Your home wi-fi network can be a fickle mistress, with connectivity coming and going seemingly on a whim. But there's no need to shell out hard-earned cash for a brand new router just because you can't get online. (Besides, how would you order one?) Instead, try these five free steps to whip your wireless network into shape. Center the Signal Wireless routers act as omni-directional transceivers, shuttling data between your devices and the wired modem. As such, routers pump out signal in all directions at once, like a bubble of connectivity. However, the effective range of that bubble is not absolute—walls, floors, furniture, mirrors and metal objects can all cause interference and signal degradation. For example, placing a router near an exterior wall can cut its output in half since 50 percent of the signal is being pushed outside your home. Your neighbors may appreciate it, but your torrents won't. Instead, position the router in the center-most room ...