Today we will give a couple of tips on where it is better to install a router in an apartment: how and where it is best to install it, what solutions are best to avoid completely, and how to secure your network as much as possible.
What decisions should you avoid?
First, you need to adhere to these four rules that determine where in the apartment it will be a mistake to install the router:
Now that we have figured out where the unfavorable places are, let’s move on to standard tips on where to place the router in the apartment for the strongest signal in all rooms.
The right places to choose
The first thing worth mentioning is that the higher the dispenser is installed, the better. The ideal option would be to install it on the wall. If the question arises of how to mount a router on a wall, then everything is simpler than you might think: you don’t need to drill anything, since devices often have special grooves on the case for wall mounting.
To take advantage of this opportunity, just measure the distance between the grooves, mark the place where you consider it optimal to install the router in the apartment, and then drive a couple of nails in the right places almost completely. You can also buy a couple of plastic dowels and make the holes a little smaller in the required places - after placing the dowels in the wall, you can screw screws with small heads into them and hang the router on them.
If you don’t want to make holes in the wall, then your obvious answer to the question of where to place the router in the apartment is a closet in the hallway.
The second thing that is really worth paying attention to in this case is the position of the antennas: best option when they are standing vertically. If, despite this, you bad signal, it's still worth trying to change their position and see if this improves the situation.
These are the main two tips on how to properly install a router in an apartment. If you rely more on the principle of maximum network security, then it is best to place it in the center of the apartment - this will reduce the possibility of intercepting your signal outside it. For special secrecy, you can shield the necessary premises, but these are measures for the most serious.
Is it worth putting a router in a shield?
There is often advice about installing a distribution device in a low-current panel. For the query “router shield in an apartment,” the search engine produces a lot of information and opinions that are opposite to each other.
In this situation, we can say this: if you want to put the access point there, then the shield should not be metal, otherwise there is no point. Interestingly, in some cases, the option with a metal shield works, but only if the shield is built into a wall made of foam blocks.
Well, if you do not take these two features into account, then the main principle in choosing where to install a Wi-Fi router in an apartment is that it is better to install it outside, no matter how it looks. You can sacrifice either beauty and neatness, or a Wi-Fi signal.
Now it’s no secret to anyone that the quality of its operation will depend on how and where to install the router in the apartment. Wi-Fi networks. The signal strength begins to weaken as client devices move away from the access point. In addition, the presence of obstacles and interference on the way also has a detrimental effect on the quality of Wi-Fi - pages can barely open, YouTube videos are constantly buffering, the connection drops out, etc. Many people believe that if you buy a more powerful router and with larger antennas, the problem will automatically be solved. This is not always the case. Most often the culprit is the incorrect location of the access point. I will tell you how to properly install a router in an apartment so that its WiFi covers as much of its area as possible.
First of all, when connecting and installing a router, you must remember that the signal from the router is broadcast in all directions from its antenna with a radius of up to 30 meters indoors and up to 100 meters in open spaces. True, these distances are very conditional and depend on a great variety of factors, each of them can significantly reduce the coverage area.
The second point that must now be taken into account is the presence of “neighbors” in the range. In high-rise buildings this is a rather critical condition. Run a network search on your phone or laptop and look at the results. If in the usual 2.4 GHz range there are at least 10-11 access points, then almost everywhere the signal quality will be significantly poor - no matter where you place the router. What to do in this case?! Just buy a dual-band router and switch to 5 GHz. But that's a completely different story...
Place the router in the center of the apartment
The location to install the router in the apartment is key. But more often than not, no attention is paid to this at all. The device is placed anywhere or wherever the installer reached the cable. It would be correct to find the approximate center of your home and set a point in this place WiFi access. Of course, no one forces you to place it in the center of the room and you can move it to the side by 2-3 meters - this is not critical.
It is also highly advisable to install the router in the apartment as high as possible. The ideal option is to face the ceiling and turn the antennas down.
