by Whether you work from home or enjoy spending your free time online, you may be wondering how you can improve your broadband speed.
If your Wi-Fi isn’t strong enough to watch your favorite show or scroll through social media, it can be frustrating.
To help you, Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert (MSE) website has a number of ways you can improve your broadband speed.
How to improve your broadband speed in 8 ways
You can find more information about broadband speed on the MSE website.
Who is Martin Lewis?
Place your router in the right place
MSE says: “When using Wi-Fi, obviously the closer you are to the router, the better your signal will be, and therefore the faster your broadband will be.
“Because Wi-Fi signals can’t travel through large objects like thick walls, it’s critical that you have a clear path for the signal to travel to your laptop, tablet or smartphone.”
To help you get your router in the right place, he says to place it in a central location and mount it up high with no obstacles in its way.
You should also hide your router in a cupboard or drawer and should not try to camouflage it by placing photos or ornaments around it.
Make sure your router is plugged into the best socket as MSE says: “Try using multiple phone sockets to see if you can get better speeds, although your router will usually work with plug directly into your main phone socket.
“Remember that the distance between your router and devices should be kept to a minimum whenever possible.”
Ethernet cables can help boost your broadband speed
Ethernet cables can transfer data faster than Wi-Fi because it does not encrypt data but wireless routers do.
MSE has more advantages, he says: “Other benefits include much less interference, so you don’t have to worry about your neighbour’s frequency, and a more reliable connection for devices such as games consoles and computers personal, not necessary. to move around the room.”
Broadband speed can be improved at home (Image: Getty)
Do not place your router near other devices
Wireless devices, including routers, are prone to interference, so switch off all electrical devices except the router and run a broadband speed test – do you notice a difference?
Things that can interfere with your signal include cordless phones, baby monitors, halogen lamps, dimmer switches, stereos, speakers, TVs and monitors.
The microwave can also have an effect, according to Ofcom.
A wireless booster could help
MSE says: “Wireless boosters are designed for people with large homes or those with signal black spots where the signal is not strong enough.
“However, the gadget only extends the wireless signal – it won’t improve your general broadband speed or bandwidth.
“Boosters tend to work with any provider, so you don’t need to be with a particular provider to use them.”
Your supplier may send one out for free so check with them before you buy one.
Turn off Wi-Fi on unused devices
More devices connected to your Wi-Fi means your broadband speed will decrease.
Smartphones and tablets often work in the background so disconnect them from Wi-Fi when not in use.
How you can reduce your energy bills
Use audio calls instead of video
If you work at home and have calls using Wi-Fi, turning off your video can help your broadband speed as audio-only use requires less of an internet connection.
You could try starting calls outside of peak times such as on the hour or half an hour.
Try to manage your family’s online activity so that you’re not all trying to video call, game or stream HD at the same time.
You could pre-download a video instead of streaming, for example.
Extend the range of your router using home electronics
MSE says: “Virgin Media recommends powerline adapters over boosters, which use your electrical wiring to send the router’s signal to other parts of your home.”
You will need to use the router’s adapter to connect the router to the nearest plug socket, meaning your internet connection is placed around your home.
MSE says you should then “plug another adapter into a socket, ideally when you have a weak signal, and you should see a significant improvement in connection strength.”
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He adds: “You can then connect your laptop or other device with an Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi, depending on the equipment you choose.”
Spring cleaning to your computer
There are several things you can check on your computer to help with broadband speed. These include checking your anti-virus is up to date and making sure you have the latest browser.
Clear your cache, stop automatic updates and stop background apps as this can also help your broadband speed.
