Where to put your router for the best Wi-Fi

The best spot

• Central in the home, so the signal reaches every room.
• High up, like on a shelf. Wi-Fi spreads out and slightly downward.
• In the open, not inside a TV cabinet, closet or drawer.

Things that block Wi-Fi

• Metal: appliances, filing cabinets, large mirrors
• Water: fish tanks, water heaters
• Concrete, brick and basement floors
• Microwaves and some baby monitors

If your modem is stuck in a corner

Your internet line may come in at the edge of the house. You can run a network cable to a router in a better spot, or use mesh Wi-Fi to spread the signal.

Antennas

If your router has antennas, point some straight up and some sideways. That covers other floors as well as the same floor.