Avoid obstacles in the signal path
Of course, radio waves pass through walls, but do not forget that the thicker this wall is, the weaker the signal that overcomes it will be. And if with brick walls this is not the case, then if there is a concrete wall between you and the Wi-Fi router, and even with metal reinforcement, then do not be surprised if you do not receive a signal at the output. Walls made of expanded clay blocks have a similar effect.
The funny thing is that sometimes even ordinary interior door or a full-wall mirror can also become a significant interference for a weak access point with a 2 dBi antenna.
In addition to reinforced concrete walls, quality WiFi signal Water also affects: water supply pipes, heating and even large aquariums.
Avoid the kitchen
Never! I repeat once again - never even think about putting a router in the kitchen! A modern kitchen in an apartment is a collection of equipment that is a source of interference for radio signals. A refrigerator, an electric stove, a microwave oven, an LCD panel on the wall, a DECT radiotelephone base and a bunch of metal utensils will all interfere with the normal operation of the wireless network. Especially in the 2.4 GHz range.
And the kitchen in the apartment is usually located on the edge, which means that if Wi-Fi still works somehow in the next room, then the coverage area may not reach the distant rooms at all!
Play with the antenna
If you are the unfortunate owner of a router with internal antennas, then don’t read this. But if on your device they are external, and even removable, then that’s great! The fact is that the antenna is the part of the router that broadcasts the WiFi signal and receives it in response from client devices. Antennas can usually be rotated from side to side, and on some models even rotate a full turn in the socket. If you want your signal to spread horizontally, positioning your antenna vertically will give you better spread. If your goal is to transmit a WiFi signal between floors in your house, place the antenna horizontally.
If your router has a removable antenna with an RP-SMA connector, then you can always buy a more powerful or directional antenna and significantly improve the signal quality in the direction you need.
This article is not about connecting and Wi-Fi settings router, but about its correct location in an apartment, private house, or office. If you haven't bought a router yet, then read on and go to the store. After purchasing a router, you will need to install it in a specific location, connect and configure it. You can read about connection and setup in the instructions that were included in the kit, or in other articles on our website. Instructions for setting up some routers are collected on the page. And in this article we will talk specifically about choosing a place to install the router. Where you can install and where you can’t.
The location of the router in the house first affects Wi-Fi coverage networks. This is understandable. If you have a huge apartment or a large house, then by installing a router at one end of the house, it is unlikely that you will receive Wi-Fi in the back room. There are no secrets in choosing a location for installation. But by following some recommendations, there is a chance to do without buying a second router or repeater to strengthen your wireless network.
If at the time of purchasing the router you already have the Internet connected, then it is most often installed where the Internet cable from the provider is laid. Because laying a new cable, lengthening it, or even shortening it is not the easiest task. And I will say this: if after setting Wi-Fi router the network catches throughout the house and everything works well, then there is no need to invent something. Install where you can. This is especially true for one-room or small two/three-room apartments. And also small houses. Wherever you install the router, you will have a stable Wi-Fi signal in all rooms.
Recommendations for choosing a location for the router
As I wrote above, you can install the router in a place where you like, where the Internet is connected, or where you have a place to install it (desk, shelf, etc.). If there are no problems with Wi-Fi network coverage, then you can close this article and use the Internet.
If you have problems with the coating, here are some tips:
- Do not install the router close to other electrical appliances. Such as: cordless phones, microwave ovens, TVs, etc. Since the Wi-Fi network operates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, or 5 GHz. And the technology that I listed above can also use this frequency, then there will be strong interference. Because of this, the signal may drop, or there will be unstable Wi-Fi operation networks.
- The Wi-Fi signal passes through obstacles and at the same time the signal level drops. The biggest evil is metal barriers. Walls with metal elements inside (as a rule, these are load-bearing walls). Metal doors, etc. Mirrors and glass also reflect the wireless network signal. Concrete and brick walls also significantly reduce the range of a Wi-Fi network. The fewer walls and barriers, the better.
