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How Can I Keep My Home Office Wi-Fi Secure?

A couple of years ago, the most you did with your Wi-Fi might have been a Netflix binge, a bit of online shopping and perhaps some gaming. But now, a big percentage of the workforce are working from at least part of the time. 

With the pandemic brought the rise of hybrid working and all of a sudden, people needed strong, reliable Wi-Fi at home so they could continue to work throughout lockdowns. But what about security? 

Just as you wouldn’t want your card details stolen online, your boss probably doesn’t want confidential information at risk on your home network. They won’t want their devices flooded with spyware and malware either! 

So what can you do to keep your home Wi-Fi network secure so you can continue working from home? 

Here are some top tips to help keep those hackers, scammers and cybercriminals at bay, and protect your network and all the devices connected to it. 

How to keep your home Wi-Fi network secure

1. Re-name your home Wi-Fi network

Your wireless router will automatically broadcast your default SSID (service set identifier) in  the list of available wireless networks close by. It is usually listed by the manufacturer or service provider’s name e.g. Sky. This gives hackers a headstart when it comes to breaking into your network, so it’s always a good idea to re-name it. Make sure you choose a name that doesn’t give away any personal info, such as your surname or house number. 

2. Choose a strong, unique password for your wireless network 

Did you know that hackers can make educated guesses when it comes to default passwords, especially if they know the name of the manufacturer of your router? Scary right. Make sure you change the default password to something strong and less easy to guess. You want it to be at least 20 characters long, and include letters, numbers and symbols. The more difficult you make the password, the trickier it is for hackers to get into your network. 

3. Enable network encryption

Most routers come with a feature called encryption, but they tend to come with this turned off. You can help to secure your home WI-Fi network by turning this feature on in settings. You should turn this on as soon as your router has been installed by your broadband provider. The most recent and effective encryption currently available is ‘WPA2’. 

4. Don’t broadcast your network name – Turn this feature off 

We touched on this above when we talked about changing the default name. You can go a step further and not broadcast your wireless network publicly at all. When a person looks up available local networks on their device, your network won’t be visible if you disable name broadcasting. This means that your Wi-Fi is invisible to anyone who doesn’t know how to go looking for it. There’s not many reasons why you would need to publicly display your home wireless network, unless you want to be sharing it with your friends and neighbours! 

5. Keep up with the latest software updates

As with any firmware, software can have vulnerabilities. Thankfully, these are usually swiftly rectified and shared via updates by the manufacturer. By staying up to date with software for your router you can make sure that it has the highest level of security. Hence helping to prevent hackers getting access to your home Wi-Fi network. 

6. How good is your firewall?

If you want to protect your computer or other device from malware, viruses and other cyber attacks then you need a firewall. You’ll find that most wireless routers come with a firewall built in – But do make sure that this function isn’t turned off. No firewall on your router? You’ll want to make sure that you download a decent firewall onto your system to act as a guard to anyone attempting to access your wireless network with ill intent. 

7. Use VPNs to access your network

A virtual private network is a really effective way of keeping your online communications private and secure. You can use your devices on your home Wi-Fi network and connect to a VPN which then checks your credentials and links with another server. Once both sides are authenticated, all your internet communication becomes encrypted – Which means no outside prying eyes can see or access what you’re up to. 

How secure is your home Wi-Fi network? 

It is so important to keep your home wireless network secure – Perhaps now more than every before with the amount of employees working from home. 

You should know exactly how secure your home Wi-Fi network is, and the steps you can take to ensure it is as secure as you can possibly make it. 

You should be aware of all the devices that connect to your home network and ensure that they all have reliable security software installed. That way all of the devices across your home Wi-Fi network will be protected from viruses and spyware, and thus protecting any sensitive information you may be sharing for work. 

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Can I Check The Internet Speed Before Moving Home?

Once upon a time, we would walk into a prospective new home and tick the fundamentals off our list. Water pressure? Cracks in walls? Water marks or mould? Double Glazing? Overall presentation?

But now, topping the list of importance, is how good is the broadband? The lack of a decent internet connection is now just as much of a deal breaker as a huge crack in the wall. 1 in 7 people would forfeit a bath in favour of good broadband, and 15% would prefer reliable internet to a garden, 

Not only would people refuse to buy a home with unreliable internet, but people would even be willing to pay more for a house that does have fast internet! 

It’s unsurprising that home-buyers see internet connection as so vital. With the prevalence of home-working and video calls, plus online streaming and shopping from multiple devices it’s obvious why strong, fast internet is top of the list for prospective house buyers. 

How can you make sure you’re getting the best internet connection when buying a new house?

If you’re buying a new build, then you’re in luck. Most new property developers are now making sure that their properties are connected to ultrafast broadband. 

Some will even let you choose between the major fibre suppliers with connections ready to go. 

But what if you’re not buying a new build? 

Most Estate Agents now include an estimate of broadband speed alongside their listings. Geekabit actually have their own service which we offer to Estate Agents which provide just this – An accurate reading of the internet speeds available at a specific property. It’s called SpeedScore – You can read more about it here. 

