A good router position can improve coverage more than replacing the router with a newer model. Look for a location that is reasonably central to important rooms, avoid enclosing the router in a cabinet, and do not hide it behind large furniture. Consider walls, floors and the places where WiFi matters most. If you already have WiFi, measurements in several points can verify the theory.
- Place the router as centrally as possible relative to the rooms that matter, not against a single wall.
- Keep it in open space, not inside a closed cabinet.
- Keep it away from large metal furniture and appliances.
- Put it up high — on a shelf or cabinet, not on the floor.
- Avoid placing it right next to thick load-bearing walls or concrete floor slabs.
- Don't hide it behind the TV or in a room corner.
- Leave open space around the antennas so the signal can spread freely.
1. Place it centrally, not against a single wall
WiFi signal spreads outward from the router in every direction, so a spot near one exterior wall wastes half of that coverage outside the home. Look for a central point relative to the rooms you actually use — a hallway or living room near the middle of the floor plan usually beats a corner bedroom, even if that corner is where the internet cable happens to enter.
2. Keep it in open space, not inside a closed cabinet
A closed cabinet, drawer or box blocks and reflects the signal before it even leaves the room, and can also make the router overheat. Even a router with strong antennas performs noticeably worse when it's shut inside furniture — an open shelf works far better than a cupboard.
3. Keep it away from metal and large appliances
Metal is one of the most effective WiFi blockers: fridges, metal cabinets, radiators and mirrors with a metallic backing can all reflect or absorb the signal. Placing the router even half a metre away from large metal objects noticeably reduces this kind of interference.
4. Put it up high
Router antennas typically radiate signal outward and slightly downward, so mounting the router on a shelf or high cabinet — roughly at head height or above — covers more of the home than leaving it on the floor. Furniture, pets and foot traffic near the floor also block more of the signal at that height.
5. Avoid thick load-bearing walls and concrete slabs
Not all walls attenuate WiFi equally: thin drywall barely affects the signal, while reinforced concrete, brick and load-bearing walls can cut it dramatically. If possible, position the router so the rooms that matter most aren't separated from it by one of these denser walls.
6. Don't hide it behind the TV
The gap behind a television is a popular spot for a router because it's out of sight, but the TV itself and the entertainment unit around it often combine several of the problems above: enclosed space, nearby metal and a low position. If you rely on this spot today, moving the router even a short distance away is one of the easiest coverage upgrades available.
7. Leave space around the antennas
Objects placed directly against the antennas — books, decorations, other electronics — absorb signal before it can spread through the room. Leaving at least a few centimetres of open air around the router lets the antennas radiate freely in every direction.
FAQ
Is one rule more important than the others?
Central placement relative to the rooms you actually use the internet in usually gives the biggest improvement.
What if a central position isn't possible?
Then it's often better to add an extra access point or Mesh node on the other side of the home rather than compromise with a single device.
Do these rules also apply to Mesh?
Yes — the same rules apply to the main router and to every additional Mesh point.
upload the plan, mark walls and important areas, and compare router or mesh positions.
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