Where to place the router to improve the WiFi signal

Both in private homes and in offices and businesses, the wireless coverage that depends on a WiFi router can undergo drastic changes in the quality, power and range of the signal depending on multiple factors.

The configuration of the physical space and possible interference with other electronic devices can alter the reception of the WiFi signal

The configuration of the place itself can be decisive: partitions, pillars, wooden or glass surfaces… not to mention the possible interference caused by other devices. But along with these factors there is one that must be taken into account and that can make a big difference: the router’s own location.

In general, the router is usually placed next to the point where the access provider’s own cable connection reaches the home or office, but this is not always the best place to get best wireless signal distributionapart from the fact that due to the length of the cables provided with the router (the power supply cable and the network cable), the router does not usually move too far from that point.

And that is the first problematic point, especially in homes, since that access point is usually located in the living room, which is usually not in a central and equidistant point from the rest of the rooms, so there is usually a bedroom, the one furthest from the living room or the one with the most partitions in between, with poor signal reception.

Without going into alternatives such as the replacement of the modem supplied by the operator, the installation of mesh-type networks, the purchase of network extenders or the use of PLC-type network connections that transfer the signal through the power lines, the following advice relocation of the router itself can in many cases achieve a substantial improvement in the distribution of the WiFi signal.

-Raise the router: Derived from the previously explained location of the fiber optic access point to the home or business premises, usually a short distance from the ground, the router is usually positioned on a low piece of furniture. Since these devices usually send the signal downwards, a first step would be to place the router in an elevated position, with which the signal coverage would be maximized.

-Center position: Although this means extending the link with the fiber optic connection point to the home or business premises by wiring, the ideal is to place the router in a central position with respect to the rooms that you want to provide coverage. The diffusion of the WiFI signal is omnidirectional, so locating it at one end of the home or office would mean “wasting” part of the signal, while the one that arrives would lose intensity and would not adequately cover the needs of the larger rooms. away.

-Avoid other electronic devices: Electronic devices can cause interference that would affect the operation of the router, so as far as possible it is advisable to place it in a place where it is alone. It is especially recommended to place it as far away as possible from microwave ovens, since these emit signals in the 2.4 GHz band in which WiFi routers also operate.

-Avoid metal objects and structures: Pillars, main walls and especially large metal objects are obstacles to avoid since they are a source of blocking and distortion of wireless signals.

-Position antennas conveniently: Some WiFI routers completely lack an external antenna (therefore the Wi-Fi signal will be poorer) and others bristle with them. The antenna is an essential component and due to the already mentioned omnidirectional emission of the WiFi signal, in case of having more than one, it is advisable to orient them differently, in order to achieve maximum signal distribution. If there are only two antennas, the best configuration is that one of them is located vertically and the other horizontally.

-Map the signal: For more complex installations, it may be a good idea to dedicate yourself to carrying out a complete mapping of the reception intensity of the WiFi signal in the different rooms or points from the router. In this way, it can be verified where the signal arrives with intensity, offering quality coverage, and where it does not. With this valuable information, the location of the router or the orientation of the antennas can be altered.