best location to put wireless router

xyz123

Hi - Getting a new BT line installed in couple of weeks. Was thinking about what is the best place to put the main socket so i can connect my router to it. Any ideas? I only have a standard G router, may consider upgrading to N router if it really makes a difference.

Its a standard house with conservatory on ground floor and bedrooms upstairs. Am trying to get broadband in all rooms. My initial thought was to put it in hallway to get some coverage upstairs as well as downstairs. Cheers

penrhyn

I'd agree with that, you'll need a convenient mains socket, and have the router as high up as practical. Persuade the BT man to fit a pre filtered master socket. I had Openreach the other week and they replaced my old master socket, and fitted a VDSL faceplate adapter like the one shown below ( mine was Openreach branded.)

http://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/btvdslfaceplate.html

It eliminates the need for microfilters all over the place.

Yoingco

Hi xyz123,

The question should not be where to put the socket, for the sake of positioning the router, simply because even if you place your router in the center of the house (recommended in general) so that any room in your house can, in theory, receive a fair share of the wireless signal; the first thing you need to do is identify where the strongest wireless signal point is in your house.

In other words, it is no good putting the socket in the living room for example, thinking that is the room where everyone will be using their computer and telephone for example, if that living room gives out a poor wireless signal.

If you have a laptop with wireless support built-in, or a payg dongle for example, it is worth going around your house tracking (listing) wireless signals (in the neighbourhood) to see which rooms have a poor reception (weak wireless signal) due to their metal objects (i.e. fridge, microwave, etc), thick walls, interference from the neighbour's wireless signal, antennas and so on.

To some degree the above scenario is not too much of a problem these days due to technologies such as HomePlugs, Wireless Access Points and Cordless Phones.

inSSIDer is a tool you can use for wireless signal detection - It's for Windows:

metageek.net/products/inssider/

Regards

John

xyz123

Yoingco wrote: »

Hi xyz123,

The question should not be where to put the socket, for the sake of positioning the router, simply because even if you place your router in the center of the house (recommended in general) so that any room in your house can, in theory, receive a fair share of the wireless signal; the first thing you need to do is identify where the strongest wireless signal point is in your house.

In other words, it is no good putting the socket in the living room for example, thinking that is the room where everyone will be using their computer and telephone for example, if that living room gives out a poor wireless signal.

If you have a laptop with wireless support built-in, or a payg dongle for example, it is worth going around your house tracking (listing) wireless signals (in the neighbourhood) to see which rooms have a poor reception (weak wireless signal) due to their metal objects (i.e. fridge, microwave, etc), thick walls, interference from the neighbour's wireless signal, antennas and so on.

To some degree the above scenario is not too much of a problem these days due to technologies such as HomePlugs, Wireless Access Points and Cordless Phones.

inSSIDer is a tool you can use for wireless signal detection - It's for Windows:

metageek.net/products/inssider/

Regards

John

thanks for detailed reply. We have not yet moved into that house so cant really check for strong signal. currently live in a flat so no current experience to base it on.

The reason for relating main socket to router location is that my understanding is the best connection for broadband is at the main socket as opposed to any other sockets which are wired (DIY) from the main socket.

penrhyn

Indeed which is why I suggest you get BT to fit a prefiltered master socket, assuming there is no existing socket.

Yoingco

Hi xyz123,

While you are quite right in your thinking, and penrhyn's advice is spot on, I would still consider getting the best signaled room fitted with that bt mains for the sake of the router and the reasons I have pointed out. Having the bt mains and router in the hallway for example will probably mean the router isn't in the center of the house? and/or in the best location of the house? Furthermore, consider other broadband technolgies/gadgets that you might want to add to the back of the router in the future. Will they be reachable? Or will you need long ethernet cables? Also try and test the house, or at least ask about its electric circuits, with regards to maybe having homeplugs and/or access points fitted. Access points and homeplugs can elimate some common wireless signal/broadband connection problems in general.

Regards

John

spud75

if it were me, I would put it near the TV outlet because as things move on like Internet TV, Internet Set Top boxes etc you'll want to cable certain devices like your TV and some devices like set top boxes will need to be near the telly so you can connect the HDMI leads etc.

So nothing to do with wireless signal etc, just having all your wired devices near the router, the last thing you want is to have a cable running to your TV from half way across the room. Sure the TV might have wireless etc but at some point you'll maybe want to cable it for speed and stability... just my 2p worth

penrhyn

spud75 wrote: »

if it were me, I would put it near the TV outlet because as things move on like Internet TV, Internet Set Top boxes etc you'll want to cable certain devices like your TV and some devices like set top boxes will need to be near the telly so you can connect the HDMI leads etc.

So nothing to do with wireless signal etc, just having all your wired devices near the router, the last thing you want is to have a cable running to your TV from half way across the room. Sure the TV might have wireless etc but at some point you'll maybe want to cable it for speed and stability... just my 2p worth

Thats what I've done, the router is under the TV and networked to the TV, Blu ray player and Sky + HD box. The desktop PC which is upstairs at the back of the house connects using a pair of homeplugs.
I can get wireless to the phone and laptop all over the house but its newish and the inside walls are all made of ticky tacky!

Pugwash69

In my house the wifi/router is near an external wall with the master socket. I ran a long length of cat5e cable to an 8-port switch behind the TV for the various networked devices like PS3, bluray and media player. I have another length of cat5e right to the other side of the house for a wifi access point and switch where all my office gear is. For upstairs I have a homeplug between the TV switch and a bedroom with a combined homeplug/wifi adapter. I have quite a long garden so ran an armoured cat5e cable around the garden to another wifi access point in the summerhouse.

Best wait until you move in, but in a 1940's house like mine the walls are thick and really affect signal.

deedee71

The advice I got from BT was the router should be positioned where the BT line comes into the house.

And also it should never be placed anywhere near the sky box as that can interfere with the signal.

That said BT advice is often carp :cool:.

penrhyn

Cordless DECT phones will interfere so their base stations should be kept away from the router.
I can only report that my Sky+HD box is about a foot away from the Sky F@ST n router and both seem to co exist happily.

I'm out the back atm and pulling 5bars on the wireless.