U.S. presidents are just like us—they struggle with Wi-Fi at home too.
Barack Obama shared his family’s Wi-Fi woes during his interview with CBS ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl 50, an annual chat the president does before the National Football League’s championship game.
“This is an old building so there’s a lot of dead spots where the Wi-Fi doesn’t work,” he said. “No, actually it’s an issue.”
Read: “6 Routers for Smart Homes“
First Lady Michelle Obama added that daughters Sasha and Malia are sometimes frustrated by the situation, a home dynamic all too familiar to today’s parents of technology-loving teenagers. Hopefully, the next first family won’t have this problem, Obama said.
While bad Wi-Fi reception is a problem no American—even the President—is immune to, there are few ways people can improve ensure they get fast and even coverage.
Keeping the use of bandwidth-heavy services like Netflix to a minimum, and interference from appliances like microwaves can help. Securing the Wi-Fi network with a strong password will keep unwanted users from siphoning precious bandwidth. Finally, picking an optimal router location (e.g. not in a cupboard) can help ensure that the signal isn’t obstructed by additional doors, walls, and other barriers.