As a homeowner – Or prospective home owner! – It’s important that you’re getting the most accurate information possible when it comes to the reliability of the Wi-Fi at your potential property. 

How to secure seamless internet when moving house

Once you’ve chosen your property and are ready to move in – Hopefully having previously checked how reliable the internet connection is – There are a couple of things you can do to make sure you are connected and ready as soon as possible.

  • Decide whether or not you are taking your current supplier with you
  • Give your current or new supplier as much notice as possible – They usually need at least 2 weeks if you want things ready on your moving date

How are house prices affected by bad internet?

If you are looking at buying a new property, chances are you’re also selling yours! But is your home one of the estimated 466,000 properties that experience bad broadband here in the UK?

If you’re selling a property, it should be obvious that your current internet speeds are going to be just as scrutinised as the potential properties that you’re considering buying.

If you have fast speeds and minimal interruption then your house price is likely to be unaffected by the internet. If, however, your broadband speeds are slow then you could be seeing a horrendous 24% decrease in your property value. With the average property value in the UK being £278,000, that’s a decrease of nearly £67K – Just because of bad broadband. 

Generally speaking, it’s more rural properties that are affected by unreliable broadband and slow internet speeds. House prices can tend to be lower in more rural areas too, but will fall even lower if the Wi-Fi offering isn’t up to scratch. 

What can you do about it? 

Fix the internet problems before you try to sell! If you’re thinking that you can get away with no potential buyers noticing then think again.

Whether you’re in a rural home or not, our Wi-Fi experts here at Geekabit can help make your Wi-Fi woes a thing of the past. There are plenty of options to boost your internet connectivity – From extra devices to mobile 4G/5G broadband. Give us a call to discuss – Our Wi-Fi engineers work out of Hampshire, London and Cardiff and are on hand to get you better connected. 

With the recent working-from-home revolution, there has never before been a need as big for fast, affordable, available broadband. 

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Can Hot Weather Affect Your Phone Signal?

We’ve recently had the second heatwave of the year here in the UK, particularly the South of England with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees at our bases in Hampshire, London and Cardiff. 

Understatement of the year – It’s been very hot. And you might have noticed that during said heat wave, your 4G mobile phone signal has been affected 

Mobile network traffic is carried on radio waves, so the reception you get on your mobile phone can be affected by any kind of atmospheric conditions – including very hot weather. Just as you might find the weather affects your terrestrial radio signal! 

Weather in general, not just extreme heat, can directly (e.g. a thunderstorm with lightning causing electrical interference) and indirectly (change of season affecting mobile reception) effect 4G signal on your mobile phone or broadband service. 

How could a change of season affect network signal? Well, something as simple as the trees surrounding a property being bare in the Winter could mean that there is less interference to the reception coming in and going out. Come the Spring, the trees become covered with leaves, which could weaken and sometimes block the signal. 

But how does day-to-day weather affect 4G signal?

The most obvious weather affecting mobile phone coverage is stormy weather – Torrential rain and thunderstorms. Water and radio waves don’t really mix, so any water in the atmosphere is not good for your mobile signal. The frequencies used by mobile networks are hindered by any water – Not just rain and snow, but also fog, clouds and even high humidity. All of these types of weather can negatively impact your mobile phone signal. .

Why does water hinder 4G signal? Well, water conducts electricity, so any water vapour in the atmosphere can actually refract and reflect radio waves. Us Wi-Fi engineers call this the “propagation delay effect.”

What this means is that your mobile phone signal could be:

  • Weakened by interference
  • Disrupted or slowed down due to the signal taking longer to go between your device and the tower

Is the weather affecting my mobile phone reception?

We’re going to take a look at different types of weather now, and how each different weather conditional can interfere with the signal you get on your mobile phone or 4G device. 

Do extreme temperatures affect phone signal?

We’ll start with temperature as we’ve been enjoying such hot weather recently! Generally speaking, extremes of hot or cold weather on their own shouldn’t affect your mobile reception. 

You disagree? If you are experiencing issues with your 4G reception during extreme heat or very cold temperatures, it’s more likely to be due to what’s going on in the air and how the humidity is changing. 

Can rain affect my mobile phone reception? 

Rain is the weather that is most likely to negatively affect your 4G signal. In a rainstorm, the density o the water vapour in the air is highest – The heavier the rain, the more likely your 4G will be affected. 

Water vaoour in the air can also absorb the energy from the radio waves, reducing the reception your mobile phone can achieve. 

Can thunderstorms and lightning interfere with my 4G?

We’ve covered rain above, but actually thunderstorms even without heavy rain can cause real issues for mobile phone coverage. Because the lightning causes electrical interference, your 4G can struggle. 

Of course, lightning can also strike causing damage to cell towers and other network equipment which would obviously cause disruption to your local mobile network service. 

Does snow and hail make my mobile signal worse? 

You might think that snow or hail would be worse than rain, but generally it’s actually not as bad for phone reception. Snow flakes and hail stones are less dense than rain, so have less of an effect on mobile coverage. However, if we were to have very heavy snow, it can refract the radio waves and cause them to change direction which would cause problems with mobile signal and 4G. 

Does fog and cloud affect mobile phone signal? 

