Can You Plug A Router Anywhere?(Near TV, Upstair, Downstair)


can you put a wifi router anywhere

Routers are convenient because they can provide internet access to every room in your home. But what if the signal is weak in some places? What if you want to move the router closer to the bedroom or the kitchen? Is that possible?.

Can You Plug A Router Anywhere?

You cannot plug a router into any random port or socket you find. Additionally, you can’t just move the router to any room you want. A router works with a modem. You have to plug the modem into the router’s WAN port using an ethernet cable.

Routers have multiple ethernet ports. However, most of them are LAN ports. The WAN port stands out because it has a different color. The WAN port is yellow. Running a cable from the modem to the router’s ethernet port will give the router access to the internet.

Between the router and the modem, it is more important to move the router because it affects the strength of the signal. However, in many cases, moving the router also means moving the modem because the two are connected.

In other words, it isn’t a question of whether or not you can move the router but, instead, whether or not you can move the modem.

If the modem can move, the router can move as well.

If the modem can’t move, you have to get creative. Your final decision will depend on the following:

1). Proper Connectivity

From what Life Wire has seen, a modem needs a phone jack or cable connection to work. You can only move the modem to a new location if your destination has the proper link.

If you have cable connectors and phone jacks in just one room, you can’t move the modem to another location.

2). Relevant Jack

Moving the router to a new location is only problematic if you have a separate modem. But some people use devices that combine routers and modems.

You can move these devices to any location in the house that has the relevant jack.

3). Get Long Cable

If you cannot move the modem, the most obvious solution is to get a long cable that can run from the modem in one room to the router in another room.

4). Use Alternatives

  • Switch – Leave the router where it was initially installed. Instead, buy a network switch and place it in the new location. Run an ethernet cable to the network switch to give it internet access. Network switches have multiple ports. You can give your devices a wired connection by connecting them to one of these ports.
  • Access Point –You can use an ethernet cable to connect the router to a wireless access point, creating a wireless LAN. Take the access point to different rooms to extend the router’s reach.
  • Adapters – You can use a powerline adaptor to get internet from a wall socket. Other hardware solutions to this issue include range extenders and mesh systems.

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What Is The Best Place To Plug Router?

  • Keep the router in a central location, a place within reach of all the devices that require internet. Routers are designed to broadcast signals outward in all directions.
  • Try to keep the router within your computer’s line of sight or any other device that uses the internet. The signal is strongest when the device in question is within the router’s line of sight.
  • Avoid obstructions like walls and furniture. Radio waves can pass through the walls to reach your computer. But those obstructions reduce the strength of the signal, which in turn affects the quality of your connection.
  • Where possible, keep the device out in the open. If your home has too many obstructions, raise the router. Place it at a high point such as the ceiling or a bookshelf.
  • You should know that the position of the antennas affects the Wi-Fi signal. For instance, pointing the antennas straight up will not send the Wi-Fi signal upwardas people expect.
  • Instead, the router will broadcast the signal laterally across the room. The position of the antennas should suit the location of the devices using the internet.
  • Where possible, keep the modem and router separate because this allows you to move the router from room to room depending on where you want the signal.

Is It Ok To Put Router Near TV?

Don’t put routers near appliances such as TVs and microwaves. First of all, if the router is behind the TV, the tv will act as a barrier that obstructs the router’s signals. Secondly, electrical devices like TVs can interfere with the router’s signal.

I suggest keeping routers at least six feet away from the TV.

Is It Ok To Put Router In Basement?

The basement is a poor location for a router because the walls will absorb the signal. Additionally, unless your internet device is located in the basement, placing the router in the basement increases the distance between the Wi-Fi signal and the devices it will serve.

If you want to keep the router in the basement, position it at the center, away from the walls. Better yet, elevate it on a table or shelf at the center.

Should I Put the Router Upstairs or Downstairs?

Wireless signals are strongest below the router. Therefore, if you have to choose between upstairs and downstairs, upstairs is the best option.

If you want to put the router downstairs, choose an elevated position. Radio waves radiate in a bubble, which is why you have to put the router in a central location.

A central location gives you greater coverage. To get the strongest signal in a two-story house, you should put the router near the ceiling, if not on the ceiling itself. This allows the radius of the router’s signal to encompass devices upstairs and downstairs.

Keep the router away from any walls you share with a neighbor. Otherwise, the Wi-Fi signal will spill into your neighbor’s home, giving them access to your internet.

Why Plugging A Router Location Matters?

The location of the route matters because it affects the reach of the Wi-Fi signal. If the router is far from your computer, the signal quality will deteriorate. The barriers will weaken the signal if the router is hidden behind an obstacle.

If the router is next to appliances like microwaves, the appliance’s operations may compromise the router’s performance. As you can see, router placement in your home is critical.

If your laptop has a poor connection, don’t be so quick to call your service provider. In some cases, moving the router to a different location is enough to solve your problems

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