Do not buy anything yet. Measure first.

Test 1. Look at the bars.

Click the Wi-Fi icon at the bottom right of the screen. Open Settings, Network & internet, Wi-Fi. Your connection shows with signal bars.

One or two bars at your desk is a weak signal. Three or four is fine.

Test 2. Get a number.

Open the Start menu, type cmd, and open Command Prompt. Type this and press Enter:

netsh wlan show interfaces

Find the line that says Signal. It is a percentage.

Above about 70 percent is good. Between 40 and 70 is usable. Below that, expect dropouts.

Test 3. Compare two places.

Go to speedtest.net. Run it at your desk. Write down the download number.

Now carry a laptop or phone to within a few feet of the router. Run it again.

Near the router fast, at the desk slow? The signal is the problem. That is the fix we want.

Slow in both places? The problem is the internet service or the router, not the computer. Skip to Part 5.

Test 4. Try your phone at the desk.

Hold your phone where the desktop sits. If the phone also shows a weak signal, the location is the problem. If the phone is strong and the desktop is weak, the desktop's antenna is the problem.

Write down what you find. Parts 3 and 4 will provide the next steps.

Tomorrow: Part 3, The Antenna Fix.