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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
David Snelling & Nicola Roy & Kieren Williams

Virgin Media warns customers they should never put their WiFi router in a certain room

Virgin Media has warned customers they should never put their WiFi router in one specific room in their home.

The company has issued the advice to Brits to help them get faster internet speeds ahead of what could be a busy festive period.

Across Christmas, many households often get new consoles or gadgets which could further burden their internet connection.

But, to help customers prepare for any Christmas chaos, the broadband company sent out an email with some helpful tips to get faster WiFi this Christmas, The Daily Record reported.

As well as that, the experts have warned that there's one room in the house you should never keep your router in.

The kitchen is thought to be the worst room you could put your router in - instead it should be placed in the centre of the house, clear of obstructions (Getty Images/EyeEm)

The worst place you could store your router is apparently in the kitchen as the signal can be easily interrupted and interfered with by all the other appliances in there.

The worst of these is the microwave, which may greatly slow down your WiFi while it's being used.

Explaining more, Virgin Media said: "It’s not just electronics that interfere with your WiFi signal: metal can also wreak havoc with your connection.

"Kitchens are often home to heavy-duty metal appliances (think ovens, fridges and washing machines), as well as signal-emitting electronics like microwaves, making them a particularly inhospitable environment for your router."

As well as finding the right place for your router, there are a few other things you can do to help get a better connection.

Virgin advises that you keep it in the centre of the home if possible, clear of any other large objects. This will ensure that you get a good connection no matter what room you're in.

Another tip is to avoid keeping it near things like mirrors or fish tanks as they can harm the signal released from the router.

Finally, Virgin has warned against keeping the router too near the Christmas tree - as doing so can seriously affect how fast your internet is running.

Five tips for speedy WiFi this Christmas

  • Don't keep your router in a cupboard or behind the TV as this can block the signal
  • Don't switch your router off overnight as it won't get vital updates it needs
  • Switch your router off once a month then reboot it as this will help clear any issues
  • Check your speed using services such as Ookla. If it's not what you are paying for call your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
  • Keep your router upright instead of lying on its side for the fastest speeds

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