How do I choose the optimal placement for my Cogeco Wi-Fi Pods and extenders?

When it comes to getting the best performance out of your Wi-Fi network, pod and extender placement is everything.

While every home or business is unique, here are some guidelines of what to aim for when choosing where to place your pods and extenders:

Choose central locations

• If possible, place your modem in a central location to ensure the best signal distribution.
• Place your other pods and extenders in the areas where people will be using the Internet most often.
• We recommend 1 pod or extender for every 2 rooms, spread evenly to maximize performance. Pods and extenders usually have a range of 9 to 12 meters (30 to 40 feet) through walls.
• Place the pods and extenders towards the centre of your home or business for better coverage, rather than on the exterior walls. This will also make it less likely people outside will be able to connect to your guest network if it isn’t password-protected.

Avoid interference

• Wireless phone bases, large appliances and microwaves can create interference, so place your pods and extenders away from these items.
• Reflective surfaces can also reflect the signal, so avoid placing your pods and extenders near large mirrors or windows.
• Avoid putting your pods and extenders in closed, cramped spaces, such as cabinets, closets and drawers.

Maintain line of sight between pods and extenders

• When possible, place your pods and extenders in a way that there’s a direct line of sight between them, since this can increase their range and help with coverage.
• With a line of sight, pods and extenders have a range of about 18 to 24 meters (60 to 80 feet).

Connect a pod or extender through a wired connection

• If you’re having trouble getting Wi-Fi service to a particular spot in your home or business due to interference, you can use the pod or extender’s Ethernet port to make a wired connection to your modem.
• Learn more about connecting pods via Ethernet.

Check your connection status

Once you’re set up, you can check the connection status of each pod or extender in our Wi-Fi app.

• The app will take some time to optimize your network so we recommend waiting until the next day to check the pod and extender status.
• Residential customers can see this on the Adapt tab in the Cogeco Wi-Fi app.
• Business clients can see this under Settings > Pods in the Cogeco Business Wi-Fi app.

Additional considerations for businesses

There are certain placement challenges that are more common in business setups. Consider the following if you’re placing pods and extenders in your business:

• Businesses may have additional causes of interference, such as energy-efficient windows, metallic shades/blinds, heavy metal doors and reinforced concrete floors with HVAC ducting.
• Pods and extenders are easy to unplug so a guest may unplug one, not realizing what it is, when looking for an outlet. Avoid placing your pods and extenders where they are physically accessible to guests and instead, put them closer to the ceiling or behind a counter.