Router Antenna Positions - What You're Doing Wrong
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video, I detail how to position the antennas of a router to optimize the WiFi signal strength in a home or office.
For more content on similar topics, check out my TH-cam channel: / @network-from-home
0:00 Introduction
1:35 How do router antennas work?
3:45 How you should configure your router’s antennas
8:25 How to measure the WiFi signal from your antennas
9:39 Summary and conclusion
How to position your router’s antennas
When it comes to your router’s antennas, it’s important to understand a few key concepts:
-Your routers are omnidirectional, meaning the wireless signal from your router is broadcast in all directions with an equal amount of signal strength
-The wireless signal is broadcast from your router’s antennas in a direction that’s perpendicular to the alignment of the antenna. In other words, if a router is aligned vertically, it’ll broadcast its wireless signal on a horizontal plane. If an antenna is aligned horizontally, it’ll broadcast its wireless signal in a vertical plane
Understanding the basics of how a router’s antennas work will allow you to position the antennas in a configuration that maximizes the wireless signal in your home. With that said, everyone may have a slightly different antenna configuration based upon the patterns of internet usage in the home.
Conclusion
If you have any questions about how to orient your router’s antennas, or you’d like to share your experiences with the WiFi signal in your home, please leave a comment below.
Good information but had to watch the video at 1.5x speed.
@dolan-duk thank you for the feedback, I really appreciate it!
Thanks for suggesting the speed😂
Once I saw ur comment I did the same. Thanks for saving me some time.
Wrong 1.75... Got the best results.
@@geogmz8277 technically no one was wrong, people just listen and register things at different speeds. Some people might not want the info so fast. Me personally I'd say 2.0 would be the best speed.
Thank you for your explanation.
You're welcome! Thanks for checking out the video
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I was having horrible Bluetooth range issues with the wifi/bluetooth card in my desktop computer so I decided to just try the angling the antenna towards specific areas of my home since I figured it might work in a similar way. Turns out it works amazing now, I can walk all the way to the kitchen while still having my Bluetooth headphones stay connected when before it would disconnect!
I'm glad this helped. Thank you for checking out the video!
@network-from-home bro to get best signal in corner of the room
Great explanation! Thank you...
You're welcome!
Great video.
@binglassiter1732 thank you for checking out the video!
Thank you so much. Just learnt that trick now. Too good!
I'm glad you found it useful!
Thank you thats great but i have a question..
Ihave a poor coverage in my apartment and my router goes from 0.5mbs to 600mbs!! Because i live kinda in the border of the 5G tower..so which cheap router option with high catching signal do you offer?
I even don’t know how to measure and compare different routers in catching signals and I prefer to change router instead of trying antennas
@l3zoxl thanks for reaching out. One thing I want to make clear is that a 5g cellular tower shouldn't have any impact on your internet connection. It sounds like you may just want to adjust the antennas on your router to ensure the areas in your home where you access the internet get a strong internet signal. Another option you might want to look at here is a mesh WiFi router. These routers allow you to place multiple router endpoints throughout your home to ensure you get a strong WiFi signal everywhere. I hope this helps!
Have learned alot from you info I didn't know thanks ☺️
Thank you for checking out the video!
"what your going to need to learn first" just tell me what I need to know. "I'm gonna get into that" stop announcing what you're going to do in a 3 minute fucking video and literally JUST GET INTO IT. total waste of time.
Is the signal from the antenna polarized? If so, that would play into decisions about orientation.
@brucefay5126 yes, the signal on most WiFi antennas is linearly polarized, which is why the signals come out horizontally from the length of the antenna.
- Consumer grade wifi antennas are 1.3~1.5 db, which means the transmission profile is spherical in nature and has a range of approximately 100~150 feet. Changing the antennas to a 10 db gives a transmission profile resembling a donut with a range of 1000~1200 feet. The higher the db value of wifi antenna the more directional the transmission profile becomes. Routers with built in antennas do not allow antenna switching. If your wifi setup is experiencing dead zones then bridge a secondary router connected via a cat5 or better ethernet cable between each router and placing them at different placements to enhance the overall wifi signal.
