The expert told us where not to place a Wi-Fi router

In the warmer months, more and more people want to use Wi-Fi not only at home, but also outside — on the terrace, in the garden, or by the pool. But often, the signal simply doesn't reach the desired distance. As it turned out, the reason may be quite unexpected — the router is placed too close to household appliances that jam the signal.

It was reported by Express.

What prevents your Wi-Fi from working stably

Sam Jenkinson, an expert at Tiger Modular, explained that many common home appliances, including microwaves, televisions, cordless phones, baby monitors, and refrigerators, can block or absorb Wi-Fi signals. This is because they operate on the same frequencies as most home routers.

According to Jenkinson, you should also avoid placing your router near thick walls, metal surfaces, mirrors, and even aquariums — all of which either reflect or "suck in" the signal, reducing the coverage area. It's especially undesirable to hide your router in a closet or behind furniture, no matter how aesthetically pleasing it may seem. The best place for it is in the center of the house, on an elevated position, without obstacles, as a light source that should illuminate the entire room.

In addition, if your router is old, it may simply not be able to cover large areas. In this case, the expert advises updating the equipment — modern models have more powerful antennas and are able to transmit the signal further and more stably.

Another solution is to install Wi-Fi extenders or Mesh systems. The former pick up the signal from the router and transmit it further, while the latter create a single network of several devices that communicate with each other. Such systems are well-suited for small plots or houses where the distance to the garden is not too great.

However, if your garden is too far away or the signal is blocked by thick walls, even the best extenders won't help. In this case, you will have to look for other connection options, depending on the infrastructure.

As a reminder, even with a high-quality tariff and a properly installed Wi-Fi router, the Internet speed at home may leave much to be desired. The reason often lies in the fact that users don't use all the features of their network equipment, which means they lose the opportunity to easily improve the stability and speed of the connection.

We also wrote that iOS 19 will have a small but convenient update: login information for public Wi-Fi networks will now be automatically synced between all Apple devices. This means that after entering the information on one gadget, other devices will join the network without any additional actions.