This Seemingly Innocent DIY To Disguise A Router Has A Bigger Problem At Hand

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To put it frankly, your wireless router is kind of ugly, and wanting to cover it up makes perfect sense. When you want to keep your home looking tidy, you'll find all kinds of products, DIYs, and the occasional genius IKEA hack for hiding a Wi-Fi router, but are all of them safe? Maybe not. A recent DIY created by TikToker @hannahhhb96 involved hollowed out hardcover books to craft a gorgeous router cover that's perfect for any book lovers out there. After cutting away sections of the book covers and pages to fit around the router, the creator glued the books together. That left a single piece that looks like a short row of books but actually has a cavity behind the spines to hide equipment. However, because of the materials used, the seemingly innocent DIY could lead to a handful of household issues. 

When it comes to creative ways to hide your wireless router, this bookish TikTok hack is certainly one of the cutest. When assembled, the books create a snug, attractive cover that completely conceals the router and all of its unsightly lights and cords. However, despite the aesthetic benefits, it didn't take long for other TikTok users to point out a few potential problems with the DIY. Claims like "this will 100% mess with your signal" and "No your router needs to breathe. Please don't do this it's a fire hazard" quickly littered the comment section. Although some commenters may have been blunt, the remarks were also more or less accurate. Covering your router in this way doesn't leave a ton of room for ventilation, meaning the router is subject to overheating, creating a hazard that can weaken your Wi-Fi connection at best or, at worst, spark a house fire.  

Arguably the scariest concern with this DIY is the potential fire hazard. When the vents on your router are covered, overheating will happen because the hot air has nowhere to escape. If there are flammable materials nearby (like the paper pages of a book, for example), they could, in rare cases, catch fire should the router and its components get too hot. Even the original creator has decided to no longer use the DIY books to cover their router, stating in a comment, "I'M NOT USING THIS ON MY WIFI ROUTER ANYMORE ... I've been cognizant of the safety and WiFi signal concerns from the start and I think enough people have made it clear, but if you think this will cause a fire or damage your signal, use it for something else."

While overheating doesn't always lead to fires in the home, it can cause several other issues for your router.Issues such as poor connection for devices and smart home gear, slow internet speed, and even permanent hardware damage may all occur. So, if you were hoping to disguise your router or modem on a bookshelf with this clever DIY, just be sure to consider creating enough space around the equipment and leaving openings to allow air to move freely. Using something like an open mesh basket to conceal the router may be a better option. If you want to get creative, you can even glue a bit of rattan, such as these RESLLOWE Webbing Rattan Sheets, into an empty wooden photo frame and place the frame in front of your router for a simply stylish cover that doesn't impede the signal or airflow.