How to Give Your Router the Best Chance of Success

Have you ever thought about why your home Wi-Fi is fantastic in one spot but completely vanishes in another? You might have paid for the fastest internet package and own a brand-new router, yet you still deal with frustrating dead zones and slow connections. It turns out that one of the most crucial elements affecting your speed isn't your internet company or the router itself; it's simply where you decide to place the device.

The location of your Wi-Fi router holds the key to a great home internet experience. Let's discuss the ideal spots and common mistakes to make sure you are getting the most from your connection.

The Best Position: High and Central

Imagine your Wi-Fi signal spreading out like the light from an uncovered bulb. To light up an entire space effectively, you would place that bulb in the center of the room and probably high up. You should use the exact same logic for your router.

The Center Spot

Since your router broadcasts its signal equally in all directions, placing it as close to the geographical center of your living space as possible will give you the most consistent coverage across your whole home. If you hide it in a far corner of the house or tuck it away in an office, you are setting yourself up for dead zones on the opposite side.

Lift it Up

While gravity doesn't directly pull down radio waves, physical barriers certainly affect them. By putting your router on a high desk, a shelf, or on top of a bookcase, you help the signal clear common household obstacles and furniture. Wi-Fi signals have trouble going through dense objects, so getting the router off the floor is a quick and easy way to improve performance.

Things to Avoid: Obstacles and Interference

Even a perfectly centered and elevated router might struggle if it’s sitting next to certain items. Some materials and other electronics are known for disrupting or weakening your Wi-Fi signal.

Material Enemies

The biggest culprits against your Wi-Fi signal are brick, concrete, and metal. Be sure to avoid putting your router inside any closed metal cabinet, directly behind a large-screen television, or against a thick, load-bearing concrete wall. These types of materials act like shields, either absorbing the signal or causing it to bounce away.

Electronic Interference

Many common household devices create their own radio waves that can clash with your router’s signal, especially if you are using the older 2.4 GHz frequency. It’s a good idea to keep your router a few feet away from things like:

• Microwave ovens
• The base stations for cordless phones
• Big appliances such as washing machines or refrigerators
• Baby monitors and Bluetooth gadgets

A Note on Antennas

While many newer routers have hidden internal antennas, if yours has external, adjustable ones, you have an extra way to improve things.

For homes that are mainly on a single floor, generally the best method for even, widespread coverage is to point your antennas straight up, keeping them vertical.

If you live in a home with multiple floors, try pointing some antennas horizontally while keeping others vertical. This helps the signal spread more effectively between levels, pushing it both outward and up or down.

Ultimately, your router should be visible and have a clear path for its signal. If you wouldn't cover a lamp with a blanket and then wonder why the room is dark, you shouldn't do something similar to your router!

If you live in a large or complex home and are still finding frustrating dead zones, you might just need more power. Even with perfect placement, one single router cannot always cover every corner. In these situations, we strongly suggest looking into a mesh Wi-Fi System. These systems use several access points to build a continuous, strong Wi-Fi network that can cover your entire space, eliminating those dead spots for good.

If you need professional assistance setting up your business’ IT network, you can call the experts at Atech MSP today at (888) 814-4843.