FAQ
How to Improve Your Wi-Fi Signal - Yale Digital Door Viewer
Doorbells are generally located on the exterior wall of most homes meaning there are typically thick walls and/or a door between the doorbell and Wi-Fi router. These logistics prevent the Wi-Fi signal from being its strongest at the front door. There’s a good chance the Wi-Fi network isn’t optimized for a device located outside your home to upload high quality video. Following the steps in this article should help you improve your Wi-Fi signal to optimize performance of your doorbell camera.
Check your signal strength
You can get a rough idea of your network strength by standing directly next to your doorbell and running a speed test on your mobile device. Make sure you’re connected to your Wi-Fi network, then try a service such as fast.com, speedtest.net, or speedof.me to check your network's upload/download speeds.
Measurements on your phone might differ from the doorbell camera, in part because the doorbell camera typically sits flush against the exterior surface. For best performance, we recommend an upload speed reading of at least 3Mbs on your mobile device.
You can also check the doorbell camera's Wi-Fi RSSI (signal strength) in settings in the Yale Home App.
Improving the Wi-Fi Connection to your Doorbell Camera
1. Test the performance of your doorbell indoors
Try operating your doorbell camera running indoors. If your doorbell camera is able to stay online and stream video more consistently in this configuration, your Wi-Fi signal may not be strong enough at your door.
2. Consider moving your wireless router
Depending on your current setup, moving the location of your wireless router closer to the location of doorbell camera may dramatically increase video streaming performance of your doorbell camera.
3. Use your router's 2.4 GHz band
If your router supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, connecting to your 2.4GHz band can increase your network speed outside your home. 2.4GHz has an easier time traveling through walls and enabling a better signal at your doorbell location.
4. Install a Wi-Fi network extender
You can also improve doorbell camera performance by extending your network’s range near your door. Ideal placement is often about halfway between your router and your doorbell camera. Try different locations and compare results to determine the best final placement.
We've tested a few Wi-Fi extenders that work well:
- TP Link N300 Available on Amazon
- Netgear N300 Available on Amazon
- If you'd like to walk into a store, this Netgear AC750, available at most BestBuy stores, works well too.
5. Consider upgrading your Internet service plan
If you have an Internet service plan on the slower side, keep in mind that all of your connected devices are sharing that signal and in some cases this can affect the Doorbell Cam's connection. There's a good chance your connection may improve when your overall Internet service is robust.