VIRGIN Media customers are just realising they could be making a massive mistake that’s slowing down their broadband — but a simple WiFi trick could fix it in seconds.
The internet giant has revealed a clever setting that can instantly boost your speed… and ignoring it could leave your connection crawling to a halt.
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A series of simple hacks could instantly speed up your Wi-Fi and banish dead zones for good — and all it takes is a better router spot.
Whether you’re bingeing boxsets or gaming online, faster downloads often come at a cost, depending on your postcode and package.
But Virgin’s latest tips prove you don’t have to fork out for quicker speeds.
Shared on the provider’s website, the golden rule is all about placement — and it turns out where you plonk your router could make or break your connection.
Virgin says your best bet is keeping it in the centre of your home, raised up on a shelf or table, and well away from walls, mirrors, microwaves, fish tanks and baby monitors — all known to wreak havoc with your signal.
And if you’ve been tempted to tuck it behind the telly or stuff it in a cupboard — don’t!
Virgin warns that hiding the box might make it look better, but it’ll tank your speeds.
Still struggling? Try a speed test via a wired connection, then compare it to your wireless speeds.
If there’s a huge gap, your router might need relocating — or you could benefit from signal boosters.
Customers can expect more free channels added to their boxes as the telecoms giant fights to keep up with streaming.
The firm has already added a number of streamed channels to the TV guide since last year in a bid to fill the gap from losses.
Virgin added two new streamed channels, Red Bull TV and Wonder.
In the past 12 months big name channels such as The Box, London Live and more recently Eurosport have disappeared from UK screens.
Rival Sky’s future very much appears to be in the streaming live TV space after announcing a second Sky Glass device in February, while its long-running satellite business remains with nine-year-old Sky Q boxes.
Virgin has its own streamed TV offering called Flex.
David Bouchier, Virgin Media O2’s Chief TV & Entertainment Officer told the Connected TV World Summit that there are currently about 30 so-called FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) channels.
But they planning to introduce as many as 50, according to Broadband TV News.
“We took the decision that had technical and regulatory complications, but we took the decision that it had to sit in our EPG and our FAST channels do that,” he said.
“We also heard about the importance of regional content, local appeal. We are not going for volume. We don’t need a volume of kind of faceless international channels.
“We’re fortunate with being an English language territory that we have a lot of library from UK producers who produce a lot of programming now and have very well-known program brands that are able to create very powerful thematic FAST channels for us.”
The firm is planning to complete a shift of its broadcast technology later this year, meaning users will have smaller TV boxes.
