Experts from Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert site have shared the best place people should put their wi-fi router box for the fastest speeds alongside other tips for getting a stronger signal.
The website, founded by financial guru Martin Lewis, revealed that placing your box in certain places around the home can in fact lead to faster wi-fi speeds.
Most of us will know the pain of slow internet speeds while trying to stream a film or load a game - especially when it comes to waiting for the 'wheel of doom' to stop.
Websites such as Broadband Genie, Fast.com and Speedtest.net can all be used to check your speeds.
It is recommended to run multiple tests during different times of the day so that you can check what times your wi-fi seems to struggle the most.
The "internet rush hour" — also known as its peak times — occurs between 7pm and 9pm, and is when there will likely be a higher number of people near you on the same network at the same time.
Here's all of Money Saving Expert's top tips:
1. Put your router in the right place
We all know that the closer you are to the router the better your internet speed will be.
Wi-fi can't travel through thick walls or large objects, so where you put your router can make a huge difference.
The best places to put routers are:
- In central locations
- High up with no obstacles
2. Use wires not wi-fi
Going wireless is obviously a lot neater, but going old school and plugging your computer or laptop into the router directly can massively improve speed.
An Ethernet cable means faster data transfer and less interference.
3. Keep routers away from other devices
Wireless routers can also be subject to interference from other electrical goods.
To test this, run a speed test then try switching off all electrical devices except your router and run another test to check any difference.
Items like cordless telephones, halogen bulbs, baby monitors, dimmer light switches, TVs and screens can all affect your broadband speed if you are too near the router.
4. Use a wireless booster
Wireless boosters are gadgets that can supercharge your signal across your home.
This is normally done by people in large homes or in properties with black spots for signals.
But these boosters only extend the signal you have, they can't improve it.
Your broadband supplier might send you a free booster if you can't get signal in certain rooms.
5. Turn off wi-fi devices not being used
The more devices that are connected to your wi-fi, the slower the overall speed.
Switching devices off can help get better connectivity, so try turning off the wi-fi reception off when these items are not in use.
