What Do I Do If I Have Poor WiFi Signal?

Last Update:Feb 4 2022 6:41pm • Est. Read Time:Est. Read Time: 2 MIN

To get the best performance out of your WHISTLE™ product, your device will need a strong and stable connection to a 2.4Ghz WiFi signal in the places that your pet spends most of their time. Whistle GPS trackers use WiFi to register when your pet is considered safe, and the tracker goes into a low-power mode to conserve battery. WiFi is also used to send any necessary updates to your device and upload pending data (such as activity and health insights). You can find out more about why Whistle devices require WiFi here.


If you have a poor WiFi signal in your primary Safe Place, your tracker will spend more time connected to the cellular network instead of using WiFi. You may experience shorter battery life, delayed updates, and less accurate GPS locations. You may also receive false alerts that your pet has left the Safe Place when they are actually still at home. We understand these are all very concerning, and there are several things to consider if you have a poor WiFi signal:


Router placement in the home - Your router should ideally be in an open area where your pet spends most of their time in order to transmit the best signal. WiFi is a radio signal that depends on line-of-sight to work best, so if there are walls or large objects between your router and your tracker, the signal could be degraded. If moving the router is not possible, ensure the antennas are pointed in the ideal direction or consider WiFi extenders that would act as an extension of your existing network


Pet routine - WiFi signals are strongest at the source, and tend to get weaker the further away from the router they propagate. If your pet is spending a majority of their time outside the home (in a yard or on the property), they will likely be away from the router and the WiFi signal will be weaker by the time it reaches them. WiFi extenders can help boost the signal if the pet is roaming away from the router, but if this is not possible, consider enlarging your Safe Place boundary if you are receiving false alerts that your pet has left 


Router age - As with any technology, routers can degrade over time and emit a weaker signal than they did previously. Improvements to wireless antennas have made newer routers significantly better at transmitting signals over longer distances than models that are even just a few years old. If you've had your router for a few years, it may be time to consider an upgrade (and as a bonus, all of your other WiFi-connected devices will see a performance boost as well)


If you are having difficulty getting your Whistle tracker to connect to your WiFi network at all, please click here to review the list of compatibility settings that may be impacting your Whistle devices performance.