WiFi Router Placement: The Best (and Worst) Places to Put a Router
The best place to put a WiFi router is in the center of your home, out in the open, and up high: on a shelf or table about 5 to 7 feet off the floor, in the room you use most, with nothing enclosing it. In a two-story house, that means the main floor, near the ceiling, or the second floor, near the floor, so the signal reaches both levels. The worst places are the ones most routers end up: a closet, a cabinet, behind the TV, in the kitchen, or in a corner of the basement where the cable comes in.
Every wall a WiFi signal passes through costs you speed, and every foot of distance costs a little more. Placement is the one WiFi fix that's free, so do it before you buy an extender.
Where is the best place to put a WiFi router?
The best spot is central, open, and elevated, in the room where you use WiFi most. Central because a router broadcasts in all directions, so a router at one end of the house wastes half its signal outside. Open because cabinets, closets, and entertainment centers block and absorb signal; the router should be able to "see" the room. Elevated because WiFi spreads outward and slightly downward, so a router on the floor sends much of its signal into the floor.
The best place to put a WiFi router is:
- Middle of the house: as close to the center of the floor plan as the cable allows.
- 5 to 7 feet off the floor: a bookshelf, a tall dresser, the top of a cabinet (not inside it), or wall-mounted.
- Out in the open: not in a closet, drawer, or media console.
- Away from the kitchen and laundry room: the microwave, refrigerator, and metal appliances absorb and interfere with the signal.
- Near where you use it most: if the home office and the living room TV matter most, put it between them, not in a spare bedroom.
Should a WiFi router be placed high or low?
High. A router works best about 5 to 7 feet off the floor, and the floor is the worst place for it. Routers radiate outward and slightly downward from their antennas, so a router on the floor loses signal into the slab or the floor below, and it's also surrounded by furniture legs, baseboards, and whatever's under the desk. A router on a shelf at head height broadcasts over furniture and through open doorways.
Don't go all the way to the ceiling on the top floor, though. Mounting it high on the highest floor points the signal into the attic. On a single-story home, high is always better; on a two-story home, see below.
Where should you not put a router?
Never put a router in a closet, cabinet, or entertainment center, behind a TV, in the kitchen, in a basement corner, or on the floor. Those six spots account for most weak-WiFi complaints, and moving the router out of one of them is often the whole fix.
Why each one hurts:
- Closets and cabinets wrap the router in wood or drywall on five sides. Signal has to punch through a wall before it even reaches the room.
- Behind the TV puts a large metal-backed panel directly in front of the router. TVs are one of the best signal blockers in the house.
- The kitchen has the microwave (which operates on the same 2.4 GHz band as WiFi and drowns it out while running), plus the refrigerator, oven, and metal countertops.
- A basement corner is low, far from the center, and often surrounded by concrete or brick, which blocks WiFi better than any interior wall.
- On the floor loses signal into the floor and behind furniture.
- Next to a window sends a share of the signal outside. It's less harmful than the others, but if the choice is a window wall or an interior wall, pick the interior.
Other things to keep a few feet away from the router: cordless phone bases, baby monitors, Bluetooth speakers, fish tanks (water absorbs 2.4 GHz), and large mirrors.
Where should you put the router in a 2-story house?
In a two-story house, put the router on the main floor, up high, near the center of the house, or on the second floor, low and central, so the signal reaches both floors. Either works; the first is usually easier because the main floor is where the TV and most daily use are.
What doesn't work is the two default spots: the basement (three floors away from upstairs bedrooms) or an upstairs office at one end of the house. If the house is long rather than square, or has brick, plaster, or concrete interior walls, one router won't cover both floors from anywhere, and a mesh system with one node per floor is the answer. Put the main router central on the main floor and the second node central upstairs, ideally directly above it.
How far can you be from a WiFi router?
Most home routers reach about 150 feet indoors on 2.4 GHz and 50 to 75 feet on the faster 5 GHz band, but that's in the open. Each interior wall cuts the range by roughly a quarter, and brick, concrete, or a floor cuts it by half or more. In practice, for full speed you want to be within about 30 feet and two walls of the router on 5 GHz, and within about 60 feet on 2.4 GHz. See how far your WiFi signal reaches for the band-by-band numbers.
There's no health reason to keep a distance; the reason to be close is speed.
How should you position the router's antennas?