Whilst not as effective as rain at disrupting 4G signal, fog and cloud can still cause issues for mobile coverage because of the water vapour in the air. They still have the ability to cause localised problems with mobile reception by scattering radio waves. 

Can wind disrupt mobile phone signal? 

Just as with temperature, wind is unlikely to cause mobile coverage problems just as itself and shouldn’t affect your mobile signal if it’s unaccompanied by other weather. 

When it starts to cause problems for 4G signal is when the wind is joined by rain, snow or hail. Of course, with very high winds there is also the possibility of blowing down or damaging mobile network equipment and power lines, which could disrupt the service you get on your mobile. 

Is there anything I can do when the weather gives me poor mobile signal? 

There isn’t a great deal you can do if the weather is affecting your 4G signal and causing mobile coverage issues. You may find that a mobile phone signal booster could provide some reduction in disruption of mobile phone coverage due to poor weather conditions. 

A mobile phone signal booster works by taking the existing mobile signal and amplifying it, giving you better call quality, faster data and a more reliable signal for your phone or home. 

If you rely on your phone for work or use 4G broadband in your home, then this could be a good option for you to help ensure better coverage in bad weather. 

If the odd spot of bad weather isn’t going to cause you too much trouble by disrupting mobile coverage for a short while then you can probably grin and bear it – Ride out the storm! 

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Broadband Top of Wish List for House Buyers 

In a recent survey carried out on house buyers, it was revealed that 20% would not buy a property if it had slow internet speeds. 

Likewise, a house having super-fast internet is often a deal-breaker when it comes to house hunting with many prospective buyers viewing the Wi-Fi connection more important than the number of bedrooms. 

Whilst the size of a property is still the most important thing to most house buyers, for many house hunters that is the only thing that the quality and speed of the internet comes second best to. And, according to estate agents in Scotland and the Southwest, some prospective house buyers value the availability of high-quality broadband above everything else. Even house size. 

Nearly a third of estate agents surveyed said their clients were least likely to compromise on high-quality broadband. This feature was deemed more important than local amenities or above space! 

According to Ofcom, by the end of 2021 full-fibre broadband was available to 8.2 million homes (28%). This was 3 million more premises (10 percentage points) than a year ago, and represents the highest year-on-year increase since full fibre started being rolled out in the UK.

Does availability of Wi-Fi affect house prices? 

The rollout of this internet upgrade seems to be affecting the price of property. When comparing exactly the same house but one with a broadband connection of 300 Mbps and one without, the one without broadband would be worth around £5K less. 

Unsurprisingly, COVID also seems to have had an effect on this. Suddenly the UK population was plunged into home-working, with so many more households relying on a strong, reliable Wi-Fi connection for work and home-learning. 

Nearly three quarters of agents surveyed said they saw an increase in questions specifically regarding the quality and speed of the broadband connection when considering a property since the pandemic. 

SpeedScore from Geekabit Wi-Fi Experts

With a decade of providing connectivity solutions to UK markets, Geekabit saw how house buyers, tenants and hospitality customers are getting more tech savvy and starting to ask questions about internet speeds and reliability.

Thus, back in October last year, we launched our innovative Internet Connectivity Measurement Platform – Geekabit SpeedScore. 

This gives you a variety of tools to help provide an independent certification of your internet speeds and connectivity. Ideal if you’re an estate agent trying to prove the speed and connectivity of a property’s internet! 

You can read more about SpeedScore here. 

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Average Internet Speeds Double in 4 Years for Home Networks  

Recently released figures show that home broadband has evolved rapidly over the last 4 years. Between 2018 and 2021 home networking speeds increased by 108%, with the number of connected devices within the home also jumping 137% between 2015 and 2021. 

What devices consume the most data per month within the home? 

With the increase in the number of connected devices in our homes increasing so much over the past few years, let’s take a look at which ones consume the most data. 

Whilst at home, the device that consumes the most data is our Smartphones at 96.3 GB per month. Next were Streaming TV’s and Set-top boxes (like Apple TV or Fire) at 78.3 GB and 63.3 GB per month respectively. Games consoles and laptops were also in the top 5, consuming 35.7 GB and 30.3 GB per month. 

Growth of Home Networks

The figures released indicated that there was an increase in traffic as well as the number of connected devices. A span of 35 million homes saw connections of 1.3 billion Wi-Fi devices.

The speed of home broadband has also increased from an average of 152 Mbps to 317 Mbps – That’s an increase of 108% between 2018 and the end of last year. 

IoT devices has more than tripled alongside the doubling of the number of overall connected devices. Between 2015 and 2021, these devices increased by 137%. 

Unsurprisingly, it’s smartphones that consume the most data within our homes, followed by streaming TV’s and set-top boxes.  

Faster, Smarter Home Networks

Everything in the Wi-Fi industry moves fast. Only last week we were talking about Wi-Fi 7, and we’ve barely got our hands on Wi-Fi 6 yet! 

There’s been rapid growth in Smart Home devices, which makes the increase in connected devices unsurprising. Manufacturers are always looking to make their devices faster and smarter in the way that they work. 

Consumers are expecting a home network that serves their need for immediate, secure and reliable connectivity – with the devices to match.  

