When only one Wifi broadcast point is used in a home, the recommendation is that it be centrally located. That's as true vertically as horizontally. Whether the location you describe will be adequate or not can't be determined by anyone not in the house. Is this closet in the center of the basement or is it off to one side? What's the size and construction of the house and its floors and walls? Are there obstructions in the way between the broadcast point and where connected devices may be? (Ducts, pipes, water tanks are excellent signal blockers).

If you have a smartphone or iPad, go from place to place and see what the signal strength is like. Do you stream video, be sure to check near the TVs so used. Is the signal adequate?

If you find there are signal problems, there are three easy ways to strengthen the coverage. By :

1. Getting a Wifi range extender, placed where it has a good signal from the router and can then relay the signal using a different path to where devices are located. (Think of a right triangle, you're rerouting the signal from the hypotenuse to the legs, if the hypotenuse has obstructions)

2. Use a pair of powerline adapters (runs the network
signal over the house's electrical wires) to allow a connection of a wireless access point (WAP) in
an opposing location in the house, or

3. Do the same as #2 by using an ethernet cable plugged into the router and then run to a similar, opposing location where a WAP can be connected.

Well my concern is that it is often needed to power down and power back up the router for testing and when there are connection issues. Is that an area you can get to easily and reach the connections to do disconnecting and stuff? I personally would not have accepted that location. I want it in easy access and easily viewable. Mine are on my desk. He should have run cable to a better location he was just skipping extra work. If it was mine they would be back and doing the job the are getting paid to do to your satisfaction. And definitely they would be testing the reception and speed of the various devices in the areas of the house. I have net gear devices that plug into an outlet and broadcast the signal to other areas of the house that do not get a good signal from the router.

It shouldn't be necessary for anyone to "often" reboot modems and or routers. I have a pretty heavily used network (never less than 10 devices and often another 10+ transient connections) and I almost never reboot these two things. Almost never, as like not even once a year. If the network link doesn't provide consistent and reliable service, there's a problem with the layout, the wire connections or the equipment. If she's using equipment supplied by Verizon, it should be expected to work properly (layout and physical location notwithstanding) and once stable after the install not need to be tinkered with.

I assumed in my earlier comment that her concern was Wifi signal strength and that may not be what's on her mind. Sorry if so.

So I walked all over my house with both my cell phone and my laptop. Signal strength was good everywhere! I was mostly concerned about it being near the furnace. I called Verizon on phone and not having any space on top it--right up to insulation and they said not to worry that they stick these routers in all kinds of rafters/places. I can reach it to reboot. I just have to stand on my little step stool but that doesn't bother me. I stand on it for everything in my kitchen!

Yeah, I'll bet they put their equipment here there and everywhere. Especially when customers aren't looking or as attentive as you were.

There shouldn't be anything directly on top of it so that it can dissipate heat. If there is, I'd try to make some breathing room for it, at least several inches. 6inches is plenty if it's otherwise open to air. If the closet gets warm from the gas appliances, try to keep the door ajar if possible. Otherwise, it sound's like you're ready to go.

I have FIOS, have never "rebooted" our router. Even with numerous power outages, they reboot themselves.

if everything was working when the tech left, why are you worried?

I am only worried that it can't dissipate heat since it is right up to the insulation--wedged in there. I left door ajar as Elmer suggested. I'm worried about the insulation dust--it's an unfinished closet on the inside and the insulation is sitting right on top of it. I am thinking fire hazard. I think I must be stressed about holidays because I am perseverating on this--I mean the technician wouldn't install something he thought was dangerous? He must know about this stuff. He said he worked for Verizon for 15 years.

If there's no air space on top at all or the insulation is right on the device and so air movement around it is blocked, another spot needs to be found. If you can't make some overhead room for air movement, call Verizon back to find a different spot. Heat kills electronic devices and possibly worse, an overheating device isn't safe.

What do you think Elmer and Friends? I told ya--I'm totally perseverating on this tonight. Maybe I need to bake more Xmas cookies.

If this were mine, I wouldn't want it left like that. The insulation shouldn't be touching or so near to the box, it's like wrapping it in a blanket.

Can you do one of the following:

1) Is there enough slack in the three cables to pull it down and put it lower, on a high stool or chair? If you think of it as a book standing on its end, it can be turned so that the part that says Verizon is the top so it's sitting flat like a book on a table. Or,

2) Have someone make the "shelf" wider (extend it to the right, in the direction and beyond the bottom right corner of the photo) and lay the device turned flat on that. You'd only need something less than 6 inches and there's very little weight to support.

Failing those, call them back and tell them the install isn't acceptable. I think you're 100% correct in not like this, I don't like it either.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice. There is not enough room behind or next to the furnace for a stool/chair. I'm working with about 6 to 8 inches between that stud and the furnace. Like the idea of a wider shelf. Looking for ideas on how to do that right now. What about this from Ikea? The metal bar could attach to the stud and the basket goes on the metal bar and the router in the basket!? http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40282069/

Thank you.

Your installer was lazy. That installation is unprofessional and hazardous.

If this was a new install, the installer should have asked where you want your master connection. No excuse for that haphazard installation.

I would threaten to cancel until it's corrected and appropriately located.

I would have an installer out to rectify the situation. No need for you to be moving that around. I wouldn't like it being in that location.

We have AT&T Uverse and have to reset our router at least once a week if not more often. We've had three different routers installed by the company in the past six months. We'll definitely be changing companies when our contract runs out.

Having to reset the router that often is usually caused by signal fluctuation. A good clean signal will keep you connected forever. Ask AT&T to check your signal. Sometimes it's a loose connection or corrosion at connections.

Okay I"m on it! Thanks for the advice. You guys are a great support system. Do you think anywhere in the furnace closet is unacceptable? I really like that it is obscured but it seems like it would super warm in there. There would be enough room for a small plant stand/table in there but that would be in front of furnace (about 2 ft away) BUT right next to hot water heater. And there would be a big electric wire (like the surge protector kind) running next to furnace up to outlet. Thoughts? Just so everyone knows, I'm going to go to market now and buy ingredients to make more candied pecans and lots of cookies!

I don't think I can say anything more until I have a few cookies, and there aren't any in my house. Pecans you can hold on to for others to enjoy.

If the temperature in the closet and at the intended spot stays in the 70s or lower, that's fine. Put a thermometer there and see what happens.

Most water heaters and furnaces have a clearance zone that the manufacturer will state. Across the front it's probably 24 inches and maybe 12 inches or less on the sides so a wire or a table shouldn't be closer than that. I think you also should try to avoid a cluttered scene, where one thing blocks access to another.

Honestly, the photo suggests a lazy installation job. If you can't orient it to your satisfaction, call them back and have them move it. The appearance or location matters less than having a suitable and ventilated place for the stuff to be.