You’ve paid for high-speed internet. You’ve upgraded your plan. You’ve even bought a new router. So why is your video still buffering? And why does your Zoom call freeze right when it matters most?
The problem might not be your internet – it might be where you’ve placed your router.
Router placement can make or break your Wi-Fi performance. You can have the best equipment and the fastest plan, but if your router is stuck in the wrong spot, your devices will suffer.
Here’s how to avoid the five most common mistakes and get closer to the best router placement for fast, consistent internet throughout your home.
Mistake #1: Hiding It in a Cabinet
Your router might not be the prettiest gadget in your home. It’s got blinking lights, wires sticking out, and maybe a weird shape. So the temptation to hide it away – in a cabinet, closet, or entertainment unit – is understandable. But this is one of the fastest ways to strangle your signal.
Wi-Fi works through radio waves. When you tuck your router inside a cabinet or behind thick doors, those waves can’t travel freely. The result? Weaker signal strength and slower speeds. If you’ve ever noticed your stream lagging in the living room while your router is buried in a nearby cabinet, now you know why.
Fix it: Let your router breathe. Place it out in the open (ideally on a shelf or tabletop). It doesn’t have to be a centerpiece, but it shouldn’t be hidden, either.
Mistake #2: Placing It on the Floor
Routers aren’t floor dwellers. When you stick yours on the ground – whether it’s tucked behind the couch or leaning against a wall – it’s not going to do its job well. Wi-Fi signals radiate outward and downward. So when your router is already at the lowest point in the room, you’re wasting half the signal.
Placing your router low also makes it more susceptible to physical obstructions: furniture, metal objects, and even foot traffic can interfere with the signal.
Fix it: Raise your router at least waist-high – or higher. Bookshelves, TV stands, or wall mounts work great. The higher up it is, the farther and more effectively its signal will travel.
Mistake #3: Shoving It in a Corner
Corners kill coverage. If your router is shoved into the far end of your house, in a corner office or next to a window, you’re sending a huge chunk of its signal… outside.
Most routers broadcast their signal in all directions. So if it’s in a corner, half of that coverage is being wasted on walls, the backyard, or the neighbor’s house. Meanwhile, your bedroom across the hall gets a faint trickle of Wi-Fi and a whole lot of frustration.
Fix it: The best router placement is in the center of your home, or as close to the middle of your living space as possible. That way, the signal radiates evenly and reaches more rooms. If your modem is installed in a far corner, consider running a longer Ethernet cable or using a mesh system to expand coverage intelligently.
Mistake #4: Setting It Too Close to Other Electronics
Your router isn’t great at sharing space. When it’s placed right next to other electronics – like your TV, game console, microwave, or even baby monitors – it can experience interference. These devices emit their own signals and frequencies, which can compete with your Wi-Fi and cause dropouts or reduced speed.
It’s not just electronics, either. Large metal objects – like filing cabinets or refrigerators – can bounce signals around unpredictably or block them altogether.
Fix it: Keep your router at least a couple of feet away from major electronics and large metal objects. Try to give it a “clear zone” where it doesn’t have to fight for space or signal.
Mistake #5: Forgetting About Multi-Level Coverage
If you live in a two-story home (or more), don’t forget that Wi-Fi signals have to travel up and down as well as side to side. If your router is on the first floor and you’re working in an upstairs office, your connection might be a shadow of what it could be.
Ceilings, floors, and especially concrete between levels can all weaken your Wi-Fi. So placing the router in a far corner of the lowest floor almost guarantees poor performance upstairs.
Fix it: Place your router on the floor that gets the most use – or better yet, on a middle floor if possible. If your home is large or split into multiple levels with thick construction, consider a mesh Wi-Fi system that uses multiple nodes to blanket the space evenly.
Test and Adjust
Router placement isn’t a one-and-done decision. Your home layout, furniture, and even the time of day can affect performance. Once you’ve made some changes, test your signal strength in key areas. Run a speed test in the living room, bedroom, office, and any other rooms where you use the internet frequently.
If you’re still seeing weak spots, try adjusting the angle of the antennas, raising the router higher, or moving it just a few feet to the left or right. Sometimes, a small adjustment makes a big difference.
You don’t need to be a network engineer to get better Wi-Fi. Most of the time, improving your connection just means avoiding these five common router placement mistakes and giving your signal a clear, central stage to do its job.
Sandra Larson is a writer with the personal blog at ElizabethanAuthor and an academic coach for students. Her main sphere of professional interest is the connection between AI and modern study techniques. Sandra believes that digital tools are a way to a better future in the education system.
