Adjusting my router's antenna fixed my Wi-Fi problems - here's the best way to position it

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Adjusting a router's antenna tin assistance boost Wi-Fi signals.
• The perfect setup depends connected your location space, imaginable obstacles, and the space of the antennas.
• For optimal show successful a multistory home, spot the antennas astatine 30 degrees and the router successful a cardinal location.

The much things change, the much they enactment the same.

When I was a kid, I had to perpetually set the rabbit-ear antenna connected my aged CRT TV to get a wide picture. As exertion advanced, I figured those days were down us. Most radical ticker their favourite shows and movies implicit Wi-Fi. You would deliberation Wi-Fi is amended than aged TV signals, but you whitethorn request to set your Wi-Fi router's antennas to support a strong, accordant signal.

Also: Traditional Wi-Fi router vs. mesh: How to determine betwixt the 2 fashionable networking options

Simply plugging your router into a modem and dropping it wherever there's abstraction isn't enough. Proper placement and however you presumption those antennas play a large relation successful however good the awesome reaches each country of your home. In this guide, I'll locomotion done a fewer speedy tips and tricks to assistance you get the champion imaginable wireless network.

How to presumption your router antennas

When it comes to antenna placement, the "right" setup mostly depends connected your surviving space. If you're successful an flat oregon a single-story home, TP-Link recommends positioning each antennas vertically. This helps the awesome radiate outward evenly crossed a level space. If you unrecorded successful a two-story home, angling the antennas to astir 30 degrees tin assistance amended vertical sum betwixt floors.

For larger, unfastened spaces, ISP marque Optimum suggests mounting antennas astatine astir 45-degree angles to found wide-reaching coverage. However, things get trickier if you're trying to screen aggregate floors and galore devices astatine once.

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In these situations, TP-Link adjacent suggests experimenting with unsocial setups - similar positioning the router connected its broadside and spreading the antennas successful antithetic directions to maximize awesome distribution. Similarly, Optimum recommends alternating antenna angles to optimize sum passim the home. Every location is different, truthful it does necessitate a spot of proceedings and error.

I urge utilizing your router's companion app to show awesome spot successful existent time. Apps volition show awesome spot successful dBm (decibel-milliwatts). Below is an illustration of my Wi-Fi setup. You'll announcement a speechmaking of astir -33 dBm, which is fantabulous and indicates a precise beardown connection. The person to zero, the amended the signal. 

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

If you'd alternatively not fuss with your router's antennas, different enactment would beryllium to usage a mesh system. These devices assistance widen wireless signals to the farthest corners of your home. In fact, mesh systems often don't person disposable antennas, truthful there's nary request to set anything. 

The biggest downside to these devices is cost. I usage the TP-Link Deco 7 Pro. It's a large gadget, and I emotion the consistently beardown awesome that it provides. However, astatine the clip of this writing, it's $480 for 2 and $700 for 3 disconnected Amazon.

Where to spot your Wi-Fi router

In short, you'll privation to presumption the router successful a cardinal location, astir adjacent region from the receiving devices. This helps the Wi-Fi awesome dispersed retired much evenly, ensuring accordant sum passim your house. It's besides important to ticker retired for adjacent obstacles that could interfere. 

Optimum recommends avoiding placing the router successful enclosed spaces, specified arsenic closets oregon down ample furniture, arsenic this tin weaken the signal. Keep it distant from metallic objects, arsenic Wi-Fi tin bounce disconnected metal, creating uneven coverage. 

Also, debar placing your router straight connected the floor. The awesome whitethorn not radiate vertically, limiting transportation distribution. Instead, spot it somewhat elevated, similar connected a shelf, to assistance with coverage.