UK Wi-Fi warning (Image: GETTY)
If your Wi-Fi isn’t keeping pace with your daily digital needs, then it might be wise to make some very simple checks and changes. Although the maximum speeds coming in through your walls will be determined by how much you pay and what your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can provide, the position of your router can make a massive difference to those all-important downloads.
Getting it away from fish tanks (yes Wi-Fi hates water), keeping it clear of baby monitors (those digital signals can clash) and not tucking it away in a cupboard are all important rules but there are some other things to beware of.
The team at broadband comparison site reckon that one of the worst dead spots for Wi-Fi is under the stairs.
“Like keeping your router in cabinets, you should avoid placing your router under the stairs. Even if this means it is “out of sight”, explained Geoff Pestell, CEO at Fibre Compare.
“This can seriously slow down your Wi-Fi speeds because the stairwell walls can block your signal and cause performance issues.”
Those stairs aren’t the only worry for your Wi-Fi.
Fibre Compare also says that you should avoid placing that flashing black box in front of windows and away from water sources such as sinks, washing machines and the shower.
“Make sure you also avoid placing your router near any water sources or windows. Things such as outside windows and walls, or moisture from showers, sinks and washing machines can damage electronic components or interfere with Wi-Fi signal, degrading its performance over time.”
Other things to consider are getting the device as central in your home as possible and up off the floor.
Finally, Fibre Connect says, if you can, it’s a good idea to move your router around your home to see where you get the best signal.
“You could experiment with different spots in your house to determine the ideal location for your Wi-Fi router and signal in order to get the most out of both,” said Pestell.
“Where it works best can completely depend on its location. Its ideal position could be found by moving it and testing its speed to find the strongest signal.”
CHECK YOUR SPEEDS
One of the best ways to check how your Wi-Fi is performing is to run some simple speed tests – firms such as Google and Ookla both offer free testing via the web.
The first thing to do is plug your laptop into the router using an ethernet cable – then run a test and write down the result.
Then move your laptop to other parts of your home and run the same tests using Wi-Fi – if things are much slower, you’ll know it’s your wireless system that has the problems. You can then use some of the tips above to try and fix things.