One type of item that most of us own could be slowing down your WiFi.
One item in the house could be interfering with your WiFi signal(Image: Getty Images)
Nobody likes having slow WiFi– sitting through buffering videos and struggling to load emails can be increasingly infuriating, especially for those of us who work from home. But there’s a simple way to instantly improve your internet speed, as one common culprit may be interfering with your connection.
Tech experts explain that the placement of your router can have a huge impact on how fast your WiFi speed is, whether you’re streaming a movie or are working from your home office. And professionals at Audio Technica have warned that keeping gadgets like Bluetooth speakers too close to your router could be the cause of constant buffering.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals can interfere with each other, as they use similar radio frequencies. When multiple devices compete for the same signal space, it can create a kind of traffic jam, which can then slow down your internet, reports the Express.
The tech company’s support page explained: “Many Wi-Fi routers transmit on multiple channels simultaneously, and if there are excessive Wi-Fi signals in close proximity taking up most of the spectrum, your Bluetooth devices may not have any open spectrum to frequency hop to.
“This is a common cause of Bluetooth interference. Moving your Bluetooth devices away from Wi-Fi signals will help maximise the performance.”
Bluetooth devices such as speakers could be the reason your WiFi is slow(Image: Yagi Studio)
Before switching providers or paying for faster broadband, you can trial placing your router in a more central, open area of your home, and ideally away from the kitchen, or any thick walls that could block the signal.
Interestingly, it’s not just Bluetooth devices that can cause problems. Microwaves also operate on similar frequencies and can interfere with Wi-Fi performance.
The Record previously shared other tips for maximising WiFi speed, which included keeping your router away from windows.
Placing the box near windows can cause some of the signal beams to be sent outside rather than bouncing off of the walls and back into the room.
Sunshine can also interfere with your router, as like all bits of tech, you don’t want it to overheat and stop working.
We might not think much about where our router is in the house but it could make all the difference (Image: Getty)
If your WiFi signal is constantly playing up, it’s also a good idea to reboot the router.
Most experts recommend turning it off completely, waiting for one minute, and turning it back on to reset the system.
However, it’s not advised to leave your WiFi router turned off for long periods of time, particularly overnight.
Leaving it turned off can prevent the machine from receiving much needed updates.
Turning your machine off and on again too often can also do more harm than good, as it sends signals to the ISP that the line is experiencing an issue, which could result in emergency speed restrictions being put in place.
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