Homeowners have been warned that one common decoration could be causing their Wi-Fi to lag
Households are being warned that one popular Christmas decoration could be slowing down their Wi-Fi signal. The festive staple, which is likely to be found in almost every home over the holidays, may be the source of lagging internet in homes across the country.
A tech expert revealed that if your internet connection slows down over the coming weeks, it could be down to a case of old or poorly-made Christmas lights, which can cause the signal to lag. Expert Juliet Moran, from TelephoneSystems.Cloud, has advised households to be wary of this as they begin to decorate for the festivities
Slow Wi-Fi is a very frustrating issue, even more so over the busy festive period, so nobody wants their twinkling lights to contribute to this. Juliet explained that outdated or cheaply-made lights might contain electrical components which emit electromagnetic interference.
This can then disrupt the Wi-Fi signal, especially if they’re placed too close to the router. This can be a particular issue over Christmas if you’ve got a home full of family and kids streaming festive films with more devices than usual connecting to your internet.
Juliet advised: “Your Wi-Fi will take a battering over Christmas with everyone at home and visitors popping in. Your lights and decorations may play a small role in slowing speeds, but do bear in mind the number of devices using it.
“Prioritising those that require a stable connection is one consideration, as is using a wired connection. It’s worth taking a few minutes ahead of the festivities to check everything’s in working order, moving your router if you have to, to keep any disruption to a minimum.”
Thankfully, there are some really quick and easy fixes to avoid any Wi-Fi issues, within your control, over the holiday season. Juliet has provided some solutions below.
Tech expert’s advice for keeping your Wi-Fi as fast as possible this Christmas
Move your router
If the Christmas lights are close by to your router, consider moving either the lights or the router box. The further apart the two are, the less likely chance of interference.
Changing the channel
Wi-Fi has multiple channels to choose from and the ones in the middle are best.
However, if you are having an issue, then log into your router and try moving the Wi-fi channel up or down a couple of numbers to see if that improves your connectivity.
Don’t cover the router
Do not be tempted to drape tinsel or any other Christmas decorations over your router. If you do, chances are you’ll block the signal, especially any metal decorations.
Check your lights
Consider buying some new lights if you’ve had them for years as an upgrade could be in order. Newer lights will be better quality and will minimise the impact, if they have any, on your Wi-Fi connection.
Double check your router
Make sure you check your router cables are all securely connected before blaming your colourful Christmas lights.
Prioritise devices
If you’ve got lots of devices using your connection, prioritise those that need the most stable connection.
Use a wired connection
Try using a wired connection for devices that can be directly connected to the router.
Smart TVs and games consoles are the obvious ones, which can use a lot of traffic, so keeping them off the Wi-Fi makes it faster for other devices.
