Where to Place Your Gateway for the Best Coverage

Start where your old router was

The gateway replaces your router's Wi-Fi role, so the best starting point is wherever your existing router already provides decent coverage — usually a central, elevated spot like a shelf in the main living area.

Placement rules that matter most

• Central and elevated: Wi-Fi spreads downward and outward; a shelf beats a floor corner.
• Away from metal and thick walls: appliances, mirrors, and concrete or brick walls absorb signal.
• Not inside a cabinet: enclosed spaces choke both range and cooling.
• Away from the TV and microwave: these are strong sources of 2.4 GHz interference.

Verify with real use

After setup, walk the house with a phone and watch the Wi-Fi bars in the rooms that matter — bedrooms and the kids' study area first. If one room is weak, move the gateway a few feet before buying any extra hardware; small moves often fix dead zones. Filtering works everywhere the signal reaches, so coverage quality is your protection quality.