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Wi-Fi and Connectivity Options for Village Halls

Did you know that village halls in need of a bit of updating and renovation can apply for a share of a £3m fund, all in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee?

 

This follows the tradition of village hall investments for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and King George V’s Silver Jubilee in 1935. 

 

125 lucky village hall recipients will have a share of the £3m fund, which can be put towards renovations and building improvements including Wi-Fi.  

 

You might well be hosting or celebrating in your local village hall for this weekend’s Jubilee celebrations! Village halls are often the heart of communities, bringing people together. It’s vital these hubs stay well connected with strong, reliable Wi-Fi. 

Wi-Fi for Village Halls – A Quick Guide

If you’re a part of the committee that looks after your local village hall, then you’ll know that there is an ever-increasing need for these community buildings to offer broadband and Wi-Fi access to their users. 

 

Not only will this support a wide range of community activities and events, it will also enhance the facilities you can offer as a venue to those who hire your space. 

 

So what do you need to consider to improve digital connectivity for your communities and businesses by making sure your village hall is well connected? 

 

Get a Broadband Connection


Before even thinking about Wi-Fi or broadband, you need to make sure you have a telephone landline. The only exception is if you are able to get cable or fibre access to the hall. You can read more about FTTP in one of our previous blogs here. Make sure that you have a business contract rather than residential, as it will be for public use. 

 

To get a new telephone line, order one through BT.com. After that’s done, you can upgrade to broadband. Always make sure you check with the ISP that you are able to make your internet connection available to the public before placing your order. 

 

If you want to get broadband without a landline, you would need to be able to have a cable, full fibre or mobile broadband connection. More on that later! 

 

Not got an official postal address? Some village halls don’t actually have an official post office address which can cause problems with some ISP’s as they may insist that you have one in order to place an order. If you find this is the case, you can contact the Post Office and request an official address here.

 

Some ISP’s will accept what’s known as an ‘unserved’ building but they may ask to do an initial survey before they confirm your order.  

 

How much will it cost to install Wi-Fi in a village hall?

You will need to incur some costs to get Wi-Fi successfully set up in your village hall. Bear in mind the following likely outgoings:

  • Installation and connection costs for a new telephone line (plus VAT) and broadband connection (if required)
  • Line rental for the telephone line (ongoing costs)
  • Data usage charges from broadband / Wi-Fi use (ongoing costs)
  • Any work required to install the Wi-Fi router in a secure location, plus additional devices that may be needed to boost Wi-Fi signal 

 

You can help keep costs to a minimum by shopping around for the best contract available on price comparison websites. Remember you need a business contract, not a residential one! Make sure you balance out the costs with data usage limits and of course, reliability.

 

Remember though, making improvements with the Wi-Fi in your village hall is investing in its successful future. It’s vital that these community hubs are well connected for their users. And even better if you can get the costs covered by securing part of the £3m Jubilee fund!

 

Security

 

We cannot express enough how important it is to make sure that your Wi-Fi is secure. You should manage and filter the access to your Wi-Fi signal. 

 

If you were to allow unmanaged access to your Wi-Fi, people may use your broadband connection for illegal purposes. By providing the Wi-Fi for this, you could be liable. 

 

Luckily for you, it’s super easy to manage your Wi-Fi security – And definitely not something that should put you off setting up a Wi-Fi connection in your village hall. 

 

To minimise the risk of inappropriate use, you should:

 

  • Install your router in a secure place where only authorised users are able to physically access it. Don’t let people connect to your router via Ethernet cable as they could make changes.
  • Routers usually display the passwords you need in order to manage and access your Wi-Fi connection. If you think it’s possible for unauthorised users to access this information, then consider changing the User ID and admin password (instructions on how to do this should be in your router user guide).
  • Regularly change your Wi-Fi access password for users. This means that only current users will be able to use your Wi-Fi connection, rather than someone who isn’t authorised or is re-using a password they’ve previously been issued with.
  • Always ensure that the parental control setting is switched on. This prevents access to any unsuitable websites on your Wi-Fi connection. You can use your router manual to set appropriate firewall settings to set the level of restriction required. 

 

 

The router in our village hall doesn’t reach the whole building

 

If you already have a router installed in your village hall, but it’s not reaching far enough and you’re struggling with black spots or slower Wi-Fi in certain places then you may need to extend your Wi-Fi coverage. 

 

This is particularly relevant if you have a large village hall building – The signal just may not be strong enough to reach everywhere it needs to from one router. 

 

We mentioned above that it’s important for the router to be in a secure area so unauthorised people cannot access it. This could mean that it’s been placed in a less than ideal location for signal strength and connectivity. It’s vital to balance the two! 

 

Ideally, you will be able to place the router in a central location, but if that is not the case then you may need to install other devices to extend the signal to other locations within your village hall building. You could potentially use a powerline adapter or a Wi-Fi extender to boost the signal strength and get wider Wi-Fi coverage in the building. 

 

Mobile Broadband for Rural Village Halls

You and your users might not be in London, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t expect the same Wi-Fi connection that you get in urban areas – Despite being in more rural ones. 

