This Christmas, treat yourself to great WiFi by making sure you’re not making common mistakes.
It’s easy to accidentally hamper your WiFi speeds, which could prove frustrating as you settle down to watch a 4K Netflix movie over the holiday season.
Households will be filled with new gadgets, including games consoles, hi-res TVs and top-notch smartphones.
And they’ll all be competing for your home internet.
Here’s what you need to do.
Check app updates on Christmas day
At Christmas, you’ll likely unwrap some new gadgets.
If you’ve got a new iPhone or PS5, that likely means plenty of software updates rolling throughout the day.
So try to get those done first thing in the morning.
And if you notice slow speeds on the TV on the evening, consider pausing some of those updates – especially if they’re for non-essential apps.
Download your content early
This is a big one.
Most streaming services and set-top boxes now offer some way of downloading content.
This means you can watch it at your leisure, rather than having to risk streaming it on a busy day at home.
Downloading content as early as possible – on Christmas Eve or first thing Christmas morning – is a great way to avoid streaming woes on December 25.
Check your router positioning
First up, make sure your router is in a good position.
Your WiFi internet works using radio waves – which, like light, can be reflected and even blocked.
The Sun has previously revealed how microwave ovens, lamps and fish tanks can interfere with WiFi.
But internet giant Sky has revealed some festive faux pas for internet users this Christmas.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is blocking your router with a Christmas tree, according to Sky.
“The further you can keep your router from flashing lights and tinsel, the stronger your connection will be,” Sky explained.
Shifting it off the floor and onto a table or shelf (about 5-7ft up is best) can help the signal reach further throughout your home.
That’s because your router sends out signals in a 360-degree arc, like the shine from a lightbulb.
Putting it on the floor therefore sends a load of signal straight into the ground.
Moving it away from other electronic devices can also help.
It doesn’t need to be too isolated, mind. About a meter or so from any other gadget should do it.
Consider moving something on to mobile internet
On a Christmas morning or evening, you might find lots of devices active at once.
So if you have TVs, phones, games consoles and more running, consider having at least one device using mobile internet.
You can turn off WiFi on a device and connect it to a phone hotspot – or just have phones using mobile internet off-WiFi anyway.
Remember to be mindful of data caps: you’re fine if it’s unlimited, but you don’t want to incur charges by streaming too much.
But it’s an easy way to reduce the load on WiFi during those peak hours.
This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced here with permission.
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