Wi-Fi speed ruined by 4 common router placement mistakes, use ‘same room’ move

THE speed of your Wi-Fi router can be disrupted simply by where you place it in your space.

It is important to consider these common router placement mistakes to ensure you’re getting the best Wi-Fi signal possible.

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“The placement of your Google Nest Wi-Fi router and points or Google Wi-Fi points is vital for the reliability of your Wi-Fi network throughout your home,” Google said.

“But knowing where to put them is an inexact science.”

To get the best placement, examine your home size, home construction type, where you regularly use Wi-Fi, the layout of your home, and the placement of Wi-Fi points, per Google.

The four placement mistakes that can be made include putting your router near a wall, door, ground, or aquarium.

These cause obstructions to the Wi-Fi signal.

The Wi-Fi signal has a hard time getting through the density of non-porous materials that walls, doors, and the ground are commonly made of.

The water inside aquariums absorbs the Wi-Fi signal and weakens it.

A trick to get the best Wi-Fi speed is to move your router into the same room where you’ll be using your devices.

“Move the Wifi point within the same room,” Google said. 

When doing this, make sure the router is in a “line of sight.”

You want to be able to see the router and have nothing in the way between you and the signal. 

In other router placement news, Microsoft has also released its own list of things to consider when choosing where to put your router.

It highlighted an additional Wi-Fi speed reducer.

Microsoft recommended that people should avoid putting their routers near metal objects to improve Wi-Fi speed.

Metal bodies absorb Wi-Fi signals due to the Wi-Fi radio waves being electromagnetic.

Metal will instantly decrease Wi-Fi speed and Wi-Fi routers should stay clear of any metal objects in your home.