WiFi speeds can make or break your day but many of us don't want to spend a fortune on broadband packages and additional boosters to get fast Internet.
98% of Brits have reported that they rely on the Internet every day and yet 34% of them don't feel confident tackling those network problems by themselves, according to a Virgin Media O2 survey.
The research also revealed over half of the respondents (59%) could get a more reliable connection if they put their hub in a better location within their home
To tackle the problem, Virgin Media O2 has teamed up with room planner and feng shui expert, Cliff Tan.
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Gareth Lister, Director of Connectivity at Virgin Media O2 said: “Broadband is an essential part of everyday life. Whether working from home, doing an online shop, or catching up on that must-watch series, connectivity sits at the heart of it all.
"Yet being conscious of where to place your router is something that often gets overlooked.
“With reliable broadband taking top spot on most people’s list of priorities, beating a night out with friends and a date with their partner, we’ve teamed up with feng shui expert, Cliff Tan, to share our top tips on avoiding common connectivity mishaps so our customers can enjoy a harmonious home with WiFi around every corner.”
Four things you should avoid doing that affect your WiFi speed
Virgin Media O2's broadband expert has outlined four things that you should stop doing in your home to avoid any 'unwanted WiFi woes':
- Avoid putting your router in a cabinet, keep it out in the open (ideally up high) so the signal is free to roam.
- Move your router at least one metre away from objects such as televisions, wireless speakers, baby monitors and cordless phones. These devices have their own signals and can interfere with WiFi.
- Keep your router upright, with the front lights facing into the room. This makes sure the signal goes outwards, rather than into the floor.
- Avoid turning your router off at night. This is to ensure the latest firmware updates can be completed so you can get the best from your hub.
10 everyday household items that can affect your WiFi
The broadband experts also shared 10 everyday items that you may have in your home that can interfere with your WiFi
- Baby monitors
- Fish tanks
- Metal furniture
- Cordless phones
- Wireless speakers
- Televisions
- Refrigerators
- Games consoles
- Microwave ovens
- Portable radios
Where should I put my WiFi router at home?
Space planner and Feng Shui expert, Cliff Tan, has said that the heart of the home represents balance and connection between the various zones under the traditional practice of Feng Shui.
Feng Shui is the process of using energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment.
To create a balanced, peaceful and WiFi-friendly home, broadband users can take similar principles to secure the maximum possible flow from their connectivity.
The experts recommend placing your hub in a central part of your home, but more specifically, central to the high-energy areas where you’ll rely on the hub the most.
Users should also aim to keep the hub up high and facing forwards so that the signal can reach the whole room.
Eye contact
Energy is best felt when it can be seen, and this is true even for WiFi signals according to the experts.
They add: "If you can, try to make sure you can see the hub from where you need it the most, i.e. put it near an office or living room area so your devices have a direct route for signal from your router".
Keep clutter away
Under Feng Shui, clutter is said to clog the natural flow of energy throughout a room.
The experts encourage users to see broadband connectivity like this too.
"Avoid putting items that might impact your hub’s signal, like baby monitors, speakers and TVs, directly next to or in front of your router as they will interfere with the WiFi and clog the natural flow of connectivity," the broadband experts said.
Mirror placements
When applying Feng Shui to a room, people need to consider that mirrors reflect and change our environment, so they need to be mindful of how they use them.
They can also affect our WiFi - especially large wall mirrors since they are made up of a thin coat of metal which may cause interference to the hub.
The experts recommend that users try to keep the hub at least one meter away from large mirrors.
They added: "Be conscious of the five elements around the home: Feng Shui uses the five elements — earth, wood, fire, metal and water — to describe the physical and energic world around us.
"Watch out for metal in the home as metal furniture, for example, a TV cabinet has a certain density and quality that can cause interference with WiFi signals, so you should consider where you place your hub".
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