I've had a couple of recent requests to improve the reception of a wireless network. It was a chance for me to catch up on wireless technology and find suitable solutions. There are a number of things that can be done to improve wireless network. I'll run through some of them:

• Wireless networking has improved somewhat over the last decade, so if your equipment is quite old and the signal doesn't get from one end of the house to he other, you may have to consider updating it. Wireless-n equipment with multiple aerials (MIMO) can offer a big improvement.
• Likewise, if you're using a USB wireless adaptor with a tiny inbuilt aerial to connect a desktop computer, consider replacing it with a PCI wireless card that has a decent aerial on it. Your connection will be a lot better.
• Try to place your wireless router/access point in a central location. That way, the signal has less distance to travel to get to all users.
• Try to place your wireless router/access point in a location away from objects that will absorb or reflect the signal. Some of those objects are large bodies of water (no, not lakes; I'm thinking more of humans, trees and hot water cylinders) and solid walls or roofs (gib and timber walls are OK).
• Most standard wireless aerials are omni-directional, and they're easy to orient. Make sure all aerials are sticking up vertically if everyone is on the same floor. The strongest signal from a vertical aerial is a horizontal one, so all aerials should be side-on to each other.
• If you're using wireless to connect to a single upstairs computer, angle both aerials so they're side-on to each other.
• If you're connecting to a single other computer you can buy directional aerials which concentrate the signal in one direction. You can even modify a standard aerial by fitting it to a dish to do the same thing.
• But if you are having problems connecting two desktop computers wirelessly, consider a more low-tech solution of running ethernet cable.
• You can buy longer aerials that are a screw-on replacement and provide better broadcast and reception.
• You can buy a signal repeater/extender that does just what the name implies and sits in a suitable location to extend the signal out to a distant area, or to what would otherwise be a blind-spot.