Five myths about your WiFi busted – including why turning your router off at night is a BAD idea

THERE are so many ways things can go wrong with your WiFi – and sometimes you may unintentionally be making matters worse.

A survey by Zen Internet has found that people are trying all sorts of weird and wonderful ideas to boost their connection, but not all of them are effective.

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Here are some popular myths busted.

Place devices next to a router for them to work better

Almost a quarter of people think this is necessary to get the best results but they’re wasting their time.

Modern-day routers are able to provide sufficient connectivity for devices spread across a house.

It’s better to position your router in as central a location as possible to provide even coverage.

Also, don’t keep it in an isolated space like a cupboard.

Turning your router off at night makes it work better

No, turning your router off at night does not improve performance.

In fact, experts say you could actually disrupt the signal.

Your broadband router can be kept on 24/7 without sucking up too much electricity.

It takes over a month to switch broadband

It’s good to switch provider now and again, whether it’s to get better performance or because you’ve seen a good deal.

But almost one in six (16%) say they avoid switching because of internet downtime caused by switching.

Some believe it takes a month or more for the change over to take effect.

However, it is possible to switch provider in two weeks or faster without losing connectivity during the transition – it’s well worth talking to your new and existing provider about it.

Your neighbours’ WiFi can’t interfere with your WiFi

There are signals everywhere these days and your neighbours’ WiFi could actually impact on yours.

This is because you may be using the same channel and frequency bands may be clashing.

This is especially the case in an apartment block where you’re more likely to be close.

Refrigerators don’t interfere with your WiFi

Just about any electrical appliance can interfere with your WiFi connection, not just refrigerators.

If the router is positioned too close, it can cause WiFi connections to be drowned out.

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