Growing Family

UK home and garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for busy family life, written by Catherine Hughes

  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact / PR
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Garden
    • What to Plant Now
    • Garden Jobs this Month
    • Grow Your Own
    • Gardening with Children
    • Garden Tips
    • Garden Design
    • Houseplants
    • In Season Now
    • Birth Month Flowers
  • Interiors
    • Interior Design Tips
    • Living Room
    • Kitchen & Dining
    • Bedroom
    • Bathroom
    • Family Home
    • Product Showcase
    • Food
  • Nature
    • Exploring Nature
    • Days Out
    • Travel
  • Craft
  • Reviews
  • Giveaways

Tips to improve your broadband when working from home

April 27, 2021 by Catherine Leave a Comment

Collaborative post

While we all expect our home broadband to be good enough to handle our entertainment needs, it takes on an extra dimension when we’re working from home. This is when it becomes crucially important to get it right.

broadband router

Working from home usually requires a stable broadband connection that won’t let you down just when you’re about to send that important document to a colleague or host a video call. A weak connection at a critical moment can cost you lots of time, not to mention the general sense of being less than professional.

How to improve your broadband when working from home

If you’d like to improve your broadband to make it faster and secure while you’re working from home, start by taking a look at these four areas.

1. Is your broadband connection fast enough?

If you’re working from home, the first thing you need to check is how fast your broadband connection currently is. Once you’ve done that, you can work out whether the speeds you’re getting are sufficient for your needs.

doing a speed test to improve your broadband

Run a broadband speed test using a site like Speedtest.net or Xfinity xFi Speed Test to see how many Mbps you’re receiving. If it’s possible to test the speed on a wired connection, do that alongside testing the wi-fi. If that’s not an option, test the speeds in a few different locations around your home, to see whether that changes the speeds received. Getting a better signal could be as simple as moving closer to the router.

Once you know what broadband speeds you’re getting, you can assess whether they’re adequate by considering what else is going to be happening on the internet connection while you’re working from home. If no one else is using the broadband, entry-level superfast speeds of 30Mbps+ may be sufficient. In homes where someone else is streaming, gaming or working, speeds upwards of 60Mbps+ should be a starting point.

If your broadband struggles with multiple people working online at the same time, it may be time to shop around for a faster deal. Remember, though, broadband companies charge early termination fees, so either wait until your contract is up or be prepared to pay an exit fee.

wifi symbol

2. Is anything interfering with your home wi-fi network?

Wi-fi signals can be affected by some everyday objects. Checking to see if something is getting in the way of your wi-fi can be a cheap fix that will stop the signal dropping out on video calls.

Common culprits include stereo and computer speakers, TVs, monitors, fairy lights, halogen lamps and AC power cords. Some of these are indispensable to everyday life, and there’s no need to ditch them entirely. It may just be a case of temporarily moving them to improve the signal while you’re working.

Along with this, it’s good practice to keep broadband routers as far away from anything else that may emit wireless signals, such as baby monitors. Keeping your router raised on a shelf or cupboard rather than on the floor can also improve the signal.

Ofcom’s website has more tips on improving broadband speeds around the home.

home office

3. Do you need a wi-fi booster or adaptor to improve your broadband?

If the wi-fi signal is weak in a particular area of your home, you may be able to improve it with a wi-fi booster or adaptor.

Some broadband companies provide boosting discs to customers as part of wider speed guarantees. These can be useful, but a booster purchased from a third-party may work just as well without the added monthly costs of an extra subscription from your broadband provider.

Boosters can be useful in older houses where the signal struggles to get through thick walls. They may also be able to beam the wi-fi up to an attic or out to a garden office. If you’re considering this option, it’s worth noting that some ISP boosters and guarantees don’t cover external areas of homes if the customer has to go outside to access them.

checking computer security to improve your broadband

4. Is your network security up to date?

Anyone working from home needs to be aware of the latest cyber security risks. While these can be an annoyance for all network users, they can cause lasting damage if you’re working from home when something goes wrong.

Here are a few things you should consider when it comes to network security.

  • Get anti-virus software and update it when prompted.
  • Ensure your computer and router firewalls are turned on.
  • Be careful about opening and downloading unknown files.
  • Secure all devices on the network.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has plenty of tips to keep everyone safe online. The sections on individuals/families and businesses are both helpful for family homes where broadband is being used for multiple purposes.

Have you come across any clever ways to improve your broadband?

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin1
1 Shares

Filed Under: Family Home Tagged With: Broadband, Family home, Home, Home office, Home working, Technology, Top Tips, Working from home

« Home management: 5 essential habits to teach your kids
Gardening in May: jobs to tackle this month »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi, I’m Catherine. Welcome to Growing Family, a top UK home & garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

ORDER MY BOOK

Search

VuelioTop10Badge2020

CandideTop10Badge2019

BRAMBLECREST GARDEN FURNITURE

Connect

Catherine Hughes is a home & garden blogger sharing ideas, inspiration & tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
Learn More

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

container plants hanging basket
digging the garden in wellies
garden party

AMAZON ASSOCIATE

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright Growing Family 2022. Design by Stacey Corrin.