- Look at the floor plan of your house or apartment and think about whether it is possible to place the router closer to the center. This arrangement will provide more even coverage throughout the house. And it won’t happen that your neighbor’s signal from your network is more stable than yours. Or install the router closer to the place where you will actively use the wireless network. For example, closer to the bedroom and kitchen. But further from the children's room. You should like this arrangement if you are puzzled by the issue of harm from Wi-Fi network radiation.
- If possible, install the router as high as possible. It can be mounted on the wall. Almost every router has holes for wall mounting. And the antennas fold.
And some more useful tips:
Where is your router installed in your house? How is the Wi-Fi network coverage? Share your tips in the comments and ask questions!
In the previous article in tips for choosing a router, we only briefly touched on the topic: “ Location of the router in an apartment or house". If you bought an expensive router model, then, basically, such people do not have questions about this due to the built-in high parameters of the device, which can provide strong and large wireless network coverage. And those who purchased the router option in medium or low price category, they will have to think about the place where their Wi-Fi distributor. And to make their life easier, we'll give you 13 tips about this:
Central placement of the router in your home
Sam oh big problem There are walls for the Wi-Fi frequency to pass through. The very essence central location involves passing wireless connection through doorways. The classic room in this regard is hallway. In most cases, the hallway has access to all rooms. For example, when the router is located in the living room or in another extreme room, you will not be able to cover all residential premises, and so-called "empty spaces" no connection.
- Consider the layout of your home
- Select a room from which all rooms have access
- Doorways are your helpers
- Walls (especially concrete ones) will be enemies in signal propagation
The fewer walls in the way, the better the connection
To understand how a Wi-Fi signal affects objects that get in your way, you need to understand the propagation process. The signal, passing through objects, loses the strength of the standard indicator or, in the worst cases, disappears completely. It all depends on the material through which a wave passes. All apartments in their usual architecture consist of concrete walls. But due to the development of technology, walls consisting of lighter materials are also being added to the design of homes. As you can understand above, concrete walls do not help signal propagation, but on the contrary, they worsen it. Here are the materials from drywall and trees are less detrimental to signal strength. Another interesting property of a wireless network is reflection from any object. As with transmission, there are materials that promote reflection. Mostly these are mirrors. To ensure that the “not running away from you” signal, you can think about buying a couple of mirrors and placing them in the room. This will help achieve an extremely strong signal in your one room without leaking into others.
Closer to the sky
The higher the router, the better the signal. Because there are no obstacles to spread on the ceiling. From here it turns out the opposite; being close to the floor will degrade your signal due to the large number of objects you encounter along the way. Usually following this rule, you can use router wall mounts. Yes and doesn't lie underfoot and does not take up space on the closet.
Electrical appliances are not friends in this matter
Now there are so many devices that depress the signal 2.4 GHz. This issue directly relates to choosing a location for the router. You need to choose a place where there will be no devices that operate on a wireless network. Rest assured, almost all of them operate at 2.4 GHz. And the most dangerous thing in this matter is the microwave oven, it is the one that will nullify your signal. So, place the router in the kitchen, when availability there microwave oven, will be detrimental to you.
Should you position the antenna up or sideways?
Everyone, I think, wondered: “What will happen if you place the antenna in different positions and what is the effect of this? . Answer to the question didn't have to wait long. If you place the antennas up towards the ceiling, the signal propagation area will be horizontal vector. If the antennas are positioned sideways, the vector will change to vertical. Here the choice will fall only on you and your home construction. One option is suitable for ordinary apartments, and the other for residential ones multi-storey buildings to achieve signal transmission to the floor above. You can also choose an intermediate position of the antennas, which will provide an average signal in both horizontal and vertical plane. There are also built-in antennas in which we ourselves will have to move the router in one direction or another.
We must not forget that our router is an introvert
Large companies are not for our router. This is the device. I’m surprised myself, but there’s nothing I can do. Placing the router in a public place will be a mistake. If you believe science, then a person 70% consists of water. And such water accumulations of people “extinguish” the Wi-Fi signal. If this is an office or other crowded place, then the advice is to place the router higher and further away ( not forgetting the rule of “center”) will be the best decision.
