Money Saving Expert, the website founded by money guru Martin Lewis, has revealed the best place to put your Wi-Fi router for the fastest internet.
The MSE team say there are certain places you should put your Wi-Fi box in your home in order to get the highest internet speeds, according to Manchester Evening News.
A lot of us suffer in silence while our Wi-Fi at home plays up, or fails to load shows or games as quickly as we'd like.
However, Money Saving Expert say there is a free way to check your broadband speed as well as your upload speed (how fast you can send data over the internet).
There are three sites that can help test your speeds – Broadband Genie, Fast.com and Speedtest.net.
MSE recommends testing at different times of the day to see when your internet struggles the most.
Peak times, known as "internet rush hour", are between 7pm and 9pm, this could naturally create a lag when there is a high number of people near you on the same network at the same time.
If your broadband speed or upload speed is low, you might be better off switching to a new provider.
However if you don't want to switch, or are just interested in improving your internet speed, MoneySavingExpert has some top tips.
Don't forget too, you could also get a huge saving on your broadband plan if you get state support. On average, people on Universal Credit could save £144 a year.
1. Put your router in the right place
The closer you are to the router the better your internet speed will be.
WiFi 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 WiFi
Going wireless is obviously 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 blackspots 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.
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