 

Unfortunately there are many parts of the countryside that are suffering from a broadband deficit – Indeed, there seems to be a connectivity imbalance across the countryside, with many village halls struggling.

Over the past year particularly, we’ve installed countless numbers of external 4G antennas and routers in rural areas, effectively replacing the broadband through the telephone cable using a data SIM card.

 

You can read more about our 4G Mobile Broadband solutions in a previous blog of ours here. 

 

If you are wary about whether Mobile Broadband could work in your more rural village hall, then our Cellular Survey could be just what you need. We can map the availability of cellular and data coverage within a building and report the details of phone coverage for 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE and 5G. We can measure the cellular connectivity, data upload and download speeds and the occurrence of dropped and failed calls for all the main mobile network operators. You can read more about this here. 

 

Want to know more about how Geekabit could help get your village hall connected?

For further information about securing a strong Wi-Fi connection in your village hall, please email our Wi-Fi experts at info@geekabit.co.uk and someone will be in touch as soon as possible.

 

We work out of London, Hampshire and Cardiff, covering community buildings, businesses and larger residential properties. 

 

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Which is best for my business – FTTP or a Leased Line?

 

Let’s face it – These days, business flow depends on connectivity. 

 

With remote working now more prevalent than ever before, there is a significant business need for straightforward online collaboration. Not to mention business critical operations and organisational efficiency. 

 

For a successful business, you need a reliable, strong connection that doesn’t buffer or drop out during vital video calls and digital team meetings. 

 

What’s the point in having top of the range tech and dedicated employees if you don’t have the broadband speed to keep up with their communications or computers?

 

There is nothing less motivating than slow internet – Lagging video, audio that’s out of sync, calls that drop out, pages that load slowly. It makes us feel frustrated just thinking about it! 

 

And whilst it might not sound like much – That 30 seconds of delay here and there throughout the day could actually add up to a lot of lost productivity across an organisation in just one week. 

 

So what’s the solution? For any small business, it’s really down to two options – FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) or a leased line. But which one is best for your business?

 

What is FTTP and how does it work?

 

As we said above, FTTP is Fibre to the Premises. It means an internet connection that is designed for small businesses and consumer use.  

 

FTTP works by sending data over a fibre optic cable from the exchange to the user’s premises. FTTP relies on already existing broadband infrastructure, which means that users share the bandwidth. This could lead to slower connection speeds and unreliability during peak times. 

 

An FTTP service is asymmetrical, meaning that the upload and download speeds are not the same. 

 

What is a leased line and how does it work?

 

A leased line, or fibre leased line, is a dedicated fibre optic service. It has a fixed bandwidth and is provided directly to the premises. Unlike FTTP, a leased line connects directly to the public internet. This means there is no shared infrastructure – thus the data’s journey is very different. 

 

Due to leased lines being dedicated, it won’t be affected at peak times because the bandwidth is reserved exclusively for that user. A leased line also uploads data at the same time as it downloads – Useful for sending large files or if you use VoIP telephones throughout the business. 

 

How do FTTP and Leased Line compare? 

 

Let’s take a look at how FTTP and Leased Line compare to each other in terms of use and functionality. Depending on how these fit with your business, you should hopefully be able to identify which would work better for you and your business operations. 

 

Speed and Bandwidth for FTTP vs Leased Line

 

Using an FTTp service, your highest download speed will be in the range of 300mbps and 1Gbps. Remember, in this scenario you share the infrastructure with other users, which means that during busy periods your bandwidth is likely to be compromised. Generally speaking you are looking at about 32 customers on an FTTP service. 

 

On a Leased Line, all of the bandwidth is there for you to use. The connection speeds on a Leased Line could be up to 10Gbps, with the same upload and download speeds. This is particularly useful for high-demand users, who could struggle on an asymmetrical FTTP. 

 

Traffic on a FTTP vs Leased Line

FTTP services can have a monthly data transfer quote which means it would be important for you to stay on top of your data usage. 

 

A leased line has availability 24/7 all year round, which means you have unlimited data transfers. 

 

Price of FTTP vs Leased Line

There is a significant difference in price when it comes to FTTP and Leased Line. 

 

The cheaper option is FTTP. This is because it’s a shared service, and more specifically aimed at residential properties and small businesses. You would likely be looking between £30 and £60 per month, which of course depends on the provider and the speed of the broadband you choose. For a new FTTP installation, it would take about 10-15 days. 

 

For Leased Lines, you would be looking at a cost of about £150 per month for lower bandwidths. Not only is it up to 5 times the cost of some FTTP, you may also incur additional charges (construction charges) which can push the price up more. Installation wise you would be looking at about 60-90 days to get things set up. 

 

Service Level Agreements for FTTP vs Leased Lines 

 

Whichever service you go for, you will have an SLA. The SLA for a Leased Line will be more thorough – For example, any fault on the line that needs fixing will be repaired within 5 hours. In comparison, a fault on FTTP could take 2 days to fix. 

 

An SLA will also lay out the speed of a Leased Line, which you can then be compensated for if it is consistently slower. This isn’t something you can do with FTTP. 

 

A Leased Line also comes with 24/7 support, whereas support for a FTTP line will be within business hours. 

