Router placement is critical for a successful set up and strong WiFi connection.
Tips for good placement:
Central location: Your router should be centrally located in your home in the area where you most often use your devices (mobile phone, tablet, computer).
Flat surface: Place your router on a hard, flat surface like a table, countertop, shelf, or nightstand. Surfaces that are up at least halfway up the room are better than the floor if possible – signal emits mainly along the same plane it is placed in.
Open space: The router communicates best when it is not closed in. Avoid cabinets, media consoles, and closets.
Upright position: Place your router on its base – do not lay it down on its side. Check and see if your router may have tipped over accidentally if you are suddenly having issues.
Few barriers: The best connection will be when your router is in the same room, or about 1-2 rooms away. The thinner the wall, the further the signal can go. For older houses that may have more dense wall materials like plaster, you may want to try placing your routers closer to the door (wood is less dense).
Avoid Interference: Try to avoid common in-home causes of interference like major appliances (microwaves, refrigerators), thick materials (metals, concrete, or brick), and other sources of interference including fluorescent lights, other WiFi networks, and bad electrical connections. Try to place the router at least 20 feet away from these sources.
Legacy Devices: Your WiFi6 router coordinates with other WiFi6 devices to reduce network congestion and latency. Older products may not support these features, and may slow down your network. If necessary, try moving legacy devices (WiFi4 and below) to the 2.4GHz band. Where possible, connect an ethernet cable to a nearby mesh node to enjoy the highest speeds.
Tools in the Starlink app:
Advanced Speed Test option allows you to test your WiFi speeds directly. This can be used to determine if your current WiFi speed is lower than what your Starlink can provide. In addition, the router's beamforming capability may take several seconds to adapt to your position, so try not to move your device during the speedtest.
Network tab allows you to view the signal strength of each of your devices connected to your WiFi. From settings, there is an option to split the WiFi bands. The 2.4GHz band provides a longer range but may experience more interference than the 5GHz band. The 5GHz band uses shorter waves, which makes it harder for the signal to penetrate walls and solid objects (making the range smaller) but will encounter less interference.
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