Most people have no idea how far their Wi-Fi signal travels. Knowing the real-world range lets you park the router in the smartest spot and stamp out dead zones before they appear. Below is a quick, plain-language guide you can bookmark the next time the bars on your phone drop to one.
Typical Reach in Open Air
– Single-band (2.4 GHz) router: 10–15 m radius—enough for a two-bedroom apartment if the router sits in the living room.
– Dual-band router: same radius, but the 5 GHz band dies off faster yet gives you higher speed, while 2.4 GHz pushes farther at lower speed.
– High-end models with multiple antennas: up to 20–30 m in open space, plenty for a large flat or small office.
What Shrinks That Circle
– Walls: one brick wall eats 30–50 % of the signal; a concrete load-bearing wall can kill 60–80 %.
– Metal: refrigerators, filing cabinets, even the tinfoil in kitchen backsplashes bounce radio waves away.
– Gadgets: microwave ovens, baby monitors, Bluetooth speakers and cordless phones all chatter on the same 2.4 GHz band, creating noise that shortens reach.
– Corners and cupboards: every extra obstacle or meter of drywall the signal must detour through costs you speed.
Real-World Performance by Home Size
– Small flats (60–90 m²): one well-placed router usually blankets every room.
– Large flats (120 m²+): a single router leaves bathrooms, far bedrooms and balconies in the digital dark.
– Multi-storey houses: Wi-Fi hates stairs; the signal can drop an entire bar from one floor to the next.
Easy Fixes
1. Wi-Fi extender (a.k.a. repeater): plugs into any outlet, grabs the existing signal and re-broadcasts it. Expect up to 50 % more coverage for the cost of a pizza.
2. Mesh kit: two or more routers work as one network. Your phone hops automatically to the strongest node as you move around, so video calls don’t stutter when you walk upstairs.
Bottom line: place the router in the open, halfway between your devices and the centre of the home. If walls, floors or budget constraints get in the way, add an extender for a quick boost or invest in a mesh set for seamless, whole-home Wi-Fi.