How Should Wi-Fi Antennas Be Positioned?
When positioning router antennas, there is a simple method and a complex one. The approach to each is a little different.
The Simple Method for Positioning Router Antennas
The simple method follows a pattern that works in most situations. It works best if you want good performance but don’t care about getting the best performance.
If your Wi-Fi router has feet, set the router on them and not on its side. If the router has feet on more than one side, you can choose either position. Kittichai Boonpong/ Getty Images Locate your router’s antennas. If you can’t find any external antennas, your router has only internal ones. Pea San Ratn Dilk/ Getty Images If you want coverage for only one floor, position some vertically and some horizontally. Vladimir Nenov/ Getty Images Manufacturers typically recommend that all antennas point straight up, but Wi-Fi works fastest when the router antenna and the device antenna are positioned the same way. Laptops tend to be horizontal, but the antenna positions for phones and tablets depend on how you hold them. For coverage on more than one floor, most manufacturers recommend positioning your Wi-Fi antennas at different angles, depending on how many your router has. Eshma/ Getty Images Two antennas: Both pointing straight up or one pointing up and one to the sideThree antennas: Middle straight up and the sides ones at a 45-degree angleFour antennas: Two straight up and two at 45-degree angles in opposite directions
The Complex Method for Positioning Router Antennas
If you want to get the best performance out of your router, you’ll need to do some testing because every Wi-Fi setup varies. To begin, you’ll need a method to measure your signal strength on your computer, tablet, or phone. Once you have a way to record signal strength, you can test different positions for your antennas.
Manufacturers typically recommend that all antennas point straight up, but Wi-Fi works fastest when the router antenna and the device antenna are positioned the same way. Laptops tend to be horizontal, but the antenna positions for phones and tablets depend on how you hold them.
Two antennas: Both pointing straight up or one pointing up and one to the sideThree antennas: Middle straight up and the sides ones at a 45-degree angleFour antennas: Two straight up and two at 45-degree angles in opposite directions
After initial setup, measure your Wi-Fi signal strength in various positions throughout your coverage area. Begin with your manufacturer’s recommended positioning. Note the signal strength and speed in various locations in your coverage area. There are many ways to view your Wi-Fi signal strength and speed. macOS makes it easy right on the desktop. Hold command + option and click the Wi-Fi symbol in the upper right corner. Look at the RSSI and the Tx rate. The lower the RSSI, the better, and the higher the Tx, the better. Reposition your antennas and test again until you have the optimum setup for you.
Do the Antennas on Routers Do Anything?
A Wi-Fi router’s antennas are more than just decoration. Home Wi-Fi routers typically have two types of antennas, internal or external antennas. Internal antennas are inside your Wi-Fi router, and they typically broadcast signals in every direction. Manufacturers design their position to optimize signal coverage, so you don’t have to worry about it.
There are many ways to view your Wi-Fi signal strength and speed.
macOS makes it easy right on the desktop. Hold command + option and click the Wi-Fi symbol in the upper right corner. Look at the RSSI and the Tx rate. The lower the RSSI, the better, and the higher the Tx, the better.
External antennas are the moveable antennas you’re likely to see on a router. Manufacturers can design them to stick out the back, sides, or even surrounding the whole router. These antennas broadcast Wi-Fi signals in a donut pattern, sideways from the antenna. So, an antenna pointed straight up will broadcast a signal sideways, expanding as it goes. An antenna pointed to the side will broadcast one up and down.
