Wi-Fi Speed Test

Why London Offices Struggle With Wi-Fi — Even With Fast Fibre

Does this sound like your business, or perhaps a client of yours?

You’ve invested in a fast internet connection – Perhaps 500Mbps, 1Gbps or a leased line. Wired computers connected to the network perform extremely well, but staff are still continuing to report:

Slow Wi-Fi
Teams/Zoom calls dropping
Poor performance in particular meeting rooms
Laptops disconnecting or reconnecting
Devices hanging onto the wrong access point
Good Wi-Fi in one part of the office but poor performance elsewhere
Problems becoming noticeably worse when the office is busy

The in-house IT team checks the internet connection and reports that everything looks fine. And both statements can be true: The Internet connection can be excellent AND the Wi-Fi can be poor.

If your London business has recently installed fibre, leased lines or gigabit broadband, but haven’t seen the improvement you expected with the Wi-Fi then please read on.

What’s the difference between broadband / internet and Wi-Fi?

The Internet connection or broadband is the service bringing connectivity into the building. Wi-Fi is the radio network distributing that connectivity wirelessly around the office.

When you buy a faster internet connection, that only increases the potential bandwidth available at the edge of the network. It doesn’t automatically improve:

Wireless coverage
Interference
Channel utilisation
Access-point capacity
Roaming
Poor AP positioning
Network configuration

Think about it like this. Upgrading the motorway into a city doesn’t necessarily remove congestion from the streets around the destination.

Similarly, conducting a speed test beside an Access Point isn’t evidence that the entire wireless network is healthy and working to the same speed.

Why do London offices tend to be particularly difficult wireless environments?

London offices have a high density of neighbouring businesses and wireless networks. Numerous Access Points may be visible from surrounding offices. This is especially relevant in business in:

Shared office buildings
Serviced offices
Converted buildings
Multi-tenant commercial buildings;
Dense central London locations.

Wi-Fi uses shared radio spectrum. Your network doesn’t operate in isolation simply because it has its own SSID. Other wireless networks and sources of interference can affect the available airtime. The challenge is therefore often much greater than simply achieving “full bars”.

Coverage isn’t the same as capacity

An Access Point may provide a perfectly strong signal but still be overloaded or operating in a congested environment. Traditional office Wi-Fi was often designed primarily around providing coverage. Modern offices need to consider capacity as well.

50 people with laptops and phones can easily represent 100+ connected devices. Then add in:

Company tablets
Meeting-room equipment
Printers
TVs
IoT devices
Wireless presentation systems.

Wi-Fi needs to be designed around how the space is actually used, not merely the size of the floorplan.

The Meeting Room Problem

The Meeting Room provides us with a particularly good real-world example of the kind of Wi-Fi problems you can run into in a London office.

A meeting room might normally contain nobody. Then all of a sudden, 10–20 people enter carrying laptops and phones. Several of these people may start video calls, screen sharing or cloud applications.

Within moments, the wireless demand has changed dramatically.

An AP in the corridor outside may technically provide coverage, but not necessarily sufficient capacity or performance.

Modern office design therefore needs to consider where people congregate, how many of them there are and what devices they could be using and for what.

Why adding more access points isn’t automatically the answer

It’s commonly thought that the solution for poor Wi-Fi must just be to buy another Access Point. And of course, more AP’s can be helpful – When they are properly designed.

But indiscriminately just adding more AP’s can actually introduce additional contention and interference, creating further problems.

AP transmit power, channels, channel width and positioning all matter.

Access Points need to form part of a coordinated wireless design. The aim isn’t simply to produce the strongest possible signal everywhere.

Office Construction and Layout

Walk around London and you’ll see it has a huge variety of building types.

From modern glass offices to converted Victorian buildings – All London offices present different Wii-Fi challenges.

When it comes to construction, potential Wi-Fi obstacles include:

Brick
Concrete
Reinforced concrete
Metal
Glass
Lifts
Stairwells
Plant rooms
Dense storage
Partition walls

Any refurbishments can also dramatically alter an RF environment. An Access Point installed before an office fit-out may no longer be positioned appropriately afterwards.

This is just one of the reasons Wi-Fi shouldn’t simply be designed from a square-metre calculation.

Roaming and the “Wi-Fi is bad when I walk around” complaint

Modern offices frequently have multiple APs, which means that devices need to transition between them. Clients ultimately make many roaming decisions themselves.

Poor network design and configuration can make roaming less effective.

