provide a signal throughout the building.
- Use metal in your favor by creating signal boosters to reflect Wi-Fi waves toward your room. It might seem a bit drastic, but wifi waves work the same way that all other radio waves work; They bounce off of metal and head in the direction that’s opposite of the angle of entry.
- Think about upgrading your service. Trial periods and low-budget tiers are known for having weaker Wi-Fi signals. If you want to increase the strength, consider asking your company about an upgrade. You can also request to learn information about their bandwidth congestion policy.
- Turn off the Wi-Fi signal to all other devices in your house. If you’re not using wifi on a device, there’s no reason to use part of the bandwidth from it. There’s only so much that you can draw from one router and modem combo. If you’re overusing it, you’ll experience problems with or without an open door.
As you can see, there are quite a few different methods that you could try to improve your Wi-Fi connectivity when the door is closed. If you want to leave the door shut, you should try one of the signal-boosting suggestions above. They also work if you leave the door open, so why not get them a chance?
Why Does My Wi-Fi Drop When I Close the Door?
The action of closing a door won’t directly drop your Wi-Fi signal, but it can definitely limit the strength. You’ve read all of the different types of doors that can and can’t ruin a signal, but sometimes a hollow door can still cause a problem. Why? The answer’s quite simple:
The vibration from a slamming door is enough to interrupt a signal. Even if it continues to work one second later, that short gap might drop you off of your favorite services. The signal can keep going once it’s restarted, but many services require a consistent, uninterrupted signal to stay online.
This process is the same reason that you might lose a Wi-Fi signal when someone turns on a treadmill, vacuum, or carpet cleaner. Unfortunately, there’s no much you can do about these three examples. However, by closing your door less abruptly, you can prevent the signal from dropping when you close it.
Another reason could be that your Wi-Fi’s router or modem aren’t plugged in all the way. If they’re loosely connected, any movement can interrupt the signal for half a second. When you’re experiencing constant drops, try to check the connections. It never hurts to turn off your services, unplug the router and modem, count to fifteen, and restart the whole system.
Conclusion
Closed doors usually aren’t enough of a barrier to slow down Wi-Fi, but it does help to remove every possible blockage if you’re having trouble getting a good signal. Wi-Fi is increased by using boosters, whereas metal doors and solid wood doors can block it from being as strong as it should be.
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