Maintenance procedure · Written to ASD-STE100 Issue 9 · Formatted to ANSI Z535

Where to Put Your WiFi Router — and Where Not To

Measure the coverage you have, move the router once, then prove the move helped. For any home router, with or without visible aerials.
ApplicabilityAny home wifi router or combined modem-router, with external aerials or with the aerials inside the case. Written from the placement guidance published by Apple, Microsoft and TP-Link and read on 2026-07-29. The height and aerial-angle figures are TP-Link's; Microsoft gives the same directions without numbers.
Task time1 hr 6 min to 1 hr 43 min editorial estimate, not a measurement
PersonnelOne
Revisionv1 · 2026-07-29
BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.

Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.

Summary

Most home routers end up wherever the cable comes into the house, which is almost always a corner, and almost always the worst place in the building for it. Moving it is the cheapest thing you can do to your network: no new hardware, no settings to change, no subscription. But it is worth doing once and doing properly, because a move that helps the back bedroom can quietly ruin the kitchen, and without a before-and-after you will never know which happened.

So this page is a measure, move, measure sequence. You take a speed reading in every room, pick the new spot against what Apple, Microsoft and TP-Link actually document about walls, metal and interference, move the router, set the aerials, then take the same readings again and compare. It tells you plainly what a move cannot do — it will not raise the speed your provider sells you — and it stops at wall mounting, which TP-Link's own support page advises against for some of its routers. There are no router settings to change here and no admin password needed.

Safety

NOTICE

MEASURE THE NETWORK IN EACH ROOM BEFORE YOU MOVE THE ROUTER.
Without a first measurement you cannot know the effect of the move.

Necessary equipment

ItemNote
A phone, tablet or laptop with wifiUse the same device for each speed test. A different device gives a different result.
A speed test app or websiteUse the same speed test for each measurement.
Pen and paperDraw a plan of the home. Write each result on it.
Tape measureMeasure the distance from the modem to each possible position.
Longer network cable optionalOptional. A longer cable lets the router go in a better position.

Make a record of the coverage now

Estimated 14 min to 26 min

NOTEThis record is the only way to know the effect of the move. Do not omit it.
  1. Do a speed test in each room of the home.
    • Use the same device and the same speed test each time.
    • Include the rooms where the network is good.
    8m
  2. Draw a plan of the home on one sheet.
    • Mark the position of the router.
    • Mark the position of the modem.
    • Write the speed test result in each room.
    5m
  3. Mark the rooms that need better coverage.
    • These rooms are the target of the move.
    2m

Choose the new position

Estimated 16 min to 23 min

NOTEApple, Microsoft and TP-Link give each rule in this section. This site did no test of its own.
Position of the router in the home
Manufacturer or standard verified
AS NEAR AS POSSIBLE TO THE CENTRE OF THE AREA THAT NEEDS COVERAGE

Source: TP-Link Router Antenna Position and Placement Guide: 6 Tips for Better Wi-Fi · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29

Height that TP-Link gives for a router
Manufacturer or standard verified
1 to 1.5 ft

Source: TP-Link Router Antenna Position and Placement Guide: 6 Tips for Better Wi-Fi · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29

Wall mount for a router with fixed antennas
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT THE DOCUMENTATION FOR YOUR OWN ROUTER MODEL BEFORE YOU MOUNT IT ON A WALL

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Find the point nearest to the centre of the area that needs coverage.
    • TP-Link tells you to keep the router as near to the centre as possible.
    • Microsoft tells you to move the access point towards the middle of the home.
    3m
  2. Do not select a position against an outside wall.
    • TP-Link says that an outside wall makes the signal much weaker on the other side of the home.
    <1m
  3. Do not select a corner or a position below a desk.
    • Microsoft names these two positions as a cause of low signal strength.
    <1m
  4. Do not select a position in a cabinet.
    • TP-Link says that a cabinet blocks the signal and decreases the coverage.
    <1m
  5. Do not select a position near a large metal object.
    • Apple puts metal at the top of its list of obstructions.
    • Microsoft gives a metal cabinet as an example.
    1m
  6. Do not select a position near a microwave oven or a cordless telephone.
    • TP-Link also names a television and a monitor.
    • Apple also names a fluorescent light and a wireless video camera.
    1m
  7. Do not select a position in direct sunlight.
    • TP-Link says that long exposure to direct sunlight can cause damage to the router.
    <1m
  8. Count the walls between the new position and each room that needs coverage.
    • TP-Link says that each wall and each ceiling makes the signal weaker.
    • A concrete wall has a large effect.
    • Select the position with the fewest walls to those rooms.
    4m
  9. Select a shelf or a table at the new position.
    • Keep the router above the level of the floor.
    • TP-Link gives approximately 1 to 1.5 feet as an improvement.
    • Microsoft says only to put the access point higher if possible.
    2m
  10. Measure the distance from the modem to the new position.
    • The network cable and the power cable must reach the new position.
    • If the cables are too short, select a nearer position or get a longer network cable.
    3m

Move the router

Estimated 14 min to 20 min

  1. Make a record of each cable and its socket on the router.
    • A photograph of the back of the router is sufficient.
    2m
NOTICE

TELL THE OTHER PERSONS IN THE HOME BEFORE YOU DISCONNECT THE ROUTER.
The move stops the network for all the devices in the home.

