The advantage of using an iPad is that you can walk around with it to see if your setup and times are working.
Yes, the location of those pods can affect whether or not you can pick up the WiFi signal.
I typically use my iPhone to add or setup Homekit devices, simply because it is the most portable, but when it come to setting up Automations and scenes I prefer to use the iPad or Mac. For normal on/off/dim control I just say, "hey Siri, turn den lights 100%" and there is always an Watch, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Pod, and often, some combination of the above within earshot that will execute the Siri action.
To be honest, I know VERY little about WiFi and what it's capable of.
Not to worry,
your Plume network is very sophisticated and has more information about your network than either of us or as far as I know any other competing Wi-Fi router network. The only thing it can't do is suggest where to move or how to re-arrange pods for optimum network coverage and can only tell you how good your existing pod distribution is. Changing the physical location of the pods is a task where patience, and maybe a little intuition, is a virtue.
