Neil Cumins

Neil is our resident tech expert. He's written guides on loads of broadband head-scratchers and is determined to solve all your technology problems!

Why BT is turning its back on the landlines it used to champion

The end of landlines has been predicted many times before, but even BT is now turning its back on traditional telephone lines

What’s it like living without the internet?

It’s hard to imagine living without the internet, yet millions of people across the UK have no day-to-day exposure to the virtual world

How to find great photographs online

Being able to find great photographs online can transform your website, social media timelines and online presence – especially if you’re not a natural photographer

Why social media is addictive – and how to manage it

Managing social media addiction has become such a pressing topic, it should arguably be taught as part of the National Curriculum

How COVID-19 changed our relationship with the internet

The post-COVID internet will be a significantly different place, in both positive and negative ways

How vulnerable to broadband outages is smart security tech?

Many people will be receiving smart security tech for Christmas, but broadband outages can be a significant problem

Six of our favourite box sets to savour over Christmas

In a year that’s seen some extraordinary new television, these are the series for binging on this festive season.

Tips for speeding up home broadband on Christmas Day

When families come together, bandwidth slows down, so it’s helpful to prepare for Christmas Day by speeding up home broadband

Who are Openreach, and why are they so significant?

It’s important for consumers to understand who are Openreach working on behalf of when they undertake broadband works or agree to connect a telephone line

What is binary data?

We talk about binary data all the time, but it’s not immediately obvious what this term means – or how it’s measured

Tips for effective home product photography

Effective home product photography can make the difference between a successful or struggling small business

Top 10 things to look out for when buying your next laptop

There are several key laptop specs which you should be aware of when hunting for a new portable PC or Mac

Drones could be delivering tomorrow’s broadband

Connecting through flying robots might sound like sci-fi, but it’s closer to reality thanks to recent experiments

Ten games consoles that changed the world

We review ten historic games consoles whose launch, development and specifications led to the current crop of high-end machines

Are paid VPNs better than free ones?

There is a lot of confusion about the relative merits of free or paid VPNs, but the decision often comes down to a choice between privacy or affordability

How to switch off after spending the day online

Being able to disconnect from the internet is a real challenge, but it’s vital for preserving our mental and physical wellbeing and safety

Top tips for getting broadband on a budget

There are many ways of getting cheaper broadband, but it’s important to ensure you don’t compromise your connectivity just to save money

How to choose broadband for a second home

If you want to choose broadband for a second home, different criteria apply to your main family residence

What’s going on with the UK broadband upgrade?

The media can’t decide if the UK broadband upgrade is going well or failing badly, so what’s the truth?

How to squeeze a home office into a small space

Creating a home office in a small space might seem ambitious, but modern technology can support workspaces in the most unlikely places

Revealed: the best and worst ISPs – calculated using Twitter

The broadband provider rankings takes a twist as university language algorithm scans over 300,000 tweets

How do all-in-one PCs work?

Like laptops, all-in-one PCs are space-saving devices which cram a considerable amount of hardware into a compact desk-friendly chassis

Signs of decline for Post Office broadband.

One of the UKs most recognisable brands still offers broadband, but for how much longer?

How housebuilders fit high-speed broadband in new homes

Full-fibre broadband in new builds is becoming commonplace as developers tempt potential purchasers with ultrafast connectivity

How Sony’s PlayStation has evolved since 1995

The history of the PlayStation demonstrates how gaming has evolved over the last 25 years, through a series of significant technological advances

How to turn a spare room into a home office

With lockdown resumed in England, millions may need to work remotely

FACT: You don’t have to use the wifi router your ISP supplies

ISP branded routers are often disappointingly cheap and inefficient - switching could make a huge difference

How to acquire a domain name that’s already been registered

You may not think it’s possible to get that dream domain if someone beat you to it...

Home broadband from mobile operators

It's worth considering switching broadband to a mobile operator as an alternative to market leaders like BT, Sky and Plusnet

How to create a home office in the garden

In the first in a series of working-from-home features, we consider how to create a home office in the garden