Where should i place mesh wifi nodes for better coverage?

[PaulVJ]

I’m trying to set up a mesh Wi-Fi system in my two-story home, but I’m not sure where to place the nodes. I put the main router in my office upstairs, but the signal is still weak in the kitchen directly below it, even with one satellite unit on the main floor.

[Mila3]

I had a similar setup last year with a mesh wifi system. The main router upstairs and a kitchen right below. The signal got eaten by the floor and that big fridge. I tried placing a satellite on the main floor near the stairs, in the open, no cabinet doors shielding it, and it helped a bit, but the kitchen still felt dodgy. It reminded me that bridging floors is the real challenge with a mesh wifi system.

[BenjaminRR]

Maybe the issue isnt the router location so much as interference and materials. 2.4 GHz travels better through walls but a metal fridge and cabinets can still kill it. I kept the satellite away from appliances and tried to keep it in a central spot on each floor.

[ThomasG]

I moved the main router to a central spot on the second floor and moved the satellite to the opposite side of the staircase. It made a noticeable difference downstairs but not a clean fix. I started thinking about a wired backhaul or adding a second AP on the ground floor but I havent pulled the trigger yet.

[ScottJ]

Do you think the real problem is the kitchen being a tunnel or the stairwell acting like a wall more than the placement itself?