A Wi-Fi router is usually the strongest steady RF source in a home — and also the easiest one to do something about, because the fix is measured in feet, not dollars. The question we get most often is simple: how far away should it be? The physics gives a satisfyingly clear answer.
Routers transmit even when you're not using them
A common assumption is that a router only "radiates" when someone is streaming or downloading. In fact, routers broadcast beacon frames — short signals announcing the network — roughly ten times per second, around the clock, whether or not any device is connected. Data traffic adds bursts on top of that baseline. Typical consumer routers transmit at output powers between 100 milliwatts and 2 watts, on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands (and 6 GHz for newer Wi-Fi 6E/7 units).
The inverse square law does the heavy lifting
RF power density falls with the square of distance. Double your distance from the router and exposure drops to roughly one quarter; triple it and you're at one ninth. Move from 1 foot away to 10 feet away, and the power density falls by about 99%. No shielding product comes close to what a few feet of empty air does for free.
Here's what that looks like with typical consumer routers, using measured ranges you can expect at each distance:
| Distance | Typical peak RF (µW/m²) | Our rating band |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ft | 10,000 – 100,000 | High |
| 3 ft | 1,000 – 10,000 | Moderate to High |
| 6 ft | 300 – 3,000 | Low to Moderate |
| 10 ft | 100 – 1,000 | Low to Moderate |
A high-power tri-band router is a good illustration of the ranges above: at roughly three feet it typically lands in the Moderate-to-High band, which is also why peak and average tell different stories — brief bursts of traffic can push the peak into the High range while the steady-state average sits lower.
So — how far from your desk?
Six to ten feet is the practical sweet spot. At that range, typical routers drop into our Low-to-Moderate bands, and each additional foot buys less than the one before it — the curve flattens. Sitting all day at arm's length from a router is the scenario worth fixing; a router across the room is already a solved problem.
A few placement rules of thumb:
- Desk and bed get priority. These are the two places you occupy for hours at a stretch. Keep the router at least 6 feet from both — and preferably out of the bedroom entirely.
- Central beats corner. A central location lets the router run happily while no one sits next to it, and better coverage means your devices transmit at lower power too — a double win.
- Don't box it in with foil or "shielding" wraps. Blocking a router's signal degrades coverage, which pushes every device on the network to transmit harder. Distance works with the physics; enclosures fight it.
- Height is fine. A shelf placement is normal — the same distance math applies vertically.
What about 2.4 vs 5 GHz?
The 2.4 GHz band penetrates walls well and carries farther; 5 GHz (and 6 GHz) fades faster with distance and obstacles. From an exposure standpoint the distance rule dominates either way — but it's worth knowing that a wall between you and the router attenuates 5 GHz much more than 2.4 GHz.