Whether you are trading from home or your office, this article will show you how to ensure a better WiFi signal for your trading computer.
You do not want to lose a trade just because your WiFi signal dropped off at a critical moment. A fast and reliable signal for your trading computer is a must-have.
How do you ensure your trading computers always get a strong signal?
A basic understanding of your WiFi router will help. You will be able to figure out the problems and take the proper steps to fix them.
Understanding Your WiFi Router
You do not have to be a tech genius to understand how your WiFi router works.
Think of internet data as cars. The data is traveling all over the world. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides the highway, and your WiFi router provides the local traffic signals and roads.
In this scenario, your trading computers, laptops, gaming devices, and smartphones are buildings at the end of the roads.
When you connect your device to the router, the information passes through the WiFi router (local road) and then goes to the ISP (highway). So, all the traffic problems you see on the streets are also possible on your internet connection. You could have traffic jams on the highway or local roads.
You can’t control the traffic on your ISP. If you have problems with your internet service provider, like regular outages or speed issues, your only option is to change the service.
However, if your ISP provides excellent service, a good WiFi router can help you get the best out of your network.
WiFi Router Frequency
Let’s get a bit technical.
Older WiFi routers used to only work on 2.4GHz frequency. Nowadays, most routers can use both 2.4GHz and 5GHz.
The 2.4GHz frequency can carry the signal further but has less speed. The 5GHz frequency has a shorter range but is faster.
If we go back to our road analogy, 2.4GHz is a narrow, long road while 5GHz is a broader but shorter road. For smartphones and iPads, where you move around a lot and need a signal farther from the router, 2.4GHz is a good choice. For trading desktops and laptops, where speed and reliability are required, 5GHz is a better choice. Visit the Century Link article for more about the 2.4GHz vs. 5GHz.
Just remember, 2.4GHz is prone to interruptions. For example, your microwave can disrupt your WiFi 2.4GHz signal.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the use of 6GHz frequency for WiFi routers. You will see new routers with 6GHz capabilities. It might be too expensive to invest in these routers at the moment. The 6GHz is going to provide better speed. It is something to consider for your trading business in the future.
How to Improve Your WiFi Signal
If you are facing problems with your WiFi router, then here are a few things to consider:
Place Your WiFi Router in a Better Location
The WiFi router communicates with your trading devices using radio waves. They can get blocked by walls, refrigerators, and other signals.
If you already have a relatively new router, you can place it in different parts of your office or house to see if it improves signal strength. Just place the router in a new location and then use your trading computer, laptop, or smartphone browser to test the speed. Test your speed and read that section of our article: 3 Keys to a Lightning-Fast Trading Computer.
It’s an easy way to check if router placement improves the signal.
Update Your Trading Router
If your router is old, you might only have the 2.4GHz frequency available. As mentioned, 2.4GHz frequency is prone to interruptions. You can get a new router to take advantage of the 5GHz frequency.
If you are dealing with a large office space or home, the 5GHz frequency might not cover the whole area. In that case, you might want to look into mesh routers. Mesh routers are more expensive, but they have signal extenders that you can place in various parts of a large area to extend the reach of your WiFi signal.
Conclusion
A weak WiFi router signal is a significant risk to your trading business.
If you are having a problem with your WiFi router, invest some time to test it out to make sure you are getting a good signal.
If your router is too old, update to a newer version to improve speed and reliability. Always keep your router firmware updated to keep your router secure.
If you think the problem might be your computer, check out our trading computers that are currently available with 16, 32, and 64 GB of RAM. We have desktops and laptops that are perfect for traders.
There are more trading computer tips like this in our buyer’s guide. Check out our “How To Buy a Trading Computer” e-book.
Remember, we are here to help with all your technology-related questions. If you think of additional questions about computer hardware or other questions, give me a call. My team and I are here to help. We’re happy to answer any of your questions about trading computers via phone: 800-387-5250.