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The best place to put your WiFi router (In any home)

Did you know that where you place your router can make or break your home’s internet performance? Many households experience slow speeds, fluctuations in WiFi signal strength and dead zones simply because their router is in the wrong spot.

The good news? Small adjustments can make a big difference.

However, only 29% of US households have expressed interest in doing something to increase the speed and reliability of their home WiFi connection.

By understanding a few key principles, you can maximize your WiFi signal, reduce interference and ensure every device in your home stays connected seamlessly.

In this guide, we’ll break down why the best router placement matters and show you exactly where to position your router for the best possible coverage

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Key factors that determine router placement

Router performance depends on both placement and nearby interference — even a perfect location can suffer from signal disruptions. To optimize your WiFi speed, it’s crucial to understand some factors that impact your router’s performance. Let’s take a look at some of the most important factors:

    • Distance from connected devices — The farther a device is from the router, the weaker the signal and the slower the connection. When gaming or streaming far from the router, you may experience lag or latency.
    • Physical obstructions — Walls weaken WiFi, especially dense materials like concrete, brick and metal, while wood and drywall have less impact. A clear, unobstructed path between the router and devices results in stronger, more stable connections.
    • Signal interference — Some devices like microwaves, cordless phones and baby monitors emit signals on the same 4 GHz frequency band as WiFi, causing interference and weakening the connection. Similarly, overlapping signals from neighboring networks can cause interference and slow down connections.
    • Router antenna orientation — If your router has antennas, positioning antennas vertically enhances horizontal signal coverage. However, tilting antennas at a 30° angle can improve coverage across multiple floors.
    • Square footage — Larger homes may require additional access points or mesh networks to maintain strong coverage and bandwidth throughout.
    • Network access — More connected devices and users require a stronger router or additional network solutions. You may need to upgrade your router to access higher speeds.

While there may be other issues at play, understanding these factors and making strategic adjustments can improve your WiFi strength, speed and network reliability.

The best and worst locations for your router

Factor Cause Signal Quality
Central position Evens out the signal distribution and minimizes dead zones.
Open, unobstructed areas Reduces signal interference and maximizes coverage.
High-traffic areas, like living rooms or offices Strengthens signals where devices are used most.
In sight of used devices Strengthens connection to frequently used devices.
Near the first floor ceiling Improves coverage for upper and lower floors.
Away from corners Prevents signal loss and improves coverage.
Areas with minimal walls Allows for stronger, less obstructed WiFi signals.
Basement or attics Signals struggle to penetrate floors and walls.
Next to windows or exterior walls WiFi signals are directed outward, wasting coverage and weakening indoor connectivity.
Close to microwaves, cordless phones or baby monitors These devices emit waves on the same frequency as WiFi.
Against concrete or brick Blocks signal transmission.
On the floor or behind furniture or TVs Objects and furniture absorb signals, reducing coverage.
Kitchen areas, inside entertainment centers Some appliances emit electromagnetic or radio interference, while enclosed spaces block signals.
Inside cabinets or closets Confined spaces block signals.
Factor
Central position
Cause
Evens out the signal distribution and minimizes dead zones.
Signal Quality
Factor
Open, unobstructed areas
Cause
Reduces signal interference and maximizes coverage.
Signal Quality
Factor
High-traffic areas, like living rooms or offices
Cause
Strengthens signals where devices are used most.
Signal Quality
Factor
In sight of used devices
Cause
Strengthens connection to frequently used devices.
Signal Quality
Factor
Near the first floor ceiling
Cause
Improves coverage for upper and lower floors.
Signal Quality
Factor
Away from corners
Cause
Prevents signal loss and improves coverage.
Signal Quality
Factor
Areas with minimal walls
Cause
Allows for stronger, less obstructed WiFi signals.
Signal Quality
Factor
Basement or attics
Cause
Signals struggle to penetrate floors and walls.
Signal Quality
Factor
Next to windows or exterior walls
Cause
WiFi signals are directed outward, wasting coverage and weakening indoor connectivity.
Signal Quality
Factor
Close to microwaves, cordless phones or baby monitors
Cause
These devices emit waves on the same frequency as WiFi.
Signal Quality
Factor
Against concrete or brick
Cause
Blocks signal transmission.
Signal Quality
Factor
On the floor or behind furniture or TVs
Cause
Objects and furniture absorb signals, reducing coverage.
Signal Quality
Factor
Kitchen areas, inside entertainment centers
Cause
Some appliances emit electromagnetic or radio interference, while enclosed spaces block signals.
Signal Quality
Factor
Inside cabinets or closets
Cause
Confined spaces block signals.
Signal Quality

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Mesh WiFi with
eero Secure

Enhanced Whole Home WiFi enables multiple WiFi routers (or eeros®) to work as a team, resulting in improved range, speed and stability of your WiFi network. Plus, with eero Secure now included at no additional cost, it keeps your family safe with parental controls, ad blocking and internet backup so you’re always connected.
 

