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Where to place your modem for best Wi-Fi

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This page will assist you in understanding where to place your modem correctly in order to get the best Wi-Fi across your household.

 

 

Overview

The most important factor affecting Wi-Fi performance in your home is modem placement. Re-positioning your Wi-Fi modem can make a huge difference to your internet experience.

Before you re-position your router, it’s good to understand what factors typically slow down your Wi-Fi. Check out How to fix slow Wi-Fi before you begin.

Wi-Fi related issues:

To quickly diagnose and potentially resolve your broadband issue, we recommend using the network scanning feature in your Slingshot app. This tool can identify and fix common Wi-Fi related issues without the need to speak to a specialist. To access the app, search for Slingshot in your app store.

Tips to improve your Wi-Fi

  • Don’t keep your modem in a cupboard or patch panel as the walls can block your modem's signal.
  • Place your modem somewhere near the center of your house. You will have the best connection if your devices can see the modem.
  • Make sure your modem is standing upright or is positioned the way it is intended – this allows Wi-Fi signals to transmit the best.
  • Keep it away from the kitchen - some appliances such as microwaves can interfere with the signal.

Best place for your modem

A good rule of thumb is to place your modem in the room where you will be using Wi-Fi the most. Ensure it’s in the best location for your Wi-Fi needs:

  • If gaming is most important to you, your modem is best placed in the same room as your PC or gaming console and connected to the modem via an Ethernet cable.
  • If streaming via TV is most important, place your modem near your TV.
  • If Wi-Fi coverage in the home is most important to you (including streaming video in all parts of your home), place your modem in a central location or by your TV with an additional mesh Wi-Fi system.

Best placement:

Best for general Wi-Fi coverage in the home

NF18 2.4Ghz

clipboard_5494d1ec-27d4-4620-95c9-d1af582678e2.png

Poor placement:

Place your modem somewhere near the centre of your house to get the best coverage

NF18 2.4Ghz

clipboard_b0905036-907e-4000-857f-c2c780d0d65a.png

Best placement:

Best for general Wi-Fi coverage in the home

NF18 5Ghz

clipboard_81b99e17-3995-4b8c-aad3-82d793294330.png

Poor placement:

Don’t keep your modem in a cupboard as the walls can block some of your router’s signal

NF18 5Ghz

clipboard_38e7c631-5104-4b0d-8824-1f776978e177.png

Images are indicative of possible coverage with our NF18 Modem, but results within your own home may vary.

Still can't get a signal in every room?

While changing the positioning of your router can improve performance in certain environments, you will probably still have ‘dead zones’ in other rooms.

A single wireless access point will struggle to spread a strong signals to every room in the home, because of several factors such as the layout of your house, solid building materials, metal appliances, and interference from competing Wi-Fi networks.

You can see the limitations of Wi-Fi in your own home by walking around and measuring signal strength with apps like Wi-Fi Strength Meter or Wi-Fi Sweetspots.

Generally, the best solution to the poor range is to introduce more wireless access points.

A mesh network is the best solution for full wireless coverage. Mesh networks work independently from your current modem and use multiple Wi-Fi points to spread a strong signal to every room. Get in touch with us to discuss options!