How to design your space and set up your home broadband
What’s one of the very first things you should do when you’re planning and designing your new home?
Figure out your WiFi and home broadband needs!
A seamless WiFi connection is crucial to ensure smooth browsing and video streaming for the whole family.
In this article, we discuss the importance of your WiFi connection, and how to set up your home broadband for optimal connectivity.
We'll cover:
The importance of home broadband and WiFi
Pretty much everything we do at home is powered by WiFi.
Binging the latest Kdrama or US tv show on Netflix? That relies on WiFi.
Using a robot vacuum cleaner to clean your home? That relies on WiFi.
Gaming with your friends on your tablet or phone? That relies on WiFi too.
Think of WiFi as something that’s “invisible” when it’s working. If there are no problems with your WiFi, you don’t even notice it.
But when you or your family experiences problems with your internet, that’s when you’ll realise how much it impacts your life.
Picture this:
You’re trying to join a work call on your WFH day, but you can’t get connected.
Your mom is watching her favourite K-drama on Viu, but it keeps lagging.
Your kid is watching YouTube (a family-friendly channel, of course!), but the video is also lagging.
To avoid these issues, make sure you design your space with connectivity in mind and plan before you renovate!
Why WiFi-related problems arise
What’s the cause of a laggy connection, or dead zones in your home?
These issues could surface due to several reasons:
Your wall could be obstructing the signal
If you have a lot of built-in cabinetry or large pieces of furniture, that could obstruct the signal too
If you have a large house and the bedroom (or whichever room has a poor signal) is located far away from your WiFi router, that could result in a poorer signal
In the next section, we’ll share some tips to help you plan your home layout to ensure optimal connectivity.
How to design your home for maximum connectivity
Here are a few tips on how to design your space to ensure a good connection:
First, reduce the amount of built-in carpentry in your home.
If possible, instead of building in tall pieces of furniture (eg floor-to-ceiling cabinets), opt for loose standalone pieces.
The more built-in furniture you have in your home, the more obstructions it causes to your WiFi signal.
Next, avoid having an entire wall of built-in mirrors at home.
Not many folks know this, but mirrors do impact your WiFi.
Here’s a TLDR of how it works:
When a WiFi signal encounters a mirror, it gets reflected, and it may bounce off in a different direction
This leads to signal interference, dead spots, or reduced signal strength in specific areas
If you have one or two standing mirrors, that’s fine. But if you have an entire wall of built-in mirrors reflecting your WiFi, this might cause WiFi issues at home!
Next, designate a spot for your router in a central location.
This helps to distribute the WiFi signal evenly throughout different rooms.
It also minimises signal loss caused by walls and obstacles.
Next, position the router at a higher elevation, such as on a top shelf or mounted on a wall.
This helps improve signal and reduces interference from furniture and other objects on the ground.
Also keep the router away from physical obstacles and potential sources of interference, like:
Large appliances
Metal objects
Cordless phones
Microwave ovens
Baby monitors
Bluetooth devices
These items can block or weaken the WiFi signal.
Finally, if you have a large home or areas with weak WiFi coverage, consider using WiFi mesh systems.
These devices can help extend the coverage of your WiFi network.
PS: Want to plan ahead and ensure that you have a great WiFi set-up?
If you sign up for a broadband plan with Singtel, you’ll get to tap into the expertise of Singtel's technicians.
They’ll take care of installation, and help you identify the most optimal router or WiFi mesh placements within your home.
A final word on designing your space for optimal connectivity
Ever heard the saying... home is where the WiFi connects automatically? 😉
To ensure seamless connectivity, don’t make your WiFi and home broadband set-up an afterthought.
Instead, start planning early!
Sign up for our new homes exclusive broadband offer now and install later at your convenience.
The installation fee is waived for consumers opting for this new homes offer.
