It’s tempting to tuck your Wi-Fi router behind the couch, under a shelf or even inside a cabinet to keep it out of sight. After all, most routers aren’t exactly designed with aesthetics in mind.
But hiding your router in these spots can seriously interfere with its performance. Obstructing the signal with furniture, walls or enclosed spaces weakens your connection and slows down your internet – especially in rooms farther from the router. If you want fast, reliable Wi-Fi throughout your home, placement matters more than you think.
“The main factor you have to consider is that Wi-Fi travels very well over open air, and it travels very poorly through hard material,” said Julian, a technician with ThoseTechGuys in Renton, Washington. “The best place to put a router is centrally located out in the open away from any cabinets, kitchen, plumbing, walls, things like that.”
In general, you…