@johnqpublic6228 this is good information!
What about a device that works via wifi? I bought a wifi security camera, and I mounted it in a pole outside my house. Do you have any advice for how should I position the two antennas in the camera for optimal signal?
@User-jr7vf great question. The rules that apply to your router are the same ones I would apply to your camera. I would position the antennas on your camera so that they are perpendicular to the direction of your router. You need to ensure the camera gets a good WiFi signal, and aligning the antennas this way should do the trick (as long as it is within range of your router's WiFi signal).
I've repaired a few or so wireless security cameras. All of them I've looked at only have on real antenna and one fake antenna. Which one is real or not can sometimes be seen from the back.
interesting thank u
You're welcome!
So, does each antenna send and receive? Or is there a separate send antenna and a separate receive antenna?
@Boobtube. yes, each router antenna will send and receive data
Useful subject! I'm trying to improve the signal to downstairs, the router being upstairs; it's a wifi6 xr1000 gaming router. I'm using a signal analyzer on my cell, and I'm not seeing much of a difference moving the antennas. It's a good 5Ghz signal for streaming, but not as strong as I would like. I'm getting a good workout running up and down the stairs, however :P
@jamcdona if moving the antennas does not give you a great boost when it comes to your WiFi signal, you may want to look into moving your router (if possible). With that said, it sounds like you are still getting adequate signal with your router where it is. You might not want to mess with it too much!
I would like to update that I hit the reset button, then installed an update, and now it's working well. I think that it had a botched update last summer and I just got it working enough to limp along by powering it off and on. A lot. LOL. The biggest gain was from my work laptop with a wifi 6E card...I'm ordering one for my home laptop now...thanks again for your videos.@@network-from-home
You want your antennas straight up. Practically any router in the last few years has some form of beamforming. It will direct the signal towards the device sending/receiving data. I've tested this several times and ALWAYS, ALWAYS having all 4x antennas straight up gave me the best signal at the longest ranges.
It's good that they CAN move because you may want to mount your router onto a wall.
Awsome😊😊
Thank you for checking out the video!
Set up a mesh network?🤷♂
@lightingnut that is certainly an option for those with large houses or houses with multiple stories!
Is using 2 antenna instead of one is better ?
2 antennas is probably preferred because it allows you to aim the WiFi signals that are broadcast from your router. In other words, a 2 antenna router is more customizable to your unique home network
What are the benefits of having a tri-band home mesh system vs. a single?
@leticiawatson3707 the benefit of a tri-band system compared to a single band system is that you can provide faster wireless connections to devices that have higher bandwidth needs. A single band router most likely only provides a 2.4GHz WiFi signal, which is slower (but provides a stronger signal over longer distances) when compared to a 5 GHz WiFi signal. With that said, you get the best of both worlds with a tri-band router because you have 2.5 GHz and 5 GHz wireless networks for your devices to connect to. I hope this helps!
That's like my router!
What do you do if your antennas are internal? Do you lay down your router?
@bookbabe1988 if your router antennas are internal, they're usually designed to broadcast WiFi signals equally in all directions. If you place the router upright so it is standing on its base, you should be in good shape!
Does it improve 5ghz wifi channel..
@naturespeaks007 yes, changing your WiFi antenna positions will change the 5GHz WiFi signal in your home. Both 2GHz and 5GHz WiFi broadcasts will change. Please let me know if you have any more questions
Also had to run at 1.5x for this seem like a normal video
This is actually crazy, I got tired or horrible internet and now I’m swimming in it, I live literally right next to it 💀
You're sure to have a good WiFi signal if you are close to your router!
I watched your video.
Set up my router exactly how you explained.
My signal to every corner of my house improved at least 40%. (Prev : 40%, Now : 80%)
My PC is now gaining sufficient signal even for 5 Ghz band, and I'm getting 99.99% speed and connectivity of my connection plan.
Now I came here to type this comment. 5:23 5:25 5:25 5:26 5:27
@srj0222jannat I'm glad you found this video useful. Thank you for checking it out!
