WiFi HealthCheck

Floors block WiFi more than walls do — joists, pipework, and underfloor heating all absorb signal vertically. If your router is downstairs (usually by the front door, where the master socket is), the upstairs rooms receive a fraction of the signal. One router almost never covers two or more floors properly; the reliable fix is a wired access point on each floor.

Pre-1930s UK homes have solid brick internal walls and often lath-and-plaster ceilings containing metal mesh — some of the most WiFi-hostile construction there is. Each solid wall can absorb half your signal strength. Mesh systems struggle in these houses because the nodes talk to each other through the same walls. Wired access points, cabled back to the router, are the fix that genuinely works in period properties.

Poorly, in most cases. Mesh nodes connect to each other over WiFi, so every brick wall between nodes weakens the link — and each wireless hop halves the available speed. In modern plasterboard homes mesh works reasonably well; in brick or period homes the far nodes often deliver a fraction of your broadband speed. Connecting the same nodes with Ethernet cable (wired backhaul) fixes this completely.

A useful rule of thumb for UK homes: one access point per floor, plus one extra for large properties (5+ bedrooms) or solid-wall period construction, plus an outdoor-rated unit if you need garden or outbuilding coverage. A typical 4-bed house over two floors needs 2-3 access points for full-speed coverage everywhere. Our free diagnostic above gives you a tailored estimate.

Yes — the diagnostic is free, takes about 60 seconds, and requires no signup. It gives you free fixes to try first, before any suggestion of professional work. If you do want the problem solved properly, we offer a free on-site WiFi survey across London and the Home Counties where we measure actual signal propagation through your actual walls.

A home WiFi upgrade with 2-3 professionally installed access points starts from around £1,500, including the site survey, UniFi hardware, cabling, and configuration. Larger homes and full structured-cabling projects are quoted after a free survey. Unlike mesh kits, professional access points are wired for full speed at every point and handle 100+ devices without congestion.