How to choose the right location for your router?

For the Internet to work quickly and stably, it is important not only to have high-quality equipment or a tariff, but also to correctly position the router in the room. An unsuccessful installation location can lead to a weak signal, interference, or even “dead zones” where Wi-Fi has almost no reception. Therefore, before connecting the device, it is worth knowing a few simple rules that will help you get the strongest and most even signal throughout the house.

Correct placement of the router in a house or apartment.

Wi-Fi works on radio waves, and like light, they can be reflected, absorbed, and lost on their way to your device. Thick walls, furniture, mirrors, and even microwaves can all weaken the signal. So even if you know how to connect your router technically, improper placement will negate all the benefits of a powerful internet connection.

Here are some tips to help you choose the best location for your device:

✔️ Central location. Ideally, place the router closer to the center of the apartment so that all rooms are approximately the same distance away. Do not install the device in a far corner or, say, on a balcony – on the opposite side of the house, the signal may be too weak. If the router is located, for example, in the kitchen or in one of the outer rooms, “dead zones” without a signal are possible in remote rooms.

✔️ Installation height. It is better to raise the router above floor level. Optimally – on a table, shelf or attached to the wall at a height of 1–2 meters. Too low a position (on the floor) interferes with the propagation of waves, and under the ceiling – does not provide uniform coverage below. A height at chest level or eye level usually gives a good result.

✔️ Minimum interference. Wi-Fi signal is weakened by walls (especially capital ones), metal structures, and a large amount of furniture. Try to keep as few obstacles as possible between the router and the places where you use the Internet. For example, if you work on a laptop in the living room and bedroom, let the router be at an equal distance from these rooms and not behind a massive wall or closet.

✔️ Avoid interference. Do not place the router close to devices that can create radio interference. These include microwave ovens, cordless phones (radio phones), Bluetooth headsets, baby monitors, etc., especially if they operate at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. It is also undesirable to surround the router with large metal objects or mirrors – they reflect and muffle the signal. It is better to find a more open space.

✔️ Connecting to the power supply. Consider practicality: there should be a power outlet nearby for the power adapter so that you don’t have to drag extension cords across the room. Also, make sure that you can easily reach the router if necessary (for example, to press the reset button). If you plan to mount it under the ceiling or in a hard-to-reach place, adjust it first, and then fix it where you decided.

✔️ Large area or several floors. If you have a large house or apartment of >100 m², one router may not be able to cover all corners. Before the advent of Mesh systems, the problem was solved by installing several access points or repeaters. You can use a second router in repeater (bridge) mode or a separate amplifier (repeater) of the Wi-Fi signal. However, this approach has its drawbacks: the speed through a regular repeater often drops by half with each “jump”, and when moving, devices can reconnect between the main router and amplifier networks, which causes short-term connection interruptions. Mesh systems solve these problems – they are a set of two or three interconnected modules that create one “seamless” Wi-Fi network throughout the house. For example, [the image below shows a set of three TP-Link Deco modules]
– such a Mesh system distributes the Internet across nodes and eliminates loss of connection when moving between rooms. An example of a Mesh system: a set of several modules (here TP-Link Deco), which together create a single Wi-Fi network to cover a large room. If the area is 150–200 m² or more, you should consider Mesh – even a powerful single router may not cope with such a square. However, you can try one good router to start with, and if the coverage is insufficient, add a repeater or a second router in access point mode to it.