With the school summer break upon us, kids will be excited for the long six weeks off – whilst parents are already losing sleep on how they will keep their little ones occupied.
Whether your kids want to play PlayStation games non-stop, or you want some downtime and stream your favourite Netflix series – the whole family relies on speedy internet speeds.
So what can you do to make sure your broadband is up to scratch to deal with the inevitable increased usage over the summer? Here are five top tips:
1) Conduct an internet speed test
Conduct an internet speed test to see whether the speed you’re currently getting will get in the way of the data-heavy tasks you’ll need to do over the busy holiday period. This way you can see if the whole family can stream at the same time.
Most households need between 100Mbps – 400Mbps for everyone to enjoy a fast and seamless internet connection. You can learn more about download and upload speeds by reading ‘The Ultimate Guide to Broadband Speed’.
2) Keep your router away from other devices
If possible, move your router away from other electronic devices, mirrors, and fish tanks, as these can cause interference with the signal and slow down your internet speed. So it’s best to keep the path to your router as clear as possible.
Also, make sure that the router is as close to the main socket as possible and check that all cables are securely connected.
If you’re still unhappy with your signal speed and strength after moving the router, you should check with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to see if they can provide you with a faster connection. If they cannot, you may need to look into switching to another ISP if you want to get the best possible internet quality.
3) Try a Wi-Fi booster
Wi-Fi boosters can help bring consistent and reliable Wi-Fi to every single floor in your home. It does this by shortening the Wi-Fi signal distance between your router and the device that you’re using.
Strategically placing Wi-Fi boosters in the areas furthest away from your router will make sure the whole family can receive a strong signal no matter which room of the house they’re in.
4) Clear the cache of your device and ensure all software is updated
It’s worth noting that your browser’s cache can accumulate a lot of data over time, causing your internet browsing speed to decrease. By clearing your cache and cookies, you not only boost your connection speed but also ensure you’re viewing the most up-to-date versions of the websites you visit.
The only downside to clearing your cache and cookies is that you may need to sign in to some websites again, so it’s important to remember your passwords!
5) Turn the Wi-Fi off on devices you’re not using
Turning the Wi-Fi off on idle devices you’re not using can give your home network a good boost. Even if your device is idle it may be using Wi-Fi in the background to update/sync apps.
This is why we always recommend turning Wi-Fi off on the devices that you’re not using.
Upgrade Your Broadband Today
If you’ve tried and tested these broadband tips and would still like to upgrade your broadband service, contact us today.