Too much yapping
Use mesh routers they are better at spreading signal that the normal routers
@Mitche23 mesh routers are definitely a good alternative if you have a large home or multiple levels
Ok your on a 3 level house in basementbyes butbthem antennals are not yagis so your just messing with polarisation adjust naybe but sont furget 2.4ghz and 5ghz get greatlybdiminished by walls. Somebof its rogth but 45 degrees your wasting power heatingbroof
Or you can just go to Google and type speed test after changing the angles
@trueNeogenian using a speed test might be less reliable because there could be other factors at play that are affecting your WiFi speed (time of day, current strain on the internet service provider in the area, etc. The strength of signal is the best indicator when it comes to maximizing the WiFi signal that your device is getting.
Nah you want to use a wi-fi analyzer that tells you the signal strength in -db.
Could have been explained in half the time. 👍
Signals are sent out the broad side of the antenna, not the tip. Angle it so the broad side of the antenna is aimed in the direction you need wifi. For most people, that'll be straight up and down just like the click bait thumbnail is claiming to be incorrect. Saved you 10 long minutes of wasted time. Dislike.
"You're doing it wrong... if you live on a one level home you're probably fine."
@MattyCakes54 I agree that for most people living in a one level home, router antennas that are vertical is most likely the optimal position
How to make this video insanely funny? Imagine he is talking to a girl.
@musthavechannel5262 to your point, this was not a topic I discussed when I met my wife haha
Absolute nonsense, just tried it to prove your theory incorrect.
With antennas all upright I get -53dB on s laptop and phone 2 floors away. With them angled and even at random positions it goes to -68dB, so moving the aerials to vertical as they should be gives me a 100+ times stronger signal.
@oh2023-cj9if thank you for the feedback. In my video, I can't guarantee that everyone's WiFi signal strength will improve by changing the antenna positions; the construction and layout of your home (and the items in it) can all have an affect on the signal strength. This video was simply meant to provide an overview of how WiFi antennas work, and to provide some basic troubleshooting steps if someone is experiencing a poor WiFi signal. I will also add that both -53dB and -68dB are considered very good WiFi signals, at least by some standards: www.metageek.com/training/resources/wifi-signal-strength-basics/. Thanks again!
All talk, no proof. I've tested this myself and found that straight up is best. It was on a DIR-870 with 2x in the back and 2x on the sides. Didn't matter how many I tilted and which way they pointed... straight up was best.
So, you need to prove what you're saying instead of just saying it, imo.
🙄
What if you live in the first floor of my car
Suggestion here: Please leave radio and antenna theory for those been doing it for a long time. There are too many variables for a youtube video to cover. Three story building, I would not be using a single access point.
Thank you for saying what I was thinking.
How about voicing your opinion without being mean? It's so easy to be mean with someone, but takes a lot to be someone without being mean
@@dascon Happy now, sorry if I don't have the patients for dealing with the plethora of touchy-feely PC loving twats. What is not needed is people putting up videos with bad advice.
@@dascon My sincere apologies if I had hurt anybodies feelings. Best wishes that the day will be brighter for all of us.
Talk too much …. Straight and direct… thx.
@atmyip1 thank you for the feedback
@@network-from-homeThe Video Is Great 😃👍 You Did Timestamps That's Awesome Thank You And Continue Sharing Knowledge 🌟
@@KT-sv6jx Thank you for checking out the video!
Is there a reason why you did not look at the camera lens but at a monitor instead? The whole thing looks weird. If you are speaking to us out here, you should be looking at the camera. Eye to eye contact. For a tech guy, you should know better.
This is good feedback. Thank you @barryhutchinson3977. This is something I have worked to correct in my more recent videos.
Worst 10 minutes spended of my life.
Soooo long!!
Step one, throw consumer junk out. Step 2, buy prosumer stuff like a Uqiquity, TP-Link access points or mesh systems. Far better, perfect coverage, advanced features and it's not built to a cost point meaning you get far better signal and less nonsense.
That is a valid strategy as well!
too much side talk and over elaboration,
other wise, great content (when you reach it)
@BLADEMANDAD thank you for the feedback