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Struggling with sluggish download speeds at home? TalkTalk Chief Product Officer Steve Wallage has revealed a very simple fix.
If you're thinking about spring-cleaning your home in the coming days, you might want to spend some time on the Wi-Fi router sitting in a forgotten corner of the room. Overlooked by most spring-cleaners, there's a very important reason to spend some time dusting this small box.
TalkTalk executive Steve Wallage told GB News: "Sitting in the back corner of the living room, routers are often neglected when it comes to spring cleaning. Dust can build up around its vents over time, causing it to run hotter than intended. While most modern routers have built-in thermal protection, continued exposure to heat can make them perform slower, causing unexpected restarts and shortening the hardware lifespan."
If you're struggling with slower Wi-Fi speeds than you'd like, or random restarts – leaving you temporarily without internet, then Mr Wallage has some simple instructions that could help get everything working at full speed again. He told us: "Give your router a gentle wipe down with a dry cloth and ensure it isn’t buried under clutter and cables that might be restricting airflow.
"Keeping it in an open, central spot with room to breathe will help it stay cool and perform more reliably day-to-day."
TalkTalk Chief Product Officer Steve Wallage has warned about the perils of leaving your Wi-Fi router in a forgotten corner of the room
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The advice comes as BT teased the incoming launch of a new Smart Hub 3 Wi-Fi router with faster Wi-Fi 6 speeds, and Virgin Media started to upgrade some broadband users to a newer Wi-Fi router free of charge.
For its part, TalkTalk used to offer Amazon-owned eero Wi-Fi routers for anyone on its next-generation full-fibre broadband plans. These clever routers can be paired with multiple nodes throughout your home to create a seamless network that boosts coverage and eliminates dead zones.
Eero offers a simple dashboard that lets you restrict internet access for specific people or at certain times, add content restrictions, and create a standalone Wi-Fi network for guests. If you're not a TalkTalk customer, you can buy an eero direct from Amazon to handle your Wi-Fi connection, manage people and devices, and block ads and malware on your home network.
In a shake-up, the broadband supplier now provides its subscribers with its own Wi-Fi Hub 3, the fastest router that TalkTalk has developed, offering Wi-Fi 6 and mesh-ready technology.
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TalkTalk relies on BT-owned Openreach for its nationwide broadband infrastructure.
The latter recently confirmed that it had expanded its next-generation full-fibre speeds to 18.3 million homes and businesses across the UK as part of its mission to connect 25 million premises by December.
Cleaning the dust from your Wi-Fi router wasn't the only spring-cleaning tip from the TalkTalk Chief Product Officer.
1. Clear out unused apps
Remember that loyalty app you downloaded once for a free coffee and never opened again? Delete any app you haven't used in the last three months, free up valuable storage (and headspace) and reduce the number of apps collecting your data in the background.
2. Spring clean your passwords
Many of us are guilty of using the same password across multiple accounts. Refreshing weak passwords is an essential part of a spring clean. Worried about making them too complex and forgetting them? Consider using a tool like TalkTalk’s Password Manager to store your passwords securely.
3. Keyboards, remote controls and phone screens
Studies suggest the average keyboard harbours more bacteria than a toilet seat, and yet most of us never think to clean them. Remote controls, phone screens and laptop trackpads are touched hundreds of times a day and rarely see a cleaning cloth. A quick wipe with a microfibre cloth or antibacterial wipe can make a surprising difference.
4. Delete old photos and videos to free up storage
Our camera rolls are among the biggest culprits for eating up device storage. Duplicate shots, blurry photos and accidental screenshots add up. Take time to have a proper clear-out, back up anything you want to keep and delete the rest. You'll notice how quickly your device runs better.