Keep hot objects away from the router
Don't st 
put the router on the battery, processor or other hot items. This will have a bad effect not only on operation, but also on signal transmission. Because the temperature is higher 40 degrees Celsius entails breakdown and malfunction of the device. And in the saddest situations, you can sacrifice your safety. May occur ignition, which in turn will entail fire. When it comes to your safety, take it seriously.
Crazy hands
If all your strength is running out and you give up on your own, then only the recommendations of “Crazy Hands” can come to the rescue. This option only works in the most extreme situations. It will help improve wireless network distribution and coverage Wi-Fi at 20%. You'll need some steel. It can be found from for any cans with food products, the main thing is that the inside is shiny. This inner part is about we mount the antenna of your router. There are indeed improvements, but very small.
Dual band will solve problems with neighbors
When living in a multi-storey residential building, you will be provided with neighbors who also use routers and their own wireless networks. Most of them operate at 2.4 GHz. When purchasing a router that supports not only 2.4 GHz, and 5 GHz, you can achieve individuality and non-competitiveness of your neighbors. So, when working at a higher frequency, you can avoid a decrease in signal strength due to the fact that other networks operate at a different frequency and do not compete with you.
Mobile application to help!
In addition to applications that control your router, there are also those that can show the power Wi-Fi signal. That is, being in different rooms you can determine what signal each of them receives. And considering these parameters, move your router from one place to another until you won't achieve the desired effect. This is usually useful for those who have an unusual structure for their living area and the center rule does not apply here. For example, there are good applications: Wifi Analyzer, WiFi Master Key, WIFI WPS WPA TESTER, WPS Connect.
Pets
Pets can too join you in the war for stable Wi-Fi and I think they will not take your side. Otherwise, you need to protect the wires and the router from animals. Otherwise, you may end up with a faulty router or, worse, a chewed fiber optic cable, which will lead to to big problems and call specialized personnel about this.
Repeater
Another option to improve your wireless connection flow. True, you need to spend a small amount of money, but for large rooms - this is an indispensable lotion. With its help, the signal will spread twice as strong and the coverage will increase to exactly match your stationary router. The repeater gets practice in use in offices, hotels and cafes. Entrepreneurs should think about this purchase.
Software and firmware updates
Don't forget to check the updates that the manufacturer provides monthly. Not always, especially for young manufacturers, a router can reveal all its potential with a standard updated software. Already during operation, people write reviews, and the development team has a clear opinion about their product and what shortcomings need to be corrected. Then, after about a month, updates come out with the problems fixed. This only applies to decent producers, who care about the opinions of their customers.
Where to hide a router without losing Internet speed? Our tips will definitely help you find the best place for this device.
Looking for the best place for the router
- When installing the router, make sure that there is enough space around it free space for wires. It will be frustrating if you find the perfect location for your router and then are unable to connect a new cable to it.
- It is especially important to choose the right environment: the installation site should be neither hot nor cold. You should also avoid places with high humidity and dust, which can significantly shorten the life of the device. If you're not sure what conditions your router can withstand, check your owner's manual.
- The router should be located closer to the center of the apartment. Try to place the device close to the paved cable networks to avoid additional expenses for the installation of a new cable network.
Hiding the router without signal loss
- If you want to hide it, it is important that it is in the middle of the area that needs to be covered by the WLAN signal. Incorrect placement of the receiver may result in slower wireless connection speeds or even loss of signal.
- Do not place WLAN routers in close proximity to heating appliances, refrigerators, etc. household appliances, as this may interfere with distribution.
- It is very important that you can easily get to the router. You will probably sometimes need to turn off, turn on, or simply restart the device - and it is better to do this without making global changes.
- Here are some practical ideas on how to hide your router. The first and simplest is to mount it on a mount in an inconspicuous place on the wall. Similarly, it can be attached to the back of the desk. If you have a multi-level ceiling with inspection holes in your home, try hiding it there.
