Virgin Media has sent an email out to customers with some advice for boosting broadband speeds for any Internet provider's router - though the chances are you may have tried it before.
In an email to customers, the provider advised: "If your broadband is lagging, our first bit of advice is… to turn your Virgin Media hub off and on again. Yes, really. We know it’s not the most technical “hack” but sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective!"
Should you need to turn your router off, just find the power button on the back of the flashing black box that sits in the corner of your room and turn it off. Wait for at least ten second before turning it back on so that the router is able to fully shut down.
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Once you've waited long enough, turn the power back on and whatever may have been slowing down your connection should clear up. The easy hack does come with a word of warning - it can take a while for your hardware to fully reboot so only reset when nobody in the home needs the connection for something important, such as a meeting.
The email continued: "The hub can take five to 10 minutes to reboot. You’ll know the connection is back up and running when the white light on the front of the hub is on."
Virgin also advises checking all of the cables that go into the back of the box, continuing: "While you’re waiting, check over your equipment for faulty or damaged cables, which can cause problems with your network and slow down your internet speed. Also make sure your cables are tightly connected to the hub (finger-tight is all that is required, do not over-tighten as this could break the connector)".
There are many other tips and tricks you can try to boost your broadband speeds. First, make sure that the router is out in the open and free from any obstacles - putting it in a cupboard is likely to block the signal.
If you can, put it somewhere high up as this helps to spread the internet further around the home. Avoid keeping it in the kitchen as metal objects and appliances such as microwaves ovens, as they can disrupt Wi-Fi.
Finally, keep your router away from fish tanks as your internet signal hates water!
Do you have any tips for boosting your Wi-Fi speeds? Let us know!
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