[mike_d]

Because a modern wifi router requires a minimum of 6 antennas. 9 is even better.

This lends itself to a spider like design with just a ton of antennas sticking out of a box, or a trash can with the antennas hidden inside around the outside edge.

Do you have other ideas for how to lay it out?

[ssl-3]

Some 3-band wifi 7 AIO routers that resemble neither spiders, nor trash cans:

https://mikrotik.com/product/hap_be3_media

https://eero.com/shop/eero-pro-7

https://www.asus.com/us/networking-iot-servers/whole-home-me...

[mike_d]

The Mikrotik HAP have terrible coverage, and the other two are the hallmark trashcan design I mentioned.

[MrDrMcCoy]

My radio knowledge is not up to par, but couldn't a phased array antenna setup allow for friendlier form factors?

[nine_k]

But usually it is a phased-array setup, or it seems to be, with a row of antennas.

Another setup is circular or semicircular. I suppose it allows for a more uniform directional diagram across the entire 360°, because a straight phased array has harder time emitting sideways.