This article includes the following.

1, Boost your Wi-Fi signal by adding the router or extender/repeater

The wireless camera has a strong dependency on Wi-Fi signal. With the distance and the barrier between your Wi-Fi router and your camera, Wi-Fi arriving at your camera may be significantly reduced. In order to extend your Wi-Fi range or strengthen your Wi-Fi signal, a new Wi-Fi router or a repeater will be needed.


To add a new router, make sure the following:

- The router supports 2.4GHz WiFi

- The router can access the Internet after router set up.

- The router broadcasts a different SSID name than all existing SSIDs in your house. If not, the camera may try to connect to the existing Wi-Fi router rather than the new added. .


To add a new extender/repeater is also OK. Make sure the following:

- The extender needs to broadcast different WiFi SSID name than current exiting router. 

- The extender should have an Ethernet interface.


We recommend to use Extender Models like NETGEAR N300.

NETGEAR N300 on Amazon, $29.99

2. Choose the Wi-Fi channel

Normally the newly added Wi-Fi network will be deployed into a not-so-busy WiFi channel, but it depends on the router or repeater's capability.


To check if the chosen channel is to some extent idle, you can use WiFi Analyzer on Android or PC. Refer to Quick Guide of WiFi Analyzing to find how to use the tools to check the WiFi channel occupation.


If the chosen Wi-Fi channel is too busy, you may manually assign a different channel for the added Wi-Fi by logging into the web site of the new router or repeater and doing the operation. The detailed information can be found in your router or repeat manual.


The recommended WiFi channel is 1, 6, or 11. Choose the idlest one.

3. Where to place your new router or repeater

Distance and barrier between the router and camera matter. To provide a strong Wi-Fi signal, suggest to put the new router or repeater as closing as possible to the camera with no obstacles or one wall.

 

Note:  On the vertical direction,  the Wi-Fi signal has much shorter cover range and the signal strength decreases much faster than the horizon direction. Look at the diagram below, this is to simulate a normal situation for a house. The green edge shows the WiFi border of 2.4GHz. While actually the signal strength close to the border is not capable for HD Video stream. On the vertical direction, it can only cover about 2 floor, while most of the 2nd floors are close to the border. If the wall between floors are quite solid, the situation will be worse.

So if you install the A7 in a very high position, pls make sure the WiFi signal is OK for HD Video (-70dbm for A7).

It is recommended the the A7 is vertical 10 feet to 12 feet away from the router, and no wall between A7 and router/repeater on vertical direction.

4. Something about Encryption you need to know

It is recommended to use WPA PSK or WPA2 PSK. Some router support WPA/WPA2 automatical selection, that is OK as well.


It is NOT recommended to use WEP encryption, as WEP is vulnerable to attacks and it reduces the Wi-Fi performance.


Some repeaters only support WEP. In this case, you need to set the password to a string with 10 characters (0-F) or 13 characters (0-F) . The password with 5-character length cannot be supported by the camera.

5. How to connect the camera to the new router or repeater

In case you are using Hybride Setup (i.e setup by cable) mode, when switching from Ethernet to WiFi, make sure you click the desired SSID, which is broadcast by the new router or repeater.  Be sure NOT to select the SSID generated the existing router.


If you are using Wireless Setup (i.e setup by AirLink) mode, before start setup double check your mobile phone connecting to the SSID generated by the new router or repeater, not the existing router.