Virgin Media O2 urges customers to keep their broadband routers out of direct sunlight

Has YOUR WiFi slowed down in the heatwave? Virgin Media O2 urges customers to keep their broadband routers out of direct sunlight to avoid overheating and slowing connection speeds

  • Virgin Media O2 has issued advice to ‘keep routers out of direct sunlight’ 
  • This comes after the UK has experienced record breaking temperatures 
  • They recommend finding a cool, open space to keep the broadband device
  • Leaving it in the direct sunlight can result in slower speeds over the WiFi 

Broadband provider Virgin Media O2 has urged customers to keep their routers out of direct sunlight to avoid them overheating and slowing connection speeds.

The warning comes as temperatures in the UK topped 89 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday and the Met Office issued its first ever ‘Extreme Heat Warning’.

They published the warning alongside a series of tips for boosting the signal to the garden and creating a mobile hotspot for when the wifi can’t stretch far enough. 

‘Although we test our Hubs carefully at a range of temperatures, they are better off out of bright sunlight, just like your phone or laptop,’ Virgin Media wrote.

Adding that leaving them in direct sunlight can slow operations, cause the device to overheat and result in a much slower home WiFi signal.

Broadband provider Virgin Media O2 has urged customers to keep their routers out of direct sunlight to avoid them overheating and slowing connection speeds

TIPS TO STOP YOUR ROUTER OVERHEATING 

Catherine Hiley, broadband expert at Uswitch.com offers tips to prevent your Wi-Fi router from overheating: 

Location — Ensure router is kept away from direct sunlight, avoiding window sills during the warmer months. 

Air circulation — Keep router in a ventilated area to allow the device to regulate its temperature. Do not tuck behind furniture or other large items.

Disconnect unused devices — Turn the Wi-Fi off on gadgets you’re not using, even if they’re in a drawer. 

Run a speed test — This will determine whether your router is running at the speeds you signed up for. 

Speak with your provider — If the problem persists, it may be time to upgrade your router especially if it’s an older device.

The firm says it shouldn’t be put in a cupboard or behind the TV, as that can also act to slow it down and reduce how far the signal can reach around the house.

Finding the right placement, away from direct sunlight, other technology and in an open area, will ensure the best signal and speed, the firm explained.

Other tips include putting it upright somewhere it can breathe, always leave it in a cool place, and to keep it at least 3ft away from a cordless phone or baby monitor. 

Some things can prevent the signal from getting out, like furniture, large electrical appliances and even big bodies of water like a fish tank.   

Catherine Hiley, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, said we are all struggling to keep cool int he heatwave, and electrical equipment like routers are no different. 

‘Just like laptops, phones and games consoles, routers require ventilation to get rid of excess heat. Therefore, you should avoid placing them in or near direct sunlight.

‘Many of us put them close to windows because they are plugged into wires, which run through the external walls, so if yours is overheating, try moving it further inside the property,’ she said.

‘Keeping it in a shaded area and ensuring the room is well ventilated should be enough to stop it from overheating. If you’re using a fan to keep cool, make sure the router benefits from the moving air as well.

‘If your router is regularly overheating, it could indicate that the device has an underlying problem or that it is getting too old to function properly. 

‘If this is the case, it may be worth asking your provider to send you a new router or purchasing a compatible one through a trusted retailer.’

Virgin Media said there is no ‘widespread issue’ of routers overheating during the heatwave, just that they were alerting people to the risk. 

They published the warning alongside a series of tips for boosting the signal to the garden and creating a mobile hotspot for when the wifi can't stretch far enough

They published the warning alongside a series of tips for boosting the signal to the garden and creating a mobile hotspot for when the wifi can’t stretch far enough

Electrical currents generate heat as it moves through a device, and while many systems have cooling systems, direct sunlight can increase the risk of overheating.

According to ISP Review, routers should cope with temperatures up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, so the current UK heatwave is unlikely to be a problem.

However, keeping it in the shade, out of direct sunlight, further reduces any risk. 

They also said people shouldn’t allow their pets to sit on the router, even in winter, and watch for dust clogging air vents. 

UK bakes in 90F temperatures amid ‘amber’ extreme heat warning 

Britain enjoyed another scorching day today with an extreme weather warning for 90F (32C) temperatures until Friday – but forecasters warned that this weekend will bring torrential downpours, thunderstorms and flooding.

The Met Office said conditions will be hottest in the South and it will be cooler in the East – and sunseekers were warned to beware of sunburn, heat exhaustion, dehydration, nausea, fatigue and other heat-related illnesses. 

The heat will continue for the next two days, but this will be replaced by rain and storms spreading from the South West on Friday night, introducing unsettled weather to much of England and Wales on Saturday and Sunday. 

The Met Office said the rain on Sunday will be ‘widespread and locally torrential’ with lightning and hail also expected, and up to 4in (100mm) of rain could fall in some locations, much of which ‘in a short period of time’. 

Northern Ireland today provisionally saw its highest temperature on record, with 88.3F (31.3C) at Castlederg in County Tyrone this afternoon. Its previous all-time record of 88.2F (31.2C) was only set last Saturday. 

By 4pm today, the top UK temperature elsewhere was 87.8 (31C) in Exeter, followed by 86.9F (30.5C) at North Wyke in Devon and 86F (30C) in London. The high at 9am was 72F (22C) in London, Cardiff, Norwich and Manchester. 

The heat was also causing travel disruption, with Chiltern Railways saying severely high track temperatures meant that trains could not run between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire until 6.30pm. 

Meanwhile hail the size of golf balls has damaged roofs and car bonnets in Leicestershire. And the number of lives lost in the water during the heatwave rose to 13 as the body of a teenage boy was pulled from the River Trent.

The UK had its hottest temperature of the year yesterday – 90F (32.2C) – recorded at London Heathrow Airport. The previous high for 2021 was 88.9F (31.6C), which was also recorded at the airport on Sunday.



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