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The best place to put your router: 7 dos and don’ts |
The best place to put your router: 7 dos and don’ts |
Knowing where in your house to place your router can be tricky, but don’t panic. We’ve put together a list of top tips so you can make the most of your broadband speeds and discover how to get the best performance out of your router.
Here are the 7 do’s and don’ts for the best router placement:
Do use a central location
It makes sense when you think about it, right? By placing your router in the middle of your home, the signal can reach each part of it equally. However, the main reason it’s important to do this is because walls and objects slow down the signal, so a central location means less to travel through and a stronger signal for scrolling, clicking and watching.
Don’t place your router in the kitchen
You might not have thought about keeping your router out of the kitchen before, but it is important. This is because metallic objects, from your freezer to your microwave, can affect your signal, weakening and disrupting it. So let’s just say it’s best to keep it well away.
Do check your router placement height
The floor is a bad place for your router, since the wifi signal travels downwards too. This means checking your router height and elevating it will boost its performance. We recommend a shelf, which will achieve a higher coverage and stronger signal, keeping everyone in the house happy. No more wifi fights!
Don’t place your router near electronics
Radio signals are the enemy of your router and will interfere with the broadband connection; this means your TV, radio, wireless phone, or even remote-control toy can all lag your Bridgerton binge watching. The best place to put your router is at a reasonable distance (around 5 feet) from other electronics, which will ensure a better wifi strength for everyone in the household.
Do keep your router in an open space
Keeping your router in a cupboard or a spare room will give you a poorer signal, so try to make sure it’s out in an open space somewhere visible. Again, the fewer walls and doors there are between you and your router, the better your chance of getting the best performance out of your router. Your router being in an open space allows a clear pathway to your device, which means hyperfast broadband.
If the best location for your router is out of reach from the nearest plug socket, then we advise getting an extra-long ethernet cable and extension lead.
Don’t place your router next to a window
Your router doesn’t need a scenic view, so there’s no reason to have it next to your window. If your router is placed next to a window, a lot of the signal will escape outside and go to waste – plus you’ll miss out on that hyperfast broadband. The best position for your broadband router is somewhere central, where the signal can’t escape to areas that you’re not using wifi.
Do clear any obstacles
The less in the way of your router the better, and that’s doubly true for any metal objects, even the pipes in the walls, as metal absorbs and reflects the wifi signal. Speaking of reflecting, another less obvious obstacle is a mirror, which will reflect the signal and distort it, so add this to the avoid list. But it’s not just metal and glass: water can also do this, so keep your router away from any fish tanks or water heaters to ensure the strength and distance of your signal.
Need some more help with your router?
We hope those tips helped answer any questions you had about your router placement, but if you do still need help with your Hyperhubs or have any questions, check out router FAQs or find out the difference between modem and router.
Broadband still not fast enough?
Even if your router is in the best spot, your broadband is only as good as your provider. Check out our full fibre broadband and go hyperfast today!
