Get better connected – 10 troubleshooting WiFi tips

It’s the classic, stating-the-obvious tip but it has become a cliché for a reason. Some home WiFi issues can be fixed simply by unplugging your WiFi router, waiting a few minutes and then plugging it in again. A reboot will reset your router, may improve speeds and can iron out glitches.

Do you have red and green lights flashing on your router? Familiarise yourself with the device’s lights and icons so it’s easier to spot any problems. Most WiFi routers are easy to understand but each generation has a slightly different interface. Always check with your service provider to find out what they mean.

Where you place your router can make a huge difference to WiFi coverage around your home. Prioritise the rooms where you most need a signal (your home office and your TV room, for example) and place the router in a central spot between them. If you’re living in a two-storey property and your router is on the ground floor, pop it on a high shelf to boost the signal for devices upstairs. Even if you’re in a flat, it’s always better to move your router off the floor. WiFi signals radiate vertically as well as horizontally, so you want to make sure your router can broadcast freely.

You may want to tuck your router away to keep those surfaces clean but try to resist the tidying temptation. Your router will work best if it’s given space to breathe, away from obstructions that can cause interference or overheating. And don’t place it near devices such as a microwave or a baby monitor. Signals from many wireless electronics can mess with WiFi signals and disrupt performance. As a rule of thumb, aim for 1m of clearance on all sides.

Most building materials will let a WiFi signal through but try to avoid putting your router right next to a concrete or brick wall, because they absorb radio waves more than wood or plasterboard. Glass won’t hamper your signal but by placing your router next to a window, you’ll be flooding the outdoor space and not targeting the signal inside where you need it.

To give your router the best chance of broadcasting an optimum signal, keep it upright with its lights facing into the room. This way, the internal WiFi antennas will be in the best position to work most effectively.

If you discover that part of your home is a WiFi dead zone, there’s a simple solution: add some WiFi boosters to extend your coverage. With a Volt bundle you get up to three WiFi Pods at no extra cost to help you get the most reliable WiFi all around your home. Find out about WiFi Pods.

On a motorway, heavy traffic means slower speeds; it’s the same with your WiFi. When lots of devices are connected to it, the available bandwidth is reduced and so is the speed. Do a spring clean and make sure the devices connected to your WiFi are devices you’re currently using. Applications and services running in the background can also slow things down, so shut down or pause anything you don’t need.

Your computer’s firewall is there to block harmful incoming connections so it offers important protection, but you can disable it temporarily to see if it’s hampering internet speeds. If it is, you may be able to change the settings to “performance optimised” rather than “maximum security”, for example, to get things moving more quickly.

It’s easy to ignore those update notifications but old software can slow things down. And updates contain the latest security patches, so it’s doubly important. Make sure you’re running the latest system and software by updating whenever you receive a prompt.

When you’re with both Virgin Media and O2, you can enjoy supercharged connectivity at home with a Volt bundle, plus exclusive Volt benefits. For example, you can enjoy our WiFi Guarantee included at no extra cost, promising at least 30Mbps download speeds in every room or get £100 bill credit. It’s also backed up with up to three WiFi pods on us if you find any WiFi blackspots in your home.

You can also get a Virgin Media broadband speed boost to the next available level (if you aren’t already on the fastest speeds in your area, up to a max of 1Gbps). Not only that, you can get double the mobile data for every eligible O2 Pay Monthly plan in your household.

Find out about our Volt bundles

Published: 6 May 2024

^{Volt Benefits terms and exclusions:}

^{Volt benefits are available if you have or sign up to both an eligible Virgin Media broadband service and an eligible O2 Pay Monthly tariff. Excludes Essential broadband customers from 10 November 2022. Volt benefits include (1) Virgin Media broadband speed boost to the next available level (up to a max of 1Gbps download speed) available to you in at the point you place your order to become supercharged with Volt. Doesn’t include Upload speed add-on; (2) our moneyback WiFi coverage guarantee with WiFi Max at no extra cost ; (3) Double the O2 mobile data for each eligible O2 Pay Monthly Mobile SIMS in the Virgin Media account holder’s name in your household (if you don’t take or already have unlimited O2 mobile data); Roam in 75 worldwide destinations. In O2’s Europe Zone, your UK minutes, texts and data allowances apply, however if your UK monthly data allowance is over 25GB you’ll have a roaming limit of 25GB. After this you’ll be charged £3.50 per GB until you use up your monthly UK data allowance, you return to the UK or you reach your next bill cycle. In other inclusive international destinations outside of Europe, you get unlimited minutes, texts and data. Roaming subject to fair usage policy. Benefits applied following purchase that fulfils eligibility criteria. Existing eligible customers must place order to unlock Volt benefits via My O2. Volt benefits applied up to 14 days following order (or up to 14 days following Virgin Media installation for existing eligible O2 customers purchasing Virgin Media broadband). Check Virgin Media broadband speeds availability at www.virginmedia.com/join/availability. Separate contracts and billing apply to your Virgin Media and O2 mobile services. Further terms apply, www.virginmedia.com/shop/the-legal-stuff and o2.co.uk/terms. If you already have a Virgin Mobile SIM and continue using it, your service shall be subject to Virgin Media’s standard pay monthly terms and conditions which can be found at www.virginmedia.com/shop/the-legal-stuff.}

^{WiFi Guarantee with WiFi Max}

^{WiFi Guarantee with WiFi Max: Available to Virgin Media residential broadband customers on M50 broadband or faster. Excludes Essential broadband customers. Existing Intelligent WiFi Plus customers will be individually informed when they are moved to WiFi Max. £8 a month add-on or at no extra cost for Ultimate Oomph, Gig1, Gig2 and Volt customers. WiFi Max is only available to order once your Virgin Media broadband service has been activated. If you don’t get download speeds of at least 30Mbps in every room, if needed we’ll provide up to 3 WiFi Pods. If that still doesn’t do the trick we’ll give you a one-off credit of £100 off your next bill. Guarantee and eligibility for pods does not cover broadband faults or network outages. Pods subject to stock availability, require self-installation via QuickStart and can be delivered via Click & Collect or optional home delivery (£5 delivery charge may apply). Pod type provided may differ from image shown. Improved WiFi performance compared to use without pods. Home environment, device limitations, number of users and time of day may affect WiFi performance. User speed varies and depends on Pod/Hub location, as well as broadband package choice. Equipment remains property of Virgin Media. Exclusions and further terms apply.}

^{*Monthly price of Virgin Media’s main services and O2 Airtime Plan will increase each April from April 2025 by the Retail Price Index rate of inflation announced in February each year plus 3.9%. Doesn’t apply to any add-ons you may have selected, out-of-bundle charges or admin costs, which may increase separately. See www.virginmedia.com/prices and www.o2.co.uk/prices for details.}