Basement or Attic
TechieWannaBe
Enthusiast - Level 2

I know neither is ideal BUT...if you had to install the FiOS router in one of the two, which would be better in terms of wireless coverage?  I know walls etc. play a part but is it better for wireless signals to go up (basement) or down (attic)?  Wow, that sounds like a really dumb question...

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Re: Basement or Attic
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

Basement. The Attic and the Basement are the worst possible places to put a router for signal propagation (Wireless), however the Basement will stay at a temperature that will not cause the ActionTec/Westell to overheat, which they are will known to do if even oriented incorrectly in some environments.

Re: Basement or Attic
irbrenda
Contributor - Level 1

I have mine in the basement and the wireless actually reaches to the 3rd floor and to the tenant's apartment on the other side of my house above a garage.   I would have preferred the router on my main floor but my office is in the basement so it was a convenience choice for me.   In the attic, the router would have fried from the heat.

Re: Basement or Attic
Omni-Potent
Enthusiast - Level 3

As far as signal propagation, the higher the better, with in reason of course. A wifi sig is like an umbrella. But as one has stated, the attic doesn't provide ideal climate conditions for a router to operate in. If possible, pick a room more central to the house, and mount it high on the wall.

Some prefer the basement to reduce signal propragation. The reason behind that is, so the signal is too weak for nieghbors or hackers to tap into it.

Re: Basement or Attic
TechieWannaBe
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thanks for all the responses...

My attic is finished with AC and heat so it is really just another floor.

My goal is to have the best signal so 2 laptops, an iPad and a Smart TV can all use the wireless without having to deal with buffering, etc...

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Re: Basement or Attic
eljefe
Enthusiast - Level 3

I would suggest that the only way you'll know which location will give you the best coverage in your particular house is to try both, the attic and the basement.

In my house coverage would be  best in the basement because there's only a wood floor separating the basement from the main floor.  The attic, on the other hand, has foil covered insulation between it and the main floor.

Having said that, I found the best place for coverage of our entire house is dead in the middle of the main floor.   Why wouldn't that work for you?   I suspect for purposes like streaming video to a smart TV, if you have to use wifi at all the best results will be if the router or wireless access point is in the same room as the TV, with no walls between the wifi transmitter and receiver.

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