Were to Install a wi-fi router in an apartment or house?

This article is not about connecting and configuring a wi-fi router, but about its proper location in an apartment, private home, or office. If you have not yet bought a router, then read the article with tips on choosing a wi-fi router and go to the store. After buying a router, it will need to be installed in a certain place, connected and configured. You can read about the connection and setup in the instructions that came with it, or in other articles on our website. Instructions for setting up some routers are collected on this page. And in this article we will talk specifically about choosing a place to install the router. Where you can install it and where you can’t.

The location of the router in the house first affects the coverage of the Wi-Fi network. This is understandable. If you have a huge apartment, or a large house, then installing a router in one end of the house, in the far room Wi-Fi is unlikely to catch. There are no secrets in choosing a place for installation. But adhering to some recommendations, there is a chance to avoid buying a second router or a repeater to strengthen the wireless network.

Choosing a place to install a Wi-Fi router

If at the time of purchase of the router you already have the Internet connected, it is most often installed where the Internet cable from the provider is laid. Because laying a new cable, lengthen it, or even shorten it is not the easiest thing to do. And I will say this: if after setting up the router Wi-Fi network catches all over the house and everything works well, then you do not need to think of something. Install it where you can. This is especially true for one-room, or small two/three-room apartments. As well as small houses. Wherever you do not install the router, a stable Wi-Fi signal will be in all rooms.

Recommendations for choosing a place to locate the router

As I wrote above, you can install the router in the place where you like, where the Internet is laid, or there is a place for its installation (table, shelf, etc.). If there are no problems with Wi-Fi coverage, you can close this article and surf the Internet.

However, if there are coverage problems, here are some tips:

Do not install your router close to other electrical appliances. Such as: radiophones, microwave ovens, TVs, etc. Since the wi-fi network operates at 2.4 GHz, or 5 GHz. And the appliances I listed above can also use this frequency, so there will be strong interference. Because of this, the signal may drop, or the Wi-Fi network will be unstable.
The Wi-Fi signal passes through obstacles and the signal itself drops. The biggest evil is metal barriers. Walls with metal elements inside (usually load-bearing walls). Metal doors, etc. Mirrors and glass also bounce back the wireless signal. Concrete and brick walls also decently reduce the range of the Wi-Fi network. The fewer walls and obstacles – the better.
Look at the plan of your house or apartment and think if there is a possibility to place the router closer to the center. This arrangement will provide more even coverage throughout your home. And you won’t have a neighbor with a more stable signal than you. Or, place the router closer to where you’ll be actively using your wireless network. For example, closer to the bedroom and kitchen. But farther away from the kids’ room. You should like this location if you’re concerned about radiation damage from your Wi-Fi network.
If possible, install the router as high up as possible. It can be mounted on the wall. Almost every router has holes on it for wall mounting. And the antennas are foldable.

And a few more useful tips:

If you still have to move the router, or install it in a place where the cable from the provider does not reach, then instructions on crimping the network cable may come in handy: how to crimp twisted pair with a crimper, and tips on crimping without tools (screwdriver). But it is better, of course, to have it done by a specialist from your provider.
If the choice of the right location could not achieve normal coverage throughout the house, then tips from the article may come in handy: how to strengthen the signal of the Wi-Fi network? Increase the range of wi-fi.
Well, and the most working and proven option, which can significantly strengthen the Wi-Fi signal – is the purchase and installation of a repeater. Perhaps you have another router, which can also try to configure in the mode of a repeater.
If you have problems with the wireless network because of strong interference on the channel 2.4 GHz, then the situation can be corrected by installing a dual-band router, which can also distribute Wi-Fi at 5 GHz.