Common symptoms of poor roaming:

The Wi-Fi works, then
The user walks towards another part of the building
The laptop/ phone remains connected but performance deteriorates
User understandably reports “the Wi-Fi keeps dropping”.

Increasing the broadband speed isn’t going to fix the issue.

The 9am problem / Busy-office effect

Wi-Fi can appear excellent while an office is empty. The Wi-Fi Engineer performs a speed test at 7pm and gets fantastic results.

9am and it’s a different story. For a London office with 20-200+ employees, between 9 and 10am the next morning, dozens or even hundreds of devices arrive.

Suddenly the demand for airtime increases dramatically. Video meetings start. Cloud applications synchronise.Phones and laptops connect simultaneously.

Performance problems begin to become apparent.

This is a perfect illustration of why testing needs to consider the real operating environment rather than simply headline download speed.

Why just a normal speed test isn’t enough

Speed tests are useful, but only answer a limited question.

Speed Test results can vary according to:

Location
Device
AP
Network load
Time of day

A professional Wi-Fi assessment should consider much more than merely Mbps. Our expert Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit can investigate many potential areas including:

Signal strength
Signal-to-noise
Channel utilisation
Interference
Access Point placement
Channel planning
Client distribution
Roaming behaviour
Wired infrastructure feeding APs
Configuration
Actual user experience.

There is considerably more happening beneath the surface, and focusing just on internet speed is unlikely to fix the problem.

Let’s not forget the wired network

Wi-Fi APs ultimately connect back to the wired network. Poor cabling, incorrect negotiation speeds, unsuitable switches, VLAN/configuration problems or inadequate PoE can also cause symptoms that users perceive as “bad Wi-Fi”.

Specialist troubleshooting therefore needs to look beyond the Access Points themselves.

Our approach at Geekabit is to investigate the network as a system rather than automatically blaming one component.

What can a professional Wi-Fi assessment or Site Survey reveal for a business?

There’s a lot that a Wi-Fi Site Survey can tell us about your business wireless network.

Areas with insufficient coverage.
Areas with excessive overlapping coverage.
Congested channels.
Poor AP placement.
Incorrect configuration.
Capacity hotspots.
Problems caused by building construction.
Wired-network issues affecting wireless performance.
Legacy equipment.
Opportunities to optimise the existing infrastructure without necessarily replacing everything.
Locations where additional or relocated APs would genuinely help.

Using the information provided from the Wi-Fi assessment, Geekabit can then provide evidence-based recommendations rather than trial-and-error equipment changes.

Wireless network replacement isn’t always necessary!

We’re not hardware sales people – We just want your network to function at its full potential. Wi-Fi recommendations following a Wi-Fi Site Survey aren’t necessarily going to say ‘replace everything.’ There are times where an existing Wi-Fi system is actually perfectly capable – It’s just the configuration or deployment that is poor.

A specialist assessment may recommend:

Configuration changes
Repositioning equipment;
Replacing particular components
Adding APs only where needed
Upgrading only part of the network.

Recommendations of this nature should be based on evidence, following a Wi-Fi Assessment or Wi-Fi Site Survey.

Geekabit work alongside your existing IT department or company

We know that many London businesses already have an MSP or outsourced IT provider. Any problems with your network don’t automatically mean that your IT Manager / provider is incompetent.

Diagnosing and resolving a complex wireless problem often requires expert knowledge, whereas general IT support covers an enormous range of technologies. A bit like how a GP knows a little about a lot of illnesses, and then refers you to a specialist for more niche diagnosis and treatments. Wi-Fi engineering is a specialist discipline.

Here at Geekabit we can work alongside:

MSPs
internal IT departments
Cabling companies
Office refurb contractors.

Geekabit can investigate the wireless problem, provide evidence based recommendations and work with the incumbent IT provider on remediation.

When should a London business consider calling a Wi-Fi specialist?

If you’ve been struggling with Wi-Fi issues for a while, it may be time to call in a Wi-Fi expert. If your London business is experiencing any of the following issues, please do get in touch with our friendly team.

Internet connection tests well but users still complain
Problems vary significantly depending on location
Wi-Fi gets worse when the office is busy
Meeting rooms regularly experience problems
Video calls are unreliable
Users disconnect when moving around the office
Additional APs haven’t solved the problem
Different engineers/providers have tried fixes without identifying the root cause
Business is moving office or refurbishing an existing one
Organisation is planning a significant Wi-Fi upgrade
There is pressure to replace the entire network without clear evidence of what’s actually wrong

Call in the Wi-Fi experts at Geekabit

Geekabit specialises in Wi-Fi and wireless networking rather than providing generic outsourced IT support. Our Wi-Fi expert engineers are on hand to provide on-site specialist assistance at your London office.