NOTICE

MAKE A RECORD OF EACH CABLE AND ITS SOCKET FIRST.
The sockets on a router look the same and have different functions.

  1. Disconnect the power cable of the router from the wall socket.
    <1m
  2. Disconnect each other cable from the router.
    1m
NOTICE

DO NOT LET THE ROUTER FALL.
TP-Link says that a hit can cause damage to the router and can stop its operation.

  1. Move the router to the new position.
    • Hold the router with two hands.
    2m
  2. Connect each cable to the same socket on the router.
    • Use your record from the first step of this section.
    2m
WARNING

DO NOT PUT A CABLE ACROSS A WALKWAY OR A DOORWAY.
A person can trip on the cable and fall. A fall on a hard floor or on stairs can cause a serious injury.

  1. Put each cable along a wall or below a carpet.
    • Keep each cable away from a walkway and a doorway.
    3m
  2. Connect the power cable of the router to the wall socket.
    <1m
  3. Wait some minutes until the status lights show a ready condition.
    4m

Set the antennas

Estimated 3 min

Antenna position for coverage on one floor
Manufacturer or standard verified
VERTICAL

Source: How to Improve Your Wi-Fi Signal and Wireless Range · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29

Antenna angle for coverage on more than one floor
Manufacturer or standard verified
30 degrees

Source: How to Improve Your Wi-Fi Signal and Wireless Range · tier 1 · accessed 2026-07-29

  1. Examine the antennas of the router.
    • Some routers hold the antennas inside the case.
    • If your router has no external antenna, go to the next section.
    <1m
  2. If you need coverage on one floor only, set each antenna to the vertical position.
    • TP-Link says that the coverage is best on that level.
    1m
  3. If you need coverage on more floors, set each antenna to approximately 30 degrees.
    • TP-Link gives this angle as more effective for a home with more than one floor.
    1m
  4. Do not put a wireless device directly below the router.
    • TP-Link says that an antenna transmits weakly at its base.
    <1m

Prove the change

Estimated 18 min to 30 min

Speed your internet service is meant to give you
Unverified — do not rely on this value
CONSULT YOUR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER

No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.

  1. Do the same speed test in each room again.
    • Use the same device and the same speed test as before.
    8m
  2. Write each new result next to the first result for that room.
    2m
  3. Compare the two results for each room.
    • A higher result in the weak rooms shows a better position.
    • A lower result in a room that was good shows a worse position.
    3m
  4. If more rooms are worse than better, return the router to its first position.
    • Keep both sheets as the record of the two positions.
    5m

Terminology

This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.

router
Also called: wifi box, the wifi, wireless router, internet box, hub, access point
antenna
Also called: aerial, the sticky-up bit, wifi antenna, router aerial, external antenna
coverage
Also called: range, signal, reach, dead zone, black spot, no bars, wifi doesn't reach the bedroom
modem
Also called: cable box, broadband box, ONT, the box from the internet company, gateway
obstruction
Also called: blocker, thick wall, what blocks wifi, interference

When to use a professional

Stop at the router configuration page. This page moves the router. It changes no setting in the router, because the menus and their effects are different for each model. Apple tells you to use the configuration webpage or app from the router manufacturer. Apple also tells you to consult that manufacturer for details.

Stop before you mount the router on a wall. TP-Link does not recommend a wall mount for its AX11000. TP-Link gives the same advice for other products with fixed antennas. A wall mount decreases the signal in the horizontal direction. Read the documentation for your own model first.

Stop before you make a hole in a wall or a floor for a cable. That is work for a qualified person.

Stop if the router is the property of your internet service provider. Ask the provider before you move it. Ask the provider again if the coverage is still bad after the move.

Stop if the new position needs a new socket for the modem. Speak to your internet service provider.

Common questions

Where is the best place to put a wifi router?

As close as you can get it to the middle of the area you actually need covered, off the floor, out of a cupboard, and away from anything metal. TP-Link's support page says to keep the router as near to the centre of the room as possible and warns that an outside wall will weaken the signal badly on the far side of the house. Microsoft says the same thing in different words and adds that a corner or a spot under a desk reduces signal strength. Note the phrasing: the middle of the area you need covered, not the middle of the floor plan. If the loft is empty and the kitchen extension is where everyone sits, the geometric centre of the house is the wrong target.

Does putting the router higher up really make a difference?

