Virgin Media has just issued some simple new advice on how to boost your broadband speeds and it could be worth checking your router. The popular Internet Service Provider (ISP) says it's vital to keep your Wi-Fi box away from distractions and giving it some space is the key to improved downloads.
In fact, grabbing a tape measure and following Virgin's 'one metre' rule could offer an instant boost to those all-important speeds.
In a recent email seen by Mirror Online, Virgin said: "Move your Hub at least one metre away from objects such as televisions, wireless speakers and cordless phones. These devices have their own signals and can mess with your WiFi."
Wireless internet signals can suffer serious interference if they get blocked by other devices or don't have room to breathe. Electrical devices - including TVs, Microwaves and baby monitors - can wreak havoc with your connection and it's also a terrible idea to pop your router away in a cupboard or tuck it behind the TV.
If your speeds continue to stutter make sure make sure that the flashing black box is also stood upright as laying it flat could mean some of your signal is blasted straight into the carpet.
"Don’t keep your Hub in a cabinet, keep it out in the open so the signal is free to roam," Virgin added.
"Keep your Hub upright, with the front lights facing into the room. This makes sure the signal goes outwards, rather than into the floor."
If your router is near a fish tank or microwave oven it's best to move it as these household items can also mess with speeds and always try to get the router as high off the ground as possible.
Of course, none of these tips will make the physical speeds coming into your home any faster as you'll only get what you pay for. But making some of these simple changes and rebooting your router once a month can certainly help to make sure your Wi-Fi keeps pace with your digital needs.
One quick way to check your Wi-Fi is running smoothly is to run a speed test using your wireless connection. Write down the result and then run the same test via a wired Ethernet link. If wired is quicker than wireless you know you Wi-Fi needs some attention.