Millions are putting their WiFi router in the wrong place – here’s where it SHOULD go
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You’re Using Your Wi-Fi Router Wrong! Experts warn millions of people put their device in the wrong place – this is where it MUST go
- A router in the kitchen or placing it too low are among the worst places
- Internet experts also recommend keeping your router away from metal
- Adding boosters and keeping technology up to date will also benefit the signal
With movie night on the schedule and popcorn on hand, nothing is more frustrating than a buffering movie at the peak of its prime.
But this can be solved with a simple solution, as experts claim many of us have been putting our wifi routers in the wrong locations.
According to Ritter Communications, placing your router in the kitchen, too low, or in tight spaces is one of the worst things you can do to suppress the Internet signal.
Instead, internet experts argue that routers should be placed in an open area with more spacemaking it easier for the signal to spread through the house.
Ritter Communications said, “Windows, closets and cramped quarters can slow it down.
Experts say placing a router in the kitchen or too low is one of the worst places to put it
“In addition, building materials such as drywall, brick, and plywood can hinder the progression of your signal, so find a wide open space to place your router.”
The company recommends centralizing the router in a part of the house that is used the most and elevating it at least 5 to 6 feet off the ground.
However, the kitchen was on the list to avoid, due to appliances such as microwaves can transmit interfering signals.
WiFi routers should also be placed far from metal, as Ritter Communications claims it can also reduce signal.
The company added: “Your signal loses strength the farther you get from your router, so your router should be placed near the area where you use Wi-Fi the most.” For example, if you never work from the second floor office in your house, you probably shouldn’t put your router there.
“Your router emits radio waves that spread outward and downward from their source. By placing your router at a considerable distance from the ground, you increase the range of your signal.’
Keeping the technology up to date and getting your hands on WiFi boosters will also ensure that the internet signal is optimal.
Ritter Communications suggests that putting a password on your Wi-Fi not only makes it more secure, but also prevents anyone nearby from jumping on the Internet, slowing it down.
Adding boosters and keeping technology up to date will also benefit the internet signal at home
It continued: ‘There’s only so much space on your information superhighway, and just like the highways we travel on, too much traffic can cause congestion.
“The more devices you have access to your Wi-Fi at the same time, the slower your connection will be.”
One of the more bizarre ways internet users can improve the Wi-Fi signal is by using aluminum foil.
Researchers from Dartmouth College, Columbia University and UC Irvine previously developed a technique in which only a 3D-printed reflector was wrapped in the foil.
They used this to build a “virtual wall” that directs the signal to areas where it is most needed.
“We’re not just amplifying wireless signals, we’re making those same signals more secure,” said Xia Zhou, an assistant professor of computer science at Dartmouth.