Bring Wi-Fi alive—wherever it isn’t. You know those spots in your home or workplace, the ones where Wi-Fi becomes non-existent or very weak at best. Yup, we all hate them. But now there is a way to extend the signal from your Wi-Fi router so it can reach those otherwise Wi-Fi blind spots. No, you don’t need another, more powerful router, and you don’t need a Wi-Fi extender that you have to plug into the wall outlet and try to keep out of site. All you need is a light bulb.
Ingenuity and Innovation at Its Finest
The light bulb is one of the greatest inventions of the modern era. It turned night into day and made the industrial age come alive. And the light bulb hasn’t really changed all that much since the day it was invented. The most recent and most energy-efficient light bulb on the market now is the LED light bulb, and it is pretty hard to imagine how to improve on that—but it has happened because now a light bulb can extend your Wi-Fi.
There are dozens of light bulbs and sockets in your home (just think of all the ceiling sockets and lamps), and it only makes sense to make these even more functional. After all, who wants more electronics cluttering up their shelves, stands, and tables? And why not use something that is already all around you? The beauty of the Wi-Fi extending light bulb is it is convenient, inconspicuous, and incredibly effective.
Boost
The most popular and high-quality Wi-Fi extending light bulb on the market right now is Boost, which is put out by the Shanghai-based company Sengled. Boost is a dual-function LED light bulb that can provide the following:
- Wi-Fi extension up to 100 feet virtually anywhere there is a standard light socket
- Use in basements, bathrooms, bedrooms, patios, and porches
- An integrated heat-sink that ensures the bulb will not overheat
- No wires, power cords, or remote control required
- Dimmable LED lighting that is rated for 25,000 hours at 450 lumens (44W)
- Full 64/128 bit encryption security for WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK/WPA/WPA2
Boost works by picking up the Wi-Fi signal in your home and amplifying it so that any device connected to the signal can pick up the Wi-Fi in the coverage area. Plus, Boost is easy to set up. All you do is screw in the light bulb and then use whichever device you wish to connect to the light bulb. You can control the light bulb by turning it on or off or dimming it directly from your device and can connect groups of light bulbs if you are using more than one.
Find the Blind Spots
In order to make use of a Wi-Fi extending light bulb, you need to know where the blind spots are in your home. Chances are, you already know which areas are troublesome, but if you aren’t sure or want to make sure you get all the blind spots, you can use a Wi-Fi analyzer.
A Wi-Fi analyzer is simply a piece of software you can install on a laptop or other portable device. You can get a free Android app called Wifi Analyzer that you can use to test the Wi-Fi in your home. Windows notebooks are also good to use because there are a few Wi-Fi analyzers that can be used, such as NetStumbler and Wi-Fi Inspector. iOS users can use Network Multimeter.
Once you have the device you will be using and the proper software installed, it is a simple matter of walking around your home while reading the signal strength of the Wi-Fi. You will easily be able to determine what areas are weakest. Make a note of these areas and purchase enough Wi-Fi extending light bulbs to install in each location.
Smart Light Bulbs Are the Future
The Wi-Fi extending light bulb is just the beginning. Plus, Sengled also makes other smart light bulbs, such as their Pulse, a light bulb that acts as a wireless speaker. Just imagine having a few of these spread throughout your house so you can listen to your music wherever you are without having speakers in plain view. They also have the Snap, which is a security-enhancing light bulb. Once screwed into the light socket and activated, the Snap can use its built-in webcam for facial recognition and also has a motion detector, microphone, and speaker.
Since light bulbs are so inconspicuous, they allow you to hide a number of gadgets that would normally be very obvious by integrating them into the light bulb itself. This opens them to a range of possibilities that could go beyond simple colored lighting and speakers. Just be sure that whatever brand of smart light bulb you get, the brand is reputable and they have good encrypted security. And when it comes to the Wi-Fi extending light bulb, enjoy accessing great Wi-Fi no matter where you are in your home or workplace.