Router placement tips for getting a better signal

Placing your router in a central location ensures even signal distribution and reduces dead zones. Elevating it, such as near the first-floor ceiling, improves coverage across multiple floors and minimizes obstructions.

Open spaces allow signals to travel freely. Be sure to avoid interference from electronics like microwaves and cordless phones.

For larger homes, strategically placing nodes in a mesh WiFi system extends coverage and eliminates weak spots.

Experimenting with different placements and adjusting based on performance helps optimize speed and reliability, ensuring the best possible connection throughout your home.

Mesh WiFi is designed to eliminate dead zones and deliver stable internet performance across various speed tiers, regardless of your home’s layout.

Unlike conventional routers that broadcast from a single location, mesh networks utilize multiple nodes to extend coverage seamlessly. These nodes connect both to the main router and to each other, ensuring consistent connectivity throughout your space.

If you’re a gamer and rely on consistent speed and connection to play online, learn more about how to improve your WiFi for gaming.

Find your speed

What speed do you need?

Maybe you just need the essentials—or maybe you need to unleash the ultimate internet speed. Explore your options to get the best experience for every device in your home.

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Tips for improving your WiFi speeds

A fast and reliable WiFi connection depends on more than just your internet plan. Router placement, interference and network congestion all play a role in performance.

If you’re experiencing slow speeds, buffering or dead zones, making a few adjustments can help optimize your connection.

To get the best possible WiFi experience, consider these key tips:

    1. Adjust your antennas: If your router has antennas, positioning your router’s antennas vertically enhances horizontal coverage, while tilting them at an angle can improve multi-floor performance.
    2. Test your Ethernet cables: Faulty or outdated Ethernet cables can reduce your internet speed. Upgrading to Cat6 or higher ensures your wired connections operate at full capacity, no matter if you’re using Ethernet for gaming or streaming.
    3. Invest in a mesh WiFi system: Large homes or areas with dead zones benefit from a mesh system like eero, which extends coverage by distributing signals evenly.
    4. Secure your devices – A protected network reduces bandwidth strain from unwanted connections. eero Plus offers a suite of security features to lock down your network.

If you’ve tried all the above tips and your experience still isn’t fast enough, plug devices like gaming consoles or PCs directly into the router with an Ethernet cable. This eliminates wireless interference and improves speed.

For more ways to enhance your internet speed, visit our guide to optimizing WiFi speed.

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Bottomline: Does router placement matter?

Router placement plays a crucial role in your home’s WiFi performance. A central, elevated position helps distribute the signal evenly and minimize dead zones, while avoiding interference from walls, electronics and neighboring networks ensures a stronger connection.

For larger homes, mesh systems can extend coverage and simple adjustments—like antenna positioning and testing different placements—can optimize performance. Even the fastest internet plan can be hindered by poor router placement, so taking the time to find the best location makes a significant difference in speed and reliability.

Frequently asked questions

Your modem can affect your internet speed. If the router and modem are separate, the best place to put the router is within 6 feet of the modem for a strong connection. All WiFi-connected devices should stay within 100 – 150 feet of the router, if not using a mesh network, extenders or a repeater.

Yes, poor placement can weaken WiFi signal strength, increasing lag and reducing speed.

Dense materials like concrete, brick and metal absorb and block signals.

No, but placing the modem and router near one another ensures a stronger connection and less interference.

Yes, if your router has antennas, they should be positioned vertically for horizontal coverage and horizontally for multi-floor coverage. Experimenting with different angles can help identify the best configuration for your specific environment.

Upstairs is better for multi-story homes or a two-story house, but central placement matters most.

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Disclaimers

*Internet speeds may vary & are not guaranteed. Certain equipment may be required to reach advertised speeds. DOCSIS 3.1 modem with 2.5GE physical LAN port is required for 1 Gigabit speeds and higher. See astound.com/yourspeed for why speeds may vary. To view Astound’s FCC Network Management Disclosure see astound.com/policies-disclaimers. Modem required for Internet service. No contract required. Subject to availability. We substantiate that the cable modem equipment provided, and the configuration of such cable modem, meets the broadband speeds advertised when attached to a wired connection based on SamKnows testing procedures.

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While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this site has been obtained from reliable sources, Astound Broadband is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information in this site is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Certain links in this site connect to other websites maintained by third parties over whom Astound Broadband has no control. Astound Broadband makes no representations as to the accuracy or any other aspect of information contained in other websites.

eero Plus is available for an additional $9.99/month and requires subscription to whole home WiFi powered by eero.