A router on the floor sends most of its signal into the ground. Place it on a high shelf, bookcase, or wall mount at chest to head height (4-5 feet). Most routers with vertical antennas radiate in a horizontal donut shape, strong signal travels sideways, while the area directly above and below receives weaker coverage. But your home devices — like your laptop, smartphone and smart TV — can't interpret light signals. It converts those light signals into the digital data your devices can. It receives data from your ISP through a physical connection, such as a coaxial cable or fiber optic cable, and converts it into a digital signal that your devices can understand. In essence, the modem acts as a translator, allowing your devices to communicate with the internet. Where should you put your router? The absolute best place to put your router is both directly next to your master socket or optical network terminal (ONT) and directly next to the system that you want to connect. Here's the quick answer: Place your router in a central, unobstructed location.
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