Where to Put Your Wi-Fi Router (and Mesh Nodes) for Better Coverage

Full bars on the couch. One bar in the back bedroom, though the box promised "whole-home coverage, dual-band nodes, wireless backhaul."

Here's what those words mean, and where each node actually goes. Brick walls and stairs included.

The words on the box, translated

• Dead zone: a spot where the signal is too weak to use. It shows you the problem. It is not where the node goes.
• 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz: the two radio bands most routers use. 2.4 reaches farther through walls and floors. 5 is faster but shorter. Netgear says 5 GHz gear has to sit fairly close to where you need it.
• Backhaul: the link between nodes. Wireless backhaul means they talk over Wi-Fi. Ethernet backhaul means a cable does it, so the nodes stop spending their own airtime relaying traffic and your devices get that airtime back.
• Line of sight: a clear path between two nodes. Fewer walls in the way, stronger link.
• MoCA: networking over the coax cable already in your walls. The old TV jack. It can carry the backhaul.

Signal or sales talk

Words that change placement: backhaul, band, dead zone. Words that change nothing: "whole-home," "blanket." Promises, not measurements.

False friends

Node, point, satellite. Same box. Google says point. TP-Link says satellite.

The word that oversells

"Coverage up to" a big square-foot number. Google says thick concrete or brick walls affect Wi-Fi performance. TP-Link says Deco range has no fixed distance. Ignore the square feet. Follow the spacing rules.

Where the nodes go

Hidden tip 1: put the node halfway between the router and the dead zone. Not in it. eero says a node there picks up a strong signal and passes it on.

Hidden tip 2: in a brick house, set nodes near doorways. eero says brick, stone and metal are hard for Wi-Fi, and wood is easier to get through. My 1950s brick bungalow agrees.

Best of all: a cable. If you can run Ethernet between nodes, run it. TP-Link says wired units can sit farther apart. No cable? Check for coax jacks in the right rooms. MoCA can use them.

Cheat sheet: mesh node placement

Learn five words, ignore two, and the box gets a lot quieter.