You’re Not Alone: Even the Obamas Can’t Get Good Wi-Fi
President Barack Obama uses a laptop computer to send a tweet during a "Twitter Town Hall" in the East Room of the White House. Charles Dharapak/AP File Photo
The President says he hopes to fix the “whole tech thing” for “the next group of folks” who will move in.
Even the U.S. president’s official residence has Wi-Fi problems.
Barack Obama moaned about the White House’s Wi-Fi coverage in an interview with CBS’s Super Bowl pre-game show. “This is an old building so there’s a lot of dead spots where the Wi-Fi doesn’t work… no, actually it’s an issue,” Obama explains.
Michelle Obama agreed, adding that their two daughters, Sasha and Malia, get “frustrated sometimes.” Obama hopes to fix the “whole tech thing” for “the next group of folks” who will move in.
Obama—perhaps the first techie president, borrowing iPhones to tweet and getting his own secure BlackBerry and iPad—traditionally does the interview before the Super Bowl. Michelle joined him for the interview this year, where the couple discussed their Super Bowl routine and the snacks they eat, which include pizza, nachos, and a “little vegetable tray that no one touches.”
The Obamas aren’t alone; many people will be familiar with similar Wi-Fi woes. While there’s not much you can do about signal congestion—sorry, city dwellers—there are a few tricks to improving your Wi-Fi speed.
- Don’t hide you router in a cupboard. The location of router really does matter; avoid placing it behind an obstacle so it doesn’t restrict the signal.
- Limit the interference from other appliances. Cordless phones, microwaves, and even Christmas lights can affect your Wi-Fi signal.
- Password protect your network. It’ll prevent unauthorized people from using your Wi-Fi and thus slowing down the connection. Also, make sure you use a strong-password, as routers are easy to hack.
- Limit the use of bandwidth-hogging services, such as BitTorrent and Netflix, to prevent your Wi-Fi from slowing down.