Boosting your Wi-Fi performance

If you've received a Wi-Fi Hub, have a look at our setup guide to help you switch over from your previous router.

The location of your router is critical as your router needs room to breathe. Keeping your router on a flat, open surface (ideally halfway between the ceiling and floor) and facing out into the room will give you the best results. You also need to keep your router powered on to ensure it receives essential updates to continue performing at its peak.

Placing your router in a confined space like a cupboard or behind furniture will block the signal from getting where it needs to be. Similarly, keeping it away from other large electricals (TVs, microwaves, etc.) may further improve its performance. You may not have much choice over your Wi-Fi Hub's location based on where your fibre connection box is — experiment with a few locations if the length of your Ethernet and power supply cables allow.

It's become the norm to quickly connect to your router via a wireless connection. We don't blame you — it's become really effortless to get your devices hooked up quickly and easily! However, for those really heavy-duty jobs, a wired connection will allow for superior performance.

Connecting devices to your router directly via an Ethernet cable will allow you to get to top speed without worrying about signals getting crossed. Setting up with a wired connection will depend on your home setup — if your router and fibre connection box are far away from your device(s), you will need to buy longer Ethernet cables to facilitate this, and you may need to invest in a Network Switch if you want to connect multiple devices to the same router.

Your broadband speed is shared amongst all connected devices. If everyone in your household is using the internet at the same time, you may get slower speeds. Downloading, streaming, video calling, gaming and other online activities that use a lot of bandwidth may also take a toll on your speed if you're doing them all at the same time.

The larger your house, the less likely it is that you’ll get a strong Wi-Fi signal in every room. If you can, try to have your router in as central a location as possible to give the best chance of getting signal throughout your home. If you're struggling to get your Wi-Fi signal to stretch far enough, it might be worth taking a look at a Wi-Fi Booster. This system uses multiple devices to create a network, ensuring that your wireless signal can stretch as far as necessary to cover the entire footprint of your home. You'll see the most benefit with this upgrade if your house is spread over several (3 or more) floors, or if you need the signal to travel longer distances (for example, into the garden or if your home footprint is wider).