For faster broadband over the Christmas period, move your router away from the tree. Fairy lights can interfere with Wi-Fi signals and slow down connection speeds, according to research by communications regulator Ofcom.
It’s not just fairy lights that can affect broadband speeds — this goes for other electronic devices, including lamps, speakers, TVs and monitors.
The Christmas tree light warning comes alongside research that reveals nearly six million homes and offices in the UK have underperforming Wi-Fi.
The “Connected Nations” report from Ofcom reveals that over 8 percent of UK premises, including homes and offices, can’t receive a broadband speed greater than 10Mbps. That’s compared with the 83 percent of premises that can receive superfast broadband of 30Mbps or more.
In rural areas those figures are even lower — around 48 percent of premises don’t have speeds faster than 10Mbps. But Ofcom’s figures show the numbers are improving — only 75 percent of UK homes could receive superfast broadband in 2014. But Ofcom acknowledged there was “still more to do.”
The communication regulator’s latest advice and figures coincide with the launch of its Wi-Fi Checker app, available on iOS and Android, which can test the strength and speed of broadband signals. The app also offers troubleshooting tips to help users get the best connection. As well as moving your router away from electrical devices, Ofcom’s advice includes keeping it apart from other electronics that emit wireless signals — like baby monitors. “Ideally routers should be kept centrally within the home and placed on a table or shelf rather than on the floor,” Ofcom writes in its “troubleshooting tips”.
Restarting your router and using an ethernet cable can also help improve broadband speeds. To get the best results from the Wi-Fi Checker, Ofcom recommends users run the app in different rooms, multiple times a day.
