16th May 2018

This Might Be the Best Placement for Your Router, According to Science

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We all want our Wi-Fi to work seamlessly, providing us with a strong, unwavering signal wherever in our house we may be. However, you might know from experience that this isn’t always the case. There are a variety of obstacles that can weaken or slow your Wi-Fi signal, and many of them are common household objects. There’s definitely an optimal place to put your wireless router, but where exactly is that?

A physicist named Jason Cole insists he has found an answer. Using scientific formulas, Cole deciphered the prime spot in his own premises for his router. Now he’s also created a mobile app that can do the same for you.

The Best Spot Without Science

If you haven’t got the time to get too science-y, the best place for your wireless router tends to be a central location in your home. It is recommended to place the router away from objects which can interfere with its signal, including fish tanks, microwaves, and more. If possible, avoid placing a router too closely to thick walls, and keep in mind that concrete walls, in particular, can be a barrier to signal strength.

To find the perfect place for your wireless router may require some trial and error. Once you’ve found the sweet spot, you can rest easy knowing you’ve got a strong signal in as much of the house as possible.

Now, for the Science

Don’t want to leave your signal strength to chance? You can either use a complicated physics formula, like Cole did, or give his app a try.

Cole used what is called the Helmholtz equation to measure the distribution of electromagnetic waves. The basic formula looks something like this:

Helmholtz equation

Using this, plus some other complex mathematics, Cole used a floor plan of his apartment in deducing the solution. As you might have guessed, science agrees with the “non-science-y” perspective, and finds that the middle of the home is the optimal placement for a wireless router.

Of course, in most homes, it may not be convenient or practical to place the router in such a location, so often, the next-best-spot will have to do.

If you’d like to use Cole’s science to figure out the prime router spot in your home, check out his Android app.

Where is the router located in your home?

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