We approach Wi-Fi problems through measurement, diagnosis and evidence.

Our team has experience with business, commercial and complex environments and has the ability to investigate and support both wireless and wired infrastructure.

We are more than happy to work directly for your London business or alongside an existing IT provider.

Before you spend money replacing equipment or buying an even faster internet connection, STOP. It’s worth finding out what the wireless network is actually doing first. As a Wi-Fi Specialist covering London, Geekabit can help your business diagnose the problem and help deploy the solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my office Wi-Fi slow even though we have fast fibre?

Fast fibre only determines how much internet bandwidth reaches your office. Wi-Fi is the wireless network that distributes that connection to laptops, phones and other devices. Poor access point placement, interference, congestion, insufficient capacity or network configuration issues can therefore cause slow Wi-Fi even when a wired speed test shows a very fast internet connection.

Will upgrading to faster broadband improve our office Wi-Fi?

Not necessarily. If your existing internet connection is already fast enough for your business, upgrading it will not fix problems caused by the Wi-Fi network itself. Before increasing broadband capacity, it is worth establishing whether the bottleneck is the internet connection, the wired network or the wireless network.

Why does our office Wi-Fi get worse when more people arrive?

Wi-Fi uses shared radio airtime. As more laptops, phones and other devices connect and transmit data, they compete for that available airtime. An office Wi-Fi network therefore needs sufficient capacity for the number of devices and the applications being used, rather than simply providing a strong signal throughout the building.

Why is the Wi-Fi particularly bad in our meeting rooms?

Meeting rooms can create sudden areas of high wireless demand. A room that is normally empty might suddenly contain 10 or 20 people, each carrying a laptop and smartphone, while several users are making video calls or accessing cloud services. Good Wi-Fi design considers where users congregate as well as basic coverage.

Can adding more Wi-Fi access points make performance worse?

Yes. Adding access points without considering channels, transmit power, positioning and the existing RF environment can create additional contention and interference. More access points can provide greater capacity and coverage when properly designed, but simply installing additional units is not always the solution.

Why does Wi-Fi work well in one part of our office but badly in another?

Wi-Fi signals are affected by distance, building materials, interference and the position of access points. Brick, concrete, metal, glass, lifts and other structural features can all affect radio signals. A professional Wi-Fi assessment can identify how the wireless network actually performs across the office rather than relying solely on theoretical coverage.

Why does my laptop have full Wi-Fi signal but still feel slow?

A strong Wi-Fi signal does not guarantee good performance. Your device may have a strong connection to an access point that is busy, operating on a congested channel or affected by interference. Wi-Fi performance depends on signal quality, available airtime, network capacity and the underlying network as well as the number of signal bars displayed on a device.

Why does Wi-Fi drop when I walk around the office?

In an office with multiple access points, laptops and smartphones need to roam between them as users move around the building. Devices make many of their own roaming decisions, but access point placement and network configuration can influence how effectively this happens. Poor roaming can result in a device remaining connected to a distant access point even when a better one is available nearby.

What is a professional Wi-Fi site survey?

A professional Wi-Fi site survey assesses how a wireless network performs within a real building or planned environment. Depending on the type of survey, it can examine factors including signal strength, coverage, interference, channel utilisation, access point placement and capacity. The findings can then be used to diagnose problems or design improvements based on measured evidence.

Is a Wi-Fi site survey just a series of speed tests?

No. Speed tests can be useful, but they only show the performance experienced by one device at a particular location and moment in time. Professional Wi-Fi troubleshooting considers the wider radio environment, access point deployment, interference, capacity, configuration and the wired infrastructure supporting the wireless network.

Can network cabling or switches cause Wi-Fi problems?

Yes. Wireless access points ultimately rely on the wired network for connectivity and power. Cabling faults, incorrect Ethernet negotiation speeds, switch configuration problems or power issues can all affect an access point’s performance. Users may experience the result as poor Wi-Fi even though the underlying fault is elsewhere in the network.

Do we need to replace all our Wi-Fi equipment if performance is poor?

Not necessarily. Existing equipment may be perfectly capable but poorly positioned, