This straightforward router repair made my Wi-Fi quicker

I depend on quite a lot of tech each day, whether or not it is my cellphone, laptop computer, smartwatch, or TV. Nonetheless, one factor that issues most after I’m at dwelling with all these units is a dependable Wi-Fi connection. With out Wi-Fi, I might be caught utilizing cellular information on a regular basis, which is not precisely essentially the most optimum method to obtain and play video games, in addition to stream a number of TV reveals and flicks.

That stated, an equally vital a part of your home Wi-Fi setup is the position of your router. If you need a stronger and extra dependable Wi-Fi signal, generally it is so simple as repositioning your router inside your home. However one factor you must all the time keep away from is putting your Wi-Fi router immediately on the bottom.

For one, when you’ve got pets, equivalent to a cat or canine, it turns into a magnet for them. My cat, specifically, likes to chunk something that has a wire popping out of it, so putting my router on the bottom is a right away no-go. Nonetheless, in addition to the hazard of your furry pal knocking it over or biting it, putting your router on the bottom has different adverse unintended effects which are greatest prevented. Entry to the web is significant these days, and putting your router in the correct spot could make all of the distinction, stopping plenty of frustration.

Why you should not place your Wi-Fi router on the bottom

The Wi-Fi sign is extra inclined to being obstructed

The principle motive to keep away from putting your router on the bottom is to stop potential sign interference. The bottom can block your router’s sign, particularly if it is on concrete or different dense flooring varieties like carpet or wooden. Why? As a result of the ground can take in a few of your router’s Wi-Fi sign, resulting in decreased protection and probably creating Wi-Fi dead zones — areas the place you’ll be able to’t get any sign in any respect, which is not enjoyable.

Wi-Fi indicators often unfold upward, outward and downward, so putting your router on the ground means shedding that downward sign unfold. Plus, if the router is on the bottom, close by objects like furnishings or electronics can simply disrupt its sign.

Merely put, in case your Wi-Fi router is on the ground, it faces extra obstacles than if it have been raised. Its sign should go by tables, cupboards, bookshelves, home equipment, beds, and probably even folks earlier than reaching your gadget. By the point it will get there, it is perhaps slower. Consider your Wi-Fi sign like a speaker or a light-weight — should you set a speaker on the bottom, the sound does not journey in addition to it does when it is elevated. The identical goes for any mild supply like a lamp; if positioned on the bottom, the sunshine does not unfold so far as it does when it is on a desk. The identical precept applies to Wi-Fi indicators.

Another excuse to keep away from placing your router on the bottom is the chance of harm from mud or particles, particularly if it is on a carpet, which may generate static shocks. Routers aren’t low-cost, and the very last thing you need is for it to build up mud or get broken. Additionally they generate warmth, which the bottom could not dissipate effectively, doubtlessly resulting in overheating over time.

How must you place your Wi-Fi router?

Elevation is essential

With all that in thoughts, one of the simplest ways to place your router is to raise it as excessive as doable. When you can place it 3 toes above the bottom, that is nice, however 5 toes is even higher. Nonetheless, this relies on your community setup and what’s sensible in your residing house.

When your Wi-Fi router is raised, its indicators can unfold extra freely all through your house and encounter much less interference. As I discussed earlier, Wi-Fi indicators unfold upward, outward and downward, so elevating the router helps it disperse the sign extra successfully. An elevated Wi-Fi sign additionally can’t bounce off close by objects like a sofa or desk as simply, and it is much less accessible for pets to tamper with.

The primary time I arrange my Wi-Fi router after transferring into my present place, I initially positioned it on the bottom within the basement whereas we have been nonetheless establishing, and the upstairs sign was horrible. The room it was in had a concrete flooring (which is a foul concept, as I alluded to earlier), and that was undoubtedly affecting the sign. Simply elevating the router and rearranging some wires made a major distinction, and the sign upstairs improved vastly.

That stated, it is superb to put your router in a central location inside your home. This helps the router unfold its Wi-Fi sign extra evenly. Understandably, relying in your setup, this may not be possible; nonetheless, so long as you’ll be able to place it greater up, that ought to assist regardless.

Lastly, I like to recommend testing the position of your Wi-Fi router in several areas and seeing the place you will get the most effective sign by working a velocity check. That is what I did to assist repair my upstairs Wi-Fi, and generally simply adjusting the positioning barely might help you obtain the outcomes you need. Simply keep in mind, attempt to keep away from putting your router on the bottom.