Few things are more frustrating than paying for a decent internet plan and still struggling with dead zones in certain parts of your home. Dead zones usually appear in parts that are far from the router or upstairs rooms. Many people assume that fixing dead zones is difficult and requires expensive upgrades or professional installation, but in reality, most dead zone problems can be solved with simple, low-cost solutions.

Before you spend money on new hardware or expensive fixes, it is important to note that most WiFi issues can be fixed easily without spending even a penny. Here are some cheap and effective ways to fix dead zones in your home.

Reposition Your Router Strategically

One of the most overlooked and most powerful fixes for WiFi dead zones is proper router placement. Many routers are placed in areas where the internet line enters the house, often near a wall, behind furniture, or inside a cabinet. This type of placement is one of the worst for WiFi distribution. As WiFi signals spread outward like ripples, placing the router in a corner or behind an obstacle means that half of the signal is wasted.

This can be fixed by placing the router in a central, elevated location so that the signal can reach more evenly across the home. Even moving the router a few feet higher or away from obstacles can noticeably improve WiFi coverage. It is a simple fix that costs nothing, yet it solves dead zones in many homes without any additional equipment.

Adjust Router Antennas Correctly

If your router has external antennas, you should position them correctly because their positioning matters more than you realise. Many users don’t adjust the antennas and leave them pointing straight up by default, assuming that’s optimal. However, WiFi signals are strongest perpendicular to the antenna’s direction. If you are living in a single-story home, you should adjust your antennas vertically, while if you are in a multi-story home, you should angle at least one antenna horizontally to send signals upward or downwards.

Using different antenna orientations allows better coverage across floors and rooms. It is a simple adjustment that takes a few minutes and costs nothing, yet improves signal reach.

Change Your WiFi Channel to Reduce Interference

In densely populated neighbourhoods or apartments, WiFi interference is very common, and it is a major cause of dead zones. When multiple routers in a locality are operating on the same WiFi channel, they compete for space, leading to slow speeds and unstable connections. Most routers use automatic channel selection, which does not always choose the best option.

You should manually switch to a less crowded channel through settings, as it can significantly improve WiFi range and stability. This configuration is entirely free and very effective in buildings with multiple networks nearby. For example, for Netgear routers, you can check the back of the router for login details. Reducing interference does not increase raw speeds, but it greatly improves signal reliability in weak areas.

Use a Budget WiFi Range Extender

If free fixes aren’t working for you, then you should consider using a budget WiFi range extender. A WiFi range extender is one of the cheapest hardware solutions available for the dead zones issue. These devices pick up your existing signal and rebroadcast it to reach farther areas. WiFi range extenders are inexpensive, easy to set up, and work like a charm, making them popular for small homes or renters.

However, one thing should be kept in mind: placement is critical for a WiFi range extender. An extender should sit halfway between the router and the dead zones, not inside the dead zone itself. For many households, a single low-cost extender is enough to eliminate dead zones entirely.

Repurpose an Old Router as an Access Point

Most people have an old router sitting unused in a drawer, which can be used as an access point. Instead of buying a new piece of equipment for the dead zone, you can repurpose your old router as a secondary access point. This can be done by connecting the old router such as a Tp-link router to your main router using an Ethernet cable and creating a second WiFi network in another part of the house. This method provides stronger and more stable coverage than a basic extender.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.