WiFi customers have been urged to move their routers away from one common household appliance to improve their internet speeds. Slow WiFi can be a pain and it can really put a dampener on streaming. Plus, slow or interrupted WiFi can lead to a frustrating day working from home. Many people don’t understand exactly how WiFi works, but it is important to know where you should place your router for the best internet speeds and performance.
Experts have revealed the devices that you should keep your WiFi router away from and one of them is a thing that might actually be sitting right beside it. The placement of your router can greatly impact your WiFi performance and it’s important to know where to put it so that you can watch movies and TV shows uninterrupted and work and browse without any delays. Any device that uses Bluetooth, such as a Bluetooth speaker, can greatly affect how your WiFi performs in your home.
Bluetooth speakers are incredibly common in modern British households. Things like an Amazon Alexa or a Google Home speaker both use Bluetooth, as do other cheaper brands of speaker that play music and radio.
Bluetooth devices and WiFi routers use similar radio frequencies and when they are placed too close together in your home, this can cause interruptions to your WiFi speeds, as they will be sharing the same frequency, as explained by home technology experts Nerds To Go.
Brits often keep these items close together, not realising how it is affecting their WiFi’s performance. Before changing providers or upgrading to more expensive broadband, consider moving your router to improve internet speeds in your home, experts advise.
This rule applies to any device in your home that uses Bluetooth. This includes headsets, wireless keyboards, wireless computer mice, certain controllers and remotes and certain smart TVs.
The Institute of Physics explains Bluetooth as a “wireless system for connecting devices together such as computers and mobile phones when they are close to each other”. One device, which is often a phone, for example, is the “main unit” while the other device, which is often a Bluetooth speaker or wireless earphones, is the “peripheral”.
These devices are paired together using ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio waves. WiFi works in similar ways, utilising frequencies to provide you with wireless internet connection when using your mobile phone, computer or smart TV.
Interestingly, devices such as microwaves also use such frequencies and can also interfere with how your WiFi performs, so you should keep your router away from this kitchen appliance for the best internet speeds.