A solid and stable WiFi signal is critical for fast Internet access, especially when streaming video. No one likes it when the video freezes, and they must wait for it to resume. However, many people face the problem of poor WiFi coverage and low Internet speeds due to a misplaced WiFi router.
Usually, the ISP brings the Internet into your home and installs its equipment, and then you have to build your home network. Yes, you can improve WiFi quality, but only sometimes; if you have a house with a basement and two floors, in this case, you can never build a quality network with one WiFi router, no matter how you place it. There will be places in your house with unstable network access. And that, of course, will be critically unacceptable if that area includes your TV or where you work or like to sit comfortably watching videos.
Ways to improve WiFi quality
Here is an example of how you try to improve your WiFi network.
- I’m trying to read the recommendations and place the router in a better location.
- If I buy an expensive WiFi router, will the network work better?
- What additional device can I buy to make WiFi stable and fast?
There are answers to all these questions, which is much easier than you think. Let’s look at all the options; you can easily choose the best option.
How can I improve my WiFi signal with the correct router placement?
You can place your WiFi router in several places in your home to achieve optimal signal strength and coverage. Here are the top recommended places to place your WiFi router:
You are centrally placing your WiFI router in the center of your home.
Placing your router in a centralized location is necessary to ensure the signal reaches all parts of your home. This location should be as close to the center of your home as possible, without any significant obstacles blocking the signal. The implementation is quite complicated, it will work if you have a small house, but if you have brick walls and several floors, you will need a different option.
High and unobstructed location
Placing the router high up with no physical obstacles can help maximize signal coverage. Such placement can improve signal strength. For optimal signal strength, place it on a high shelf. This will improve signal strength, but it is unnecessary; the router will work just as well on a table.
Avoid placing the router in corners.
Placing your router in a corner can result in a weaker signal because the signal has to pass through more walls and obstacles to reach the rest of the house. Also, if the router is placed too close to a corner, it can cause interference from the walls. This is possible but impractical; you won’t put a WiFi router in the center of the room; it will still be near a wall.
Away from other electronic devices
It’s essential to place your WiFi router away from other electronic devices that can interfere with the signal. Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens, and other devices emit signals that can interfere with the WiFi signal. In practice, only microwave ovens affect the WiFi signal; they have more power, but the microwave will affect the WiFi router if it stands near the oven. A distance of more than 4 feet (1 meter) is enough for the microwave not to affect the router.
Summary on proper WiFi router placement: You can try to place the router if you have a small house. If your house has multiple floors or is large, it isn’t easy to place the router optimally. You won’t put a router on the ceiling in the center room of your house.
Will buying an expensive WiFi router make your network fast and stable?
You should know that WiFi signal strength levels are standardized so that they don’t harm people with their radiation. Therefore, there are no more powerful routers; all have the same power. More expensive routers may have better quality and more sophisticated noise cancellation systems. They operate in two bands, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. They can support multiple channels combined into one and support Mesh networks.
Yes, such routers work better because even with low signal strength, they can engage multiple channels simultaneously and use different frequencies, thereby increasing data rates. These routers support the WiFi 6 standard, which is designed to improve the quality of WiFi. These routers can provide WiFi to homes ranging from 2,500 to 3,500 square feet (200-300 square meters). Another feature of these routers is support for Mesh networks. You can cover 6,000 square feet (500 square meters) of WiFi in your home by purchasing additional WiFi devices.
Mesh WiFi system, how to place them in your home
Build a Mesh network to build a quality WiFi network in your home. With a Mesh system, you can cover any room with WiFi, including the basement and areas around the house, such as the terrace.
A Mesh WiFi system is designed to cover large areas with a single WiFi network. The principle is elementary: there is a controller device that connects to the Internet, and there are WiFi satellites that connect to the controller device. A single-branched WiFi network is created.
Advantages of Mesh networking:
Seamless switching between network satellites, for example, your device, such as your phone, is connected to a WiFi Mesh network. When you move around the house, you will automatically reconnect to different devices without losing the connection.
A variety of designs, indoor and outdoor devices.
A variety of devices, standalone systems, and add-on devices.
Placing Mesh WiFi in your home
Mesh WiFi devices are placed next to electrical outlets, creating a network with WiFi without additional wiring, and can also be connected via Ethernet cable. One device is next to the point from which you get Internet (ISP equipment). The other devices are within range of any device in the Mesh network.
Let me give you an example: From your ISP, the Internet enters the house; for example, it is a corner room. You put one device next to the ISP device, and you put a second device in the center of the house, so you have coverage across the house’s first floor. If you need WiFi on the second floor, you put another device on the second floor above the devices on the first floor. You now have WiFi on the second floor. If you need WiFi in the basement, you put another device there.
For example, you can place a WiFi Mesh network device next to your Smart TV – there are many placement options.
Here’s how to improve or build a new fast, stable WiFi network in your home.
