While you hopefully won’t be cooped up inside while temperatures are expected to climb to more than 30 degrees Celsius today and into the weekend, you’ll still be relying on your home broadband Wi-Fi connection to stream music in the garden, video chat with friends and family or order that takeaway as dusk settles in.
But according to Virgin Media you should make sure your Wi-Fi router isn’t set to come a cropper to the sun’s rays.
“Although we test our Hubs carefully at a range of temperatures, they are better off out of bright sunlight, just like your phone or laptop,” Virgin said on its website.
If your router is indeed on a windowsill where it could get blasted by the heatwave, the broadband provider goes on to warn you not to move the router somewhere where signal could get blocked – so don’t put it in a cupboard or behind your TV.
“Some things can prevent the signal from getting out, like furniture, large electrical appliances and even big bodies of water like a fish tank,” Virgin said. “If the Hub gets too hot, it could slow down your connection or even grind to a halt altogether. Good placement of the Hub could also mean greater WiFi reach.”
While the firm is referring to its ‘Hub’ branded Wi-Fi routers, this is sound advice as it applies to all Wi-Fi routers up and down the country.
If you’re trying to get Wi-Fi at the bottom of your garden but the Wi-Fi is a little weak, Virgin has further advice.
“Switch off devices also using your WiFi – stuff like smart home devices, mobiles or game consoles may be competing with your outdoor paradise.”
The firm also says if it really isn’t working well you could always use your mobile phone as a hotspot and connect other wireless devices to its cellular connection – just be sure you have enough mobile data for that as the bills can soon rack up.
You could also consider investing in a Wi-Fi extender. These gadgets plug into a wall socket and can stretch Wi-Fi signals to parts of your property your Wi-Fi router might not reach. Argos has a selection here, but you can buy one from any retailer such as Amazon or Currys, or John Lewis.