Both manufacturers say yes, and only one of them puts a number on it. TP-Link says elevating the router to approximately 1 to 1.5 feet improves performance by aligning it with the horizontal plane of most devices, and recommends a table or shelf at a moderate height. Microsoft says only to move the access point higher if possible, with no figure at all. So the honest answer is: get it off the floor and onto furniture, and treat the exact height as guidance rather than a specification. This page publishes TP-Link's figure attributed to TP-Link, because it is theirs and not ours.

Which way should the aerials point?

TP-Link is specific about this on two separate support pages. For coverage on a single floor, stand the aerials vertically — that is where the strongest coverage on that level is. For a house where you need coverage upstairs and downstairs, angle them at about 30 degrees. TP-Link also notes that an aerial transmits weakly at its base, so a laptop sitting directly underneath the router can get a worse signal than one across the room. If your router keeps its aerials inside the case, there is nothing to adjust and the placement rules do all the work.

Can I hide the router in a cupboard or behind the TV?

Not without paying for it. TP-Link says plainly that putting the router inside a cabinet blocks the signal and reduces overall coverage, and separately lists televisions among the high-powered appliances to keep it away from. Apple's interference ranking puts metal at the very top, above plaster, concrete and bulletproof glass, so a metal media cabinet is close to the worst case. If the router has to live in the living room, the top of a shelf beats the inside of a unit every time.

Will moving the router make my internet faster?

It can make your wifi faster in the rooms that were weak. It cannot make your internet service faster, because that is set by what you are paying for and by the line into the building. This is worth being clear about before you spend an afternoon on it: if a device plugged into the router with a cable is also slow, moving the router will change nothing at all, and the fault is upstream. Do the cable test first. The verify section of this page exists so that you find out either way instead of assuming.

Should I mount the router on the wall?

Check your model's own documentation before you do, because it is not universally a good idea. TP-Link's support page states that for the AX11000 and other products with fixed antennas, wall mounting is not recommended because it reduces signal transmission in the horizontal direction, and it warns that a knock to a wall-mounted unit can damage it. Some routers are designed for it and ship with keyholes and a template. This page deliberately does not instruct wall mounting for that reason — a shelf gets you nearly all of the benefit with none of the model-specific risk.

How do I know the move actually worked?

By having numbers from before it. Microsoft's guidance is explicit on this point: run a speed test in several places in your home and record the results before you change anything, then run the same tests again afterwards and compare. Without that, all you have is an impression, and impressions after an hour of effort are famously generous. Write both sets on the same sheet, room by room, and be prepared for the answer that one room got worse. That is a real result and it is why the last step here tells you how to undo the move.

Sources

Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.

  1. Tier 1TP-Link Router Antenna Position and Placement Guide: 6 Tips for Better Wi-FiTP-Link · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  2. Tier 1How to Improve Your Wi-Fi Signal and Wireless RangeTP-Link · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  3. Tier 1Wi-Fi and your home layoutMicrosoft · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  4. Tier 1Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interferenceApple · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25
  5. Tier 1Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access pointsApple · accessed 2026-07-29 · re-verification due 2027-01-25

Revision history

Current version 1 · updated 2026-07-29 · next review due 2027-07-29

  1. v1 · 2026-07-29First draft. Built from five tier-1 manufacturer documents read in full on 2026-07-29: TP-Link support pages 455 (last updated 26 May 2026) and 468 (last updated 17 April 2026), Microsoft's 'Wi-Fi and your home layout', and Apple's 'Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interference' and 'Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points'. Every placement rule in the choose section is attributed in its own substep to the manufacturer that publishes it; none is this site's own measurement. TP-Link is the only source that gives numbers for height and aerial angle, so those two specifications are attributed to TP-Link by name in the specification name itself rather than presented as general figures, and the FAQ says that Microsoft gives the same directions with no figures. DELIBERATE OMISSIONS: wall mounting is named in the professional boundary and in the FAQ but is never instructed, because TP-Link's own page says a wall mount is not recommended for its fixed-antenna products; no signal strength figure in dBm is published, for the reason recorded on mssupport-wifi-and-your-home-layout; and no router setting is changed anywhere on the page, because Apple's documentation routes the reader to the router manufacturer for that. The only WARNING on the page is the cable across a walkway, which is a hazard this page's own advice creates — 'move it towards the middle of the home' is exactly how a power cable ends up across a doorway. Verified specifications carry no spec_key: data/specs.json could not be written in this session because several agents were drafting at once, so the four verified values here must be registered centrally at merge time. Sources are staged in data/sources-additions-diagnose-slow-wifi.json, which is shared with the other two records drafted in this session and which records a NETGEAR knowledge-base placement article that returns HTTP 200 with a JavaScript redirect to an error page — a second manufacturer's placement guidance would have been valuable and none is published from NETGEAR as a result.

Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.

Comments and corrections

Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.

Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.

The comment system is not connected yet. Comments are stored in GitHub Discussions through Giscus, outside this site, so that a redeploy cannot destroy them.