Wi-Fi has become one of the most adopted technologies by almost anyone looking to have access to the internet. The widespread use of Wi-Fi has bred a market for projectors (and other media devices) that use internet connectivity in order to expand their lists of features.
In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth answer to this question, as well as show you some of the most important things to understand when it comes to internet connectivity and its relationship with Wi-Fi and projector technology. We’ll also show you what to do when you have problems with a failed or unstable internet connection.
In order to have an internet connection within your home, office, or academic environment, you’ll need to explore options that might be available to you. Internet access is accessible through different means, and all of them have their pros and cons.
ADSL is one of the most widely used internet services on the planet. ADSL is a data transfer service that uses copper wire telephone lines in order to transmit data at high speeds. ADSL internet comes out of a telephone jack from your home, office, or academic environment, and it’s usually connected to a router that can then transmit internet access via Wi-FI or Ethernet (LAN)connections.
One of the biggest downsides of ADSL is uploading speeds. The service is known to have subpar upload speeds compared to Fiber Optic internet or even mobile networks. It makes up for the lack of upload speed on the download speed department, though. If you are looking to download media into your projector’s app store, ADSL is a good choice. But if you are looking to stream or upload content, ADSL might not be well suited for you.
Fiber optic cables are by far one of the most reliable ways to get high-speed broadband internet into any environment. They are cables that hold an optical fiber that carries light within its insulating jacket. The optical fiber can transmit data at the speed of light and is currently the most effective means of transcontinental communication on the planet.
If your house, office, apartment building, or academic setting have a land connection with fiber optic cables, you’ll be able to enjoy the reliable and incredibly fast speeds of this technology. Fiber optic cables are physically placed inside your desired area of coverage, and the cables are then connected to a router that can then transmit the internet access via Wi-Fi.
When it comes to internet connection access, the first thing that comes to mind for most is Wi-Fi. Interestingly, not everyone knows what this ubiquitous technology actually is and how it influences most of our modern connectivity.
Wi-Fi is a set of wireless network protocols, in other words - an industry standard for wireless internet access. Wi-Fi is based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, which is an industry name for the type of radio frequencies used by Wi-Fi devices. The most common type of Wi-Fi you find in the world today, and also the most readily available with most modern projectors, is the 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi frequency.
Ethernet is the most common local area network (LAN) communications technology available today. Ethernet is most commonly known by its cables, known simply as Ethernet cables. Using Ethernet cables to interface your projector with your internet router is the most reliable way to get a stable internet connection.
Unlike Wi-Fi’s radio waves, Ethernet cables are a direct physical link with internet service hardware. Wi-Fi signals can become distorted and weak as they pass through physical matter, making it significantly less stable than a wired connection. If your Wi-Fi router is far away from your projector, purchasing a long Ethernet cable and connecting it to your router is one of the best fixes for slow or unstable internet connection.
Mobile networks are communication systems that use a wireless radio signal to transmit their data to the transceiver (e.g. smartphone, tablet). Today, mobile or cellular networks are present on almost every corner of the Earth - giving telecommunications access to anyone possessing a mobile device (with a service provider SIM card) within their reach. There have been several evolutions of mobile network technology, mainly in terms of efficiency, speed, reliability, and coverage. The most widely used types of mobile networks today are:
The biggest advantage of mobile network internet access is the ease of use for the end-user. If you are looking to give internet access to your home (and therefore your projector and media devices) without the need for cable installations or direct physical connections, mobile networks offer the most flexible solution.
Mobile hotspot is a terminology that describes the use of a mobile device as a portable internet transmitter. In other words, by using a mobile hotspot you can transform your smartphone or tablet into a miniature Wi-Fi router. There are several things that should be in place in order for your mobile hotspot to work with your projector, they are:
It’s very important that the device you use as a mobile hotspot has mobile data enabled either by a contract or prepaid plan with the service provider of your choice - mobile data isn’t a free feature. Also, older devices don’t have mobile hotspot features, so if you can’t see one when searching the settings, your mobile device is most likely outdated.
When using your projector via Wi-Fi, the location of the Wi-Fi router is key. Physical barriers such as walls can block or downgrade the quality of the radio waves emitted by the Wi-Fi router. Some steps you can follow to guarantee a stable transmission of the Wi-Fi signal are:
●Position the Wi-Fi router in close proximity to the projector - the same room is fine.
●If the Wi-Fi router location can’t be changed, try using a Wi-Fi repeater.
●Make sure there’s no metal, thick walls, or hard materials blocking the Wi-Fi radio waves.
If your projector’s Wi-Fi settings show the projector is indeed connected to your network but the internet isn’t working or is very unstable, you can try resetting the router to factory settings. Internet Service Providers (ISP) tend to have very restrictive configurations pre-installed in their router’s software, this can sometimes lead to a failed Wi-Fi connection or a very unstable one.
Before attempting to factory reset your router, we recommend you check your routers user manual (physical or digital) to see where the reset button is located and what you’ll revert when choosing this option. Some tips to effectively restart your Wi-Fi router to factory settings are:
Most modern projectors aren’t yet using 5G Wi-Fi. The most common type of Wi-Fi signal that is compatible with almost all modern projectors and devices is the 2.4Ghz band. If you bought or where given by your ISP a router with 5G capability, we recommend going into the settings of the router to change it back to 2.4Ghz.
In order to change the Wi-Fi router’s frequency band from 5G to 2.4Ghz you can follow a few simple steps:
If you can’t get your projector connect to your Wi-Fi, even if it shows as an available network on your projector’s Wi-Fi settings, you might have a faulty Wi-Fi module. Ensure that you try to connect a different device (e.g. smartphone, tablet, PC) to your network via Wi-Fi. By that you’ll figure out if you indeed have a faulty Wi-Fi module.
All projector manufacturers and retailers have professional customer support services that is willing to help you. Simply check your warranty, and call or email the customer support option that fits your projector’s specific manufacturer and/or retailer.
If your Wi-Fi module is broken, they’ll be able to change that part for you without extra cost - they might even get you a new projector all together (just remember to have your valid warranty at hand).
Remember always test your Wi-Fi connection with other devices in order to ascertain where the issue is. This is very important because problems with Wi-Fi can occur from many sources, some of them are:
In any case, you are now armed with the knowledge to tackle any issues regarding your projector and its Wi-Fi connection. If you encounter any problems on how to set up a stable Wi-Fi connection with a projector, remember that customer support (either online research, forums, manuals, or phone call) is always at your fingertips.
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