Common broadband tips (which won’t really work)
We explore some of the many broadband tips which won't actually work in terms of improving internet connection speed and reliability

Such is the internet’s importance in our daily lives, the prospect of having to live without it can send a chill down the spine.
Even a periodically unreliable connection may be enough to trigger anxiety among otherwise level-headed consumers.
Broadband problems are endemic. In a recent survey by mobile network Giffgaff, 70 per cent of British consumers admitted connectivity issues were affecting their daily routine.
Ironically, the internet is filled with solutions for these issues – if you can get online to search in the first place, of course.
However, alongside useful guides and how-to blogs, there’s a wealth of misinformation about resolving broadband issues, with the recent tsunami of AI slop further muddying the waters.
These are some of the home broadband tips which won’t work if the problem is actually a faulty router, failed connection, network malfunction or ongoing interference issues…
1. Wait for everything to get better.
The zen approach to fault rectification might yield results if the outage is network-wide and caused by your ISP, but relatively few problems resolve themselves without direct input.
It’s worth visiting DownDetector or your ISP’s social media pages, to determine whether your provider is experiencing network or service problems in your area.
2. Clean your house.
In the Giffgaff survey, an alarming nine per cent of respondents said they’d clean their house in an attempt to improve or restore broadband coverage.
Cleanliness may be next to Godliness, but the cleanliness of your broadband router won’t improve its signal strength. Dust is not a barrier to WiFi signals, unlike mirrors or wood.
3. Lift the router in the air.
There is some logic to this, in the same way tweaking an indoor TV aerial was often enough to gain a watchable picture in the days before digital TV, satellite and cable services.
However, a weak signal is far more likely to be resolved by repositioning the router centrally within the home or installing range extenders than by temporarily holding it a couple of feet higher.
4. Adjusting the windows.
Closing windows doesn’t prevent WiFi signals from escaping, any more than opening windows lets signals in.
The latter might give a marginal boost to 4G/5G signals in weak areas, but the movement of fresh air has as much impact on domestic WiFi provision as the weather – i.e. none.
5. Wrapping the router in tin foil.
This is a curious phenomenon which one in twenty people apparently believe will improve signal coverage.
In fact, smothering the internal (or external) antennae distributing WiFi around the home will do the opposite. As a natural insulator, foil will also trap heat, potentially causing the router to overheat.
A better approach
Poor WiFi performance is often indicative of a problem somewhere – potentially one which won’t be resolved by fresh air or liberal applications of foil.
Rather than pursuing nebulous broadband tips which won’t work, we’ve listed a few practical steps to help identify and resolve any underlying issues.
Start any troubleshooting by turning off your router so it can cool down before restarting it a moment later. Do the same to any satellite or range extender hubs, too.
Where possible, hardwire equipment to the router using an Ethernet cable, and reduce the number of connected devices – some routers struggle with multiple simultaneous connections.
Unplug wireless devices like microwave ovens and baby monitors when not in use to minimise 2.4GHz interference, altering your WiFi channel to a less congested frequency.
Keep a diary of connection issues and look for common themes. Have problems emerged since you bought a new car with an infrared alarm, changed ISP or rewired your home?
If no obvious pattern emerges, ring your provider and ask whether they have any suggestions to improve the speed and/or reliability of your connection.
Finally, we’d recommend reading our guides to reducing wireless interference around your home and achieving effective whole-home WiFi coverage.