We all know that we need to have a router in order to get online, but not everyone knows exactly where to put it. Do you put it in the living room? The bedroom? The kitchen? I’ve seen some routers put in the weirdest places that often have me scratching my head and asking, “But why?” We’re going to break down some of the best places to put your router so that you can get the best possible signal and connectivity. We also have some pointers on how to improve your router’s range if you’re having trouble getting a good signal in certain parts of your home.
Finding the place to put your router to get the best output can be tricky. People buy the most expensive routers with multiple antennas to get incredible signals all around the house. But even that doesn’t always work. In many cases, the problem is not the router but its placement. Here’s what you need to keep in mind to find the best place to put your router.
Finding Best Place for A Router
Here are some tips to keep in mind while deciding the place for your router. We get it, finding the best place for your router isn’t always easy. And let’s face it, they don’t build homes around getting the best wifi signals.
1. Place it in an Open Area
Back in the old days, old routers were hefty in size, which led many to decide on a location that could hide it easily. The latest models of routers are pretty sleek, which means there is no more need to hide them. And some of them actually look really good in your home. However, be aware that too many electronic items near the router, especially baby monitors, cordless phones, and other devices, can also impact the performance of Wi-Fi signals. So choosing a location that is not obscured by a wall or any furniture is the best bet to get unhinged broadband quality.
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2. No, Not The Kitchen!
Kitchens are generally the busiest and most high-temperature areas in a house. Also, there is always the risk of spilling something on the router. Kitchens are filled with electronic appliances that disrupt the signals a router device needs to work. There’s probably more metal in your kitchen than in any other room in the home. And it is by far the room in the home with the most potential interference. Quite honestly, the kitchen is just not the best place for your router.
3. Placing it in the Center
Routers transmit signals in all directions. Imagine a 360-degree output signal from the router. Placing the router in the center of a house or a room is the right way to distribute signals equally and provide the best coverage possible. Many modern routers have a strong range to cover a moderate area if placed centrally completely. This is one reason why I LOVE Wifi mesh routers because the technology can broadcast a wide net of a signal for your home.
4. Get Your Router Off the Floor
A wall-mount or a shelf is generally the best place to put a router on as it helps emit signals more efficiently than a floor and makes it more secure. A floor’s foundation covered in carpet can also eat up the coverage bubble of the router when placed on it. And if your router can’t breathe, you’ll get about half the life out of it AND it will affect its performance. While covering a two-story house, placing it near the first floor’s ceiling would be the best way to get coverage on both floors. And please avoid the basement. If you place our Wifi router in the basement, you’ll lose quite a bit of distance as the concrete walls are not very thin! Concrete will act as a damper for your signals. In fact, in my house, I lost almost 50% of my signal when I tried it as an experiment. For those of you living in basement apartments…you really want to look at those mesh routers!
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5. Positioning the Router’s Antennas
Many routers come with adjustable antennas. Tweaking it a little can help boost the coverage of the router. Placing the antennas upwards results in better horizontal reach while turning it sideways can boost signals upstairs. Again…this all depends on where you put your router.
6. Avoid Mirrors
Mirrors and fish tanks near the router impact the signals negatively. Water inhibits Wi-Fi signals, lowering the radio frequency of a router. On the other hand, mirrors reflect the signals by scattering their performance. Whenever I tell people this, they think I’m joking, but you seriously want to avoid mirrors.
A Few More Router Placement Thoughts…
Experimenting with the different locations is the key to getting the best router results. Keeping the points mentioned above in mind can get you the perfect spot for the router. Selecting the latest Router model available can also help in boosting Wi-Fi signals. So what can you do to make sure you choose the right router for your home? This is a question that many people ask me, but there is no easy answer. Honestly, it depends on your needs.
There are a few different factors to consider when choosing a wifi router. One important consideration is the size of your home. If you have a large home, you’ll need a router with a strong signal that can reach all corners of your house. Another important factor to consider is the number of devices that will be connected to your wifi network. If you have a lot of devices, you’ll need a router with a high capacity to handle all of the traffic. And finally, you’ll also want to consider the features that are important to you. Some routers come with built-in parental controls or guest networking features, for example. When it comes to choosing the best wifi router for your home, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, by considering your needs and wants, you can narrow down your options and choose the best router for your situation. Below are reviews we’re written on a few Wifi routers that we highly recommend. Each one is different and you’ll need to determine which features are important and the right fit for your home.
DDID Wifi Router Reviews
Synology RT2600AC Wifi Router Review
