I have a TP-Link router in the living room but the connection gets really weak in the back bedroom and practically doesn't work in the patio. I've already tried moving the router around but it's still the same. Is there anything I can do without spending a lot?
Don't put your router inside a cabinet, under furniture, or surrounded by metal objects - people think that "protects" it, but it actually blocks the entire signal. Don't tuck it away in a remote corner of the house either, hoping it'll work better away from visual noise.
The most effective and cheap option is to place the router in a central, elevated spot in your house, preferably on the highest wall of a middle room. If the living room is where it's at now, try moving it up to a shelf or mounting it on the wall higher up; WiFi waves travel better to the sides and downward, so the higher up it is, the farther it reaches. Also check your router's settings to see if you can switch between the 2.4 GHz band (penetrates walls better but slower) and 5 GHz (faster but less range). For distant areas like the patio, the 2.4 GHz band will work better for you.
If that's not enough, consider a WiFi repeater or a basic mesh system; TP-Link has some pretty affordable options that boost the signal without hassle. You connect a repeater in an intermediate zone between the router and the problem room so it picks up the signal and retransmits it farther. It's not the most elegant solution, but it works well for reaching dead spots without breaking the bank.
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