If your router has adjustable antennas, point one straight up and one sideways so the signal covers both horizontal and vertical planes. On a single-story home, straight up is best for all of them. On a two-story home, angling one antenna horizontally sends more signal to the other floor. Routers with internal antennas (most mesh units and many newer routers) are designed to sit flat or upright as shown on the box; don't lay an upright router on its side.
How do you know if the spot is good?
Run a speed test on your phone standing next to the router, then again in the two rooms where WiFi matters most. If the far rooms are within about 20 percent of the near result, the spot is fine. If they're half or less, move the router toward those rooms, or toward the center, and test again. A free WiFi-analyzer app (they show signal strength in dBm as you walk) makes this faster: anything better than about −65 dBm is good, and worse than −75 dBm is where video starts to buffer.
What if you can't move the router?
If the router has to stay where the cable is, run an Ethernet cable from it to a better spot and put a second access point there, or use a mesh system, which is the same idea in a box. A single extender can also work for one dead room, but it halves the speed it relays, so it's a patch, not a fix. Read about how WiFi extenders work and how to find and fix WiFi dead zones for more details.
EPB Fiber customers can skip all of that with Smart Net Plus, which includes a managed WiFi 6 router and mesh points that EPB Tech Pros place and manage.
Frequently asked questions
Is it okay to put my router behind the TV?
No. A TV is a large metal-backed panel that blocks WiFi, and the space behind it is usually enclosed in a media console. Put the router on top of the console or on a shelf beside the TV instead.
Can I put the router in a bedroom or closet?
A bedroom is fine if it's central and the router sits in the open. A closet is not: the walls and door absorb signal on five sides. If the cable comes into a closet, run Ethernet out to a shelf in the hall or the nearest room.
Does the router need to be next to the modem (or the fiber box)?
No. They connect with an Ethernet cable, and Ethernet runs up to 300 feet with no loss. Leave the modem or ONT where it was installed and run a cable to a better spot for the router.
What's the best router for a 2-story house?
For most two-story homes, a two-node mesh system (one per floor) beats a single powerful router, because floors block WiFi more than walls do. EPB Smart Net Plus includes mesh coverage; if you're buying your own, choose a WiFi 6 or 6E mesh kit. See how to choose the right router.
Does router placement affect internet speed or just WiFi?
Just WiFi. The speed coming into your house is the same no matter where the router sits; placement determines how much of it reaches each room. If a wired speed test at the router is slow too, the problem is upstream see diagnosing slow fiber internet.
Check Your WiFi Signal Strength
Once you’ve determined where you’ll place your router, be sure to check your WiFi signal strength. This can be done using an app to scan and analyze your signal. According to the results, you may decide to change your router’s location in order to get a better signal.
Keep in mind that many factors can affect your speed, including the age and type of device you’re using. For example, an older smart phone may not be able to accurately detect the actual WiFi speed.
Tips for Improving Your WiFi and Eliminating Dead Zones
1. Adjust the Antennas on Your Router
If your router has antennas, they aren’t just there for show; they actually matter. If your signal is weak, try adjusting the antenna placement to improve signal strength.
2. Add More Wireless Points to Your Network
Implementing a mesh network and adding more wireless connection points to your home is a great way to combat dead zones and improve WiFi coverage. With more connection points, you’ll have more coverage that spans the entirety of your house and reduces or eliminates dead zones.
3. Upgrade Your Router
If you know that your router is old or lacks certain features and functionality, upgrading it may be a good idea. While upgrading it may not solve all the problems, it can help.
4. Use Ethernet Cables
If nothing else, you can always use Ethernet cables to connect to your router for a fast connection. Using Ethernet cables won’t be a wireless solution, but it can make it possible to connect more signal points to your network and improve wireless signal strength overall.
5. EPB Smart Network
EPB Smart Net Plus is a service offered by EPB to help you get the fastest WiFi speeds possible with optimal setup and connectivity. It’s a monthly subscription that includes a top-of-the-line, WiFi 6 router and professional setup and maintenance of your WiFi network, optimized for maximum performance in every corner of your home.
We’ll provide all the equipment, set it up for you, connect all of your devices, and secure your network with virus software and passwords. You’ll have access to the accompanying HomePass app and VIP technical experts 24/7 to help you by phone or in your home at no extra charge in case you have any issues with your WiFi.
Learn more about EPB Smart Net Plus and consider it if you want the best W-iFi performance without the hassle.
