Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog

HomeBlog
Tip of the Week: Improve Your Network Through Router Placement

Tip of the Week: Improve Your Network Through Router Placement

September 15, 2025

A solid Wi-Fi connection is a necessity, not a luxury. To provide your team with the best possible wireless connection, you need to choose the right router and place it correctly. It's best for a business to buy its own modem and router, rather than renting a combined device from an internet provider. This gives you full control over your network and allows you to select hardware that fits your specific needs.

Choosing the Right Router

When you're shopping for a router, look for key features. Security is important, so make sure it has robust WPA3 encryption and a strong firewall. The router should support multiple bands—dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz) at a minimum, and ideally tri-band (with 6.0 GHz) to connect various devices. You'll want at least three LAN ports and one WAN port. 

A built-in VPN option adds an extra layer of protection, and to ensure you get the fastest speeds, choose a router that supports a modern protocol like 802.11ac or newer standards like Wi-Fi 6 or 6E. Finally, make sure it has Gigabit ports for the fastest possible wired connections.

Contact us at (571) 470-5594 if you need any help!

Optimizing Router Placement

Once you have the right router, its placement is crucial for a strong signal. To get the most speed and coverage, install the router in a central location in your office so the signal can reach everyone.

It's also important to keep it raised off the floor to prevent physical obstructions from weakening the signal. Try to keep it away from other electronics that can cause interference. Before you install all your other office technology, map out the signal strength and consider using wireless extenders to cover any dead zones.

If you need help finding the best networking technology, feel free to contact us at (571) 470-5594.

‍

Previous Post
February 7, 2024
6 Crucial Strategies for Effective File Sharing
Your business runs on its data, and as such, you need a sound strategy for sharing files and other important information to ensure collaboration goes off without a hitch. You must also do all of this while protecting your sensitive data. What are some best practices that SMBs can utilize for file sharing? Let’s go over them.
February 5, 2024
Are Foldable Phones Valuable Enough to Justify the Cost?
One of the biggest trends in mobile technology is the incorporation of foldable displays allowing device manufacturers to create interesting products. While this innovation is undeniably cool, do these foldable devices actually provide the benefits they are marketed for; namely enhancing productivity? 
February 2, 2024
How Do Hackers Get Around Multi-Factor Authentication?
Data security is one of those things that you have to stay out in front of. Hackers and scammers are changing tactics and getting a little more sophisticated as time goes on and it creates a pretty difficult situation for most IT administrators. Utilizing multi-factor authentication (MFA), two-factor authentication (2FA), or whatever it is called by the application you are using has become a great way to add an extra layer of security to organizational data protection efforts. Today, we will discuss the benefits of this strategy and why it isn’t a be-all, end-all to your overall security.

Have a project in mind?

Start with our free consultation. We will provide a detailed proposal and firm quote based on your specific IT support needs. All at a predictable monthly cost per seat.
Free Consultation - Sign Up Here