 

Reliability of FTTP vs Leased Lines

 

As we mentioned above, when using an FTTP line, you could notice an adverse chane in connection during peak times. Leased Lines will never experience this problem (unless there is a fault) so you are less likely to have the connection drop out. This means that a Leased Line is the more reliable connection of the two. 

 

Availability

 

Leased Lines are available throughout the UK, but of course their accessibility depends on whether you can afford the cost. 

 

Whilst FTTP is a cheaper option, it is only available to approximately 94% of the UK.

 

Contracts

 

Contract options for these lines are as follows:

  • FTTP – 12 months, 18 months or 24 months, 
  • Leased Line – 12 months, 36 months, or 60 months 

 

It’s worth noting that if you choose a 12 month Leased Line contract, you’ll be paying more each month to spread the installation cost. 

 

So Which One is Best – Leased Line or FTTP?

 

If you own a small business, run a charity or are a residential consumer, then FTTP will likely meet your needs. 

 

Generally speaking, if you are one of these types of consumer then you won’t be needing service 24/7 all year round. You are also less likely to be transferring huge amounts of data too. And it’s the cheaper option! 

 

For larger businesses and organisations that rely more on a reliable connection, then a dedicated Leased Line service with a thorough SLA could be the better choice. You will then have peace of mind that your broadband is sturdy, and should something go wrong with it you’re backed up by a speedy resolution. Keeping disruption to your organisation to a minimum! 

 

Get In Touch

 

If you are feeling unsure about what could be the best internet service for your business and would like to discuss your connectivity needs, then get in touch with one of our Wi-Fi Experts today. We operate out of Hampshire, London and Cardiff and can help you to make sure that your connectivity meets your business or residential needs – Both in terms of connection but cost too. 

 

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How can I improve my 4G signal speed?

Is there anything worse than slow Wi-Fi or a poor data connection? Waiting for a webpage to load or watching a video b-b-b-buffer. It is so frustrating! 

 

More and more people are now opting for 4G or 5G cellular connectivity in their homes, replacing fibre broadband that’s too slow. Many households are also using 4G/5G connectivity as a back up in the form of hybrid broadband. 

 

Why do people choose cellular broadband? Sometimes it’s because of the price of regular wireless broadband, which can be expensive – Especially in more rural areas where it’s also slow. In these instances, cellular signal if more often than not a faster option. 

 

4G LTE and 5G do have their own restrictions though. Slow data rates on 4G LTE and 5G are also common. But is there a way to improve your 4G signal speed and data rates?

 

How Can I Improve My 4G LTE or 5G Speed?

 

There are three main things you can try to help improve your 4G and 5G data rates:

  1. Update your Device

    If you are using old devices, you may only be connecting to older bands. Using a new phone, tablet, laptop or hotspot could help you to connect to new bands. The newer the device, the more likely they are to support a newer version of the 4G LTe or 5G spec, which would in turn bring you faster data rates.

  2. Try using External Antennas

    Many major carriers have hotspots that support external antenna ports. You may find that using an external antenna could help you to improve signal strength, signal quality and help you access bands that aren’t getting indoors. 

 

  1. You could try a Signal Booster

    The majority of phones (as well as some hotspots) do not have external antenna ports. If you are trying to improve data rates on your phone, you could use a signal booster. They work by amplifying your signal as well as increasing the signal strength of the signal. You can also use them alongside external antennas – They enable the rebroadcast of improved indoor signal.

What configurations can I use to improve 4G / 5G signal strength?

There are a couple of configurations that our Wi-Fi experts would recommend giving a go.

 

1. Latest Hotspot + Directional Outdoor Antennas

 

If you’re happy to use Wi-Fi for distributing your signal indoors, then you can use a hotspot (from your chosen carrier) used alongside external antennas which are mounted on the outside of the building.

Pros

  • If you already have a hotspot, this can prove highly cost-effective
  • Easy to support MIMO (multiple input, multiple output). Using multiple antennas can help improve performance
  • Offers the fastest available data rates
  • Using directional outdoor antennas can help improve signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) as well as enabling you to access weaker outdoor bands, and improve MIMO performance


Cons

  • It requires a hotspot, with a line of service
  • Your system will be hard-wired. Mobile phones will be able to connect via Wi-Fi but won’t see better 4G/5G signal.

 

  1. 4G LTE or 5G Signal Booster + Directional Outdoor Antenna

 

A mobile signal booster is a great alternative if you don’t have a hotspot, don’t fancy one or simply cannot afford the monthly charges associated with adding a phone line. You may also just want to have wireless 4G / 5G coverage inside, which a mobile signal booster will give you. 

 

A mobile phone signal booster works by amplifying the signal from outdoors and then rebroadcasting it indoors via wireless. Thus getting you the best data rates. 

Pros

  • Provides wireless coverage for multiple devices
  • Will works with existing phones
  • You don’t need a hotspot or extra phone line
  • Using the directional outdoor antennas can help to improve SINR
  • A booster could enable you to connect to weaker bands

Cons

  • Boosters are SISO (single input, single output) with one antenna outside and one antenna inside. This means you cannot use MIMO with this option, and it decreases speeds by approximately 33% 
  • This option can be more expensive than external antennas

 

What can cause slow 4G / 5G data rates? 

 

If we’re trying our best to improve our 4G and 5G data rates, it would make sense to identify what actually causes rates to be slow. There are five main factors that can affect the 4G LTE / 5G data speeds you experience.

 

  1. The Signal Quality (SINR)

    The quality of signal in 4G / 5G networks is measuring in signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR). If you can increase your SINR, you can dramatically improve your data connection speed. As outlined above, you can improve your SINR by using a directional outdoor antenna, which can also be connected to a signal booster or directly to your 4G / 5G hotspot.

  2. The Number of Connected Bands

    Carrier Aggregation is when your phone (or hotspot) is able to use multiple bands to connect to the tower simultaneously. This means that the more bands you are connected to, the higher your data rates.

  3. The Signal Strength (Reference Signal Received Power)


You might be thinking that signal strength must be the most important factor, but it’s actually not. In 4G and 5G networks the RSRP signal strength certainly does matter, but it’s not the most important thing. Check your RSRP – If it’s already stronger than -100dBm, then having a stronger signal won’t help to increase your data rates. 

 

  1. Congestion

    As you can imagine, the more users there are on the tower, the lower your data rate is going to be. The congestion in the tower will also vary by band. In general, lower frequencies penetrate buildings more than higher frequencies. This means that the higher frequency bands are usually less congested. This means that using an outdoor antenna and connecting it directly to your hotspot or signal booster Ican really help you to access the less-congested bands.

  2. MIMO Support

    Using MIMO means that you can use multiple antennas to increase data rates by about 30%. The majority of mobile phone signal boosters are SISO (Single Input, Single Output) but you could install two systems in parallel to get a MIMO booster. 

  3. Throttling

    If you’re with a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, it means that the service provider does not own the wireless network infrastructure. This means that the main carrier’s network may treat your connection like a second-class citizen and find yourself throttled! Throttling may also occur if you use a lot of data per month. Throttling is how the service providers manage the data they provide – They can de-prioritise certain users and even stop their connection going over a certain speed.

 

Get in touch

If you’re struggling with wired broadband, and not getting the reliable internet connection you need in your rural business or home, then 4G / 5G could be a fantastic option for you.

It can feel like a big jump to give up on your wired broadband connection and opt for 4G – Which is where our Cell Coverage 4G survey comes in.

We can tell you exactly whether 4G broadband would work for you, and which network would be most reliable.

 

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5G Survey London

With the increasing prevalence of 5G availability across London, you might be needing a 5G survey. Perhaps your London business is moving premises – Or maybe you’re looking to buy or rent a property in London? Either way you need to know that wherever you’re living or working in London will have decent cellular and data coverage. 

Mobile coverage is a huge part of buying or renting a new property – Whether for a business or somewhere to live. 5G mobile phone coverage could be a massive deal breaker if it’s not at the level people have come to expect. 

Thankfully, here at Geekabit we offer a 5G survey in London and the surrounding areas – We know our stuff when it comes to all things wireless. We understand how vital it is to maintain strong connections, whether it’s in the office or at home. 

 

Geekabit’s 5G Survey London

Geekabit offer both internal and external 5G surveys, looking at mobile phone coverage both inside and outside your property. 

You might be wondering – Why would I need a 5G survey? 

For our clients that are wanting to map out the availability of 5G cellular and data coverage in a London office or building, the 5G survey would be a great tool. It’s extremely useful if your organisation is considering moving premises. It is so important nowadays to make sure that you have good 5G mobile phone signal coverage before signing on the dotted line. You don’t want any nasty surprises when it comes to coverage once you’ve moved in! 

Our landlord and estate agent clients also find it a very beneficial tool when it comes to selling or renting out business or residential properties in London. Tenants and house buyers aren’t just looking at the water pressure of the taps or the state of the windows – They’re now asking questions about the strength of cellular reception. Our 5G Survey gives you all the information you need to know. 

People want to make sure that where they live and work in London will have strong 5G mobile coverage. Geekabit’s 5G survey is the perfect way to prove your property has just this and on what networks. 

5G Hybrid Broadband

And where there’s a strong 5G connection, you know you’re covered if the internet goes down. Hybrid broadband is giving customers confidence that even if their standard internet connection fails, they will still have 5G mobile broadband to fall back on.

But this is only as foolproof as your 5G coverage. So before going ahead and investing in hybrid broadband, why not carry out a 5G survey first to make sure that your London property has the coverage you need to fall back on. 

 

Office and homes aren’t the only places where you need a strong, reliable 5G cellular connection

There are many external areas that would hugely benefit from an external 5G survey. Geekabit can also carry out a 5G survey along London roads, parts of the capital’s transport network and throughout leisure facilities in London and the surrounding areas. 

In today’s world, we don’t just stay in one place – Even while we’re working. We take our need for connection wherever we go – And it needs to be strong and reliable. 

Gone are the days where we are tethered to a desk – We need the 5G mobile coverage to be available on the go. Whether we are using a smartphone, tablet or other internet enabled device, we need to stay connected – And we need to know that the signal will be strong and reliable. 

