Where to place wifi extender in 2 story house
If you are trying to improve the wifi signal in your home, you can do this by incorporating a wifi extender. Though this device is quite affordable, finding the right spot to place it is tricky, especially in huge areas such as a two-story house.
A traditional router may not be able to give such a big house enough wifi coverage. Getting a wifi extender can help you eliminate dead zones around a two-story building. You should place it on a high point, such as near the ceiling of the 1st floor. Try placing it on the floor of the 2nd floor. Ensure that the extender is halfway between your computer and router. It should also be within the range of the router. Learn more!
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Why a two-story house needs a wifi extender
Unlike a small home, a two-story house has more space. This makes it hard for a regular router to cover the entire house with wifi. If you are only using a router, you may experience some dead spots around areas such as the top floors or basement. You may not be able to stream movies in such areas. Getting a wifi extender can, however, help you fill those gaps since it takes the wifi signal and rebroadcasts it. Most people nowadays buy wifi extenders for their two-story houses since they enhance wifi coverage. Placing a wifi extender in the right position, however, takes time.
Find out how you should place a wifi extender in a two-story house
Create a floorplan of your home
The position at which you place the wifi extender can determine how much wifi signal you get. You should, therefore, try placing it at different places in your two-story house until you find the best spot. Come up with a floorplan of your home as you take note of the location of your router. Find out the specific areas in your home that have the weakest signal and also look at the AC outlets.
Identify the right location
To ensure that the two-story house receives a better wifi signal, you should focus on placing the wifi extender at high points. When you put it near the ceiling on the first floor, you can give your house more wifi coverage. You can also try placing it on the floor of the second floor. This can eliminate any dead spots that are usually common in upper floors of 2 story houses.
Once you have identified the right location, you should get a power outlet which is halfway between your router and the region where you would like the extender’s signal to go. You can then plug in the wifi extender and go through the instructions provided to link it with the router. When the wifi extender starts operating, check if the dead zones now have a strong wifi signal. You can do a speed test to assess the bandwidth. Also monitor the colors on the wifi extender to gauge the internet connection.
Here is a list of colors you should check and their meaning.
Colors on the extender |
Meaning |
Solid green |
This means that the connection between your extender and router is the best |
Solid amber |
Good connection |
Solid red |
Poor connection |
No color |
No connection |
Utilize an AC extension cord
If you are struggling to get the best location for the wifi extender, using an AC extension cord can help you determine where the wifi extender may work best. If your wifi extender comes with some adjustable antennas, try repositioning them to boost the wifi signal. Some of the wifi extenders even have antennas that can be removed. In this case, you can try swapping them to enhance their sensitivity. Some people also use a wifi reflector to enhance the signal in two-story buildings. You can easily make a wifi reflector using an empty can or aluminum foil. This can help direct the signal to specific locations in a two-story house.
Consider all the relevant factors
As you place a wifi extender in a two-story house, you should take into account certain crucial factors. For instance, focus on the extra height of your house and the materials used to make the ceilings and floors. Some of the materials used to make ceilings and floors of such houses include steel, plaster, and wood. Since building materials sometimes absorb the wifi signal, you can get better connectivity by moving the wifi extender close to your router. In a two-story house, you can boost the wifi signal by placing the extender and router below or above each other.
Avoid obstacles
As you look for the best location for your wifi extender, you should also try to avoid any obstacles, such as objects. Some objects, such as mirrors, tend to reflect the signal. You should also avoid things such as ovens, fridges, baby monitors, and cordless phones when placing a wifi extender in a two-story home. Placing the wifi extender away from such objects increases the chances of getting a strong signal throughout the home.
Consider getting app assistance
Every wifi extender has its own software that can help you optimize its position. If you are using a wifi extender for the first time, you can get assistance from the software to locate the best position to place the wifi extender. Alternatively, use a stand-alone app to analyze the wifi signal. The most common app that most internet users rely on is the Home Wifi alert. This can show you the internet speeds and your device’s signal strength.
Conclusion
A wifi extender is one of the solutions that can eliminate dead zones in a two-story house. Try looking for a higher position such as near the ceiling. The extender should also be at least halfway between your router and computer. Apart from this, pay attention to other factors that can affect the signal strength, such as obstacles.
FAQs
What if the wifi extender fails to boost my wifi signal in my big house?
Consider replacing your router with a mesh networking kit.
How do walls affect the wifi signal?
Walls in a two-story building tend to absorb some of the signals, making it impossible to receive excellent connectivity at certain points in the house.