Geekabit’s 5G survey can tell you how strong the cellular coverage is in certain areas of London, and which networks would work best for those locations. This information is invaluable.

 

How do we report the results of our 5G survey?

We can provide results, heatmaps and detailed reports measuring the details of phone coverage for 5G (as well as 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE). 

For any given London location, we can measure: 

  • The cellular connectivity
  • Data upload and download speeds 
  • The occurrence of dropped and failed calls for all the main mobile network operators

Over the last 2 years, companies have realised how vital cellular coverage is – For business operations as well as staying connected with loved ones. This was true before the pandemic, but Covid has certainly increased the need for strong, reliable mobile coverage. 

 

It’s time to invest in mobile enterprise

If you value the importance of the Quality of Service and Quality of Experience of your employees cellular coverage whilst they are at work, then it’s time to invest in mobile enterprise. 

Here at Geekabit, we’ve long been able to provide mobile phone coverage survey results for a fixed point – For example, a particular property in London. 

We can now provide this matched to geolocation data over a moving area, as well as on building plans and maps. When it comes to 5G surveys, this information is really important. 

If your London business has been thinking about investing in further mobile technologies, then our 5G survey is ideal for providing graphical and interactive information, allowing you to really drill down into the data and support and inform your worthwhile investment.

 

A word from our Founder

Steve Cross, Founder of Geekabit, comments:

“Mobile phone coverage has continued to increase in importance, with a massive investment throughout the pandemic in mobile working technology. With the great shift in office working already happening, organisations are looking to ensure that 5G mobile phone coverage in potential London office locations will be suitable for their workforce. Our internal cellular 5G survey tool gives clients the opportunity to make sure there will be no issues with mobile phones and tablets when moving buildings or downsizing.”

Want to know more about our 5G surveys?

For further details about the data which can be captured, or to discuss a potential project, please email our Wi-Fi experts at info@geekabit.co.uk and someone will be in touch as soon as possible.

 

Our 5G surveys are available across London and the surrounding areas. If you are interested in this service in a different location, please do get in touch. 

 

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Wi-Fi to Fall in Love With

Wi-Fi really can be a love-hate relationship, can’t it? When we feel a strong connection then everything is plain sailing. But the minute that connection seems lost, the frustration creeps in. 

 

To keep your relationship with Wi-Fi healthy, here are some top tips. 

 

Ensure a Secure Connection 

Every good relationship relies on that feeling of security. Wi-Fi is no different. A survey found that despite 91% of respondents believing that public Wi-Fi wasn’t secure, 89% still chose to continue using it. 

It’s always a good idea to wait until you’ve found the right network before you start sharing personal information. If you’re using public Wi-Fi, always make sure it has strong security policies and infrastructure – Especially if you are sharing sensitive information on their network. 

 

Some Things Are Best Kept Private

Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or any other day of the year, some things are just better kept private. 

If you are connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, you should not be using credit or debit card information or sharing any bank details. Yes, that means no shopping! 

If you find yourself able to connect with other users in their network, for example through AirDrop, then you should disconnect. If you want to confirm that the network you are connected to is in fact the provider you think it is, you can check and verify the DNS name by checking the public IP address of the network. 

 

Don’t Risk Getting Held to Ransom

You have to guard your heart sometimes – And you should be guarding your devices too. More and more people are being targeted by ransomware nowadays. And most of those people are paying the ransom in order to get back their data. It’s not just your laptop that can be affected – Any phone or smart device can also be vulnerable. You could be looking at a cost of around £500 – Don’t let them fool you and swindle you out of your hard earned money. 

 

Stop the tears from streaming

If you’re currently relaxing in a hotel room about to start a romantic Valentine’s Day movie on Netflix, then be prepared for some buffering. Any kind of streaming service is a rather big challenge for hotel networks or similar. It needs to have the Wi-Fi to match the demand! And we’re sure that’s not the only performance issue that hotel room has seen. If you’re sitting on the other side of the bed, and it’s your hospitality venue that’s struggling with Wi-Fi performance issues, get in touch with our Wi-Fi expert here at Geekabit and we’ll see how we can help get your Wi-Fi from heartbreaker to love at first sight.

 

It’s not you, it’s me

If you got hacked, who would you blame? Yourself, the Wi-Fi provider or the hacker? Research suggests that 56% of people would blame the Wi-Fi provider / venue but 85% would blame themselves. When you connect to a Wi-Fi network, are you confident that it’s safe? It’s very important to make sure you have the information and tools you need to stay vigilant and safe online. 

 

Turn yourself on

Wi-Fi gives us the ability to turn on so many different things these days. From switching on the lights to turning up the heat for when we get home – All from our phones!

You could even dim the lights for a romantic moment… Who needs a wingman when you’ve got strong Wi-Fi?

 

Not feeling a connection?

If your Wi-Fi is leaving you feeling frustrated and disconnected, then get in touch. Our Wi-Fi experts have the knowledge and skills to diagnose the problems with your Wi-Fi network, and deploy what’s right for you. 

 

After all – All you need is love, and Wi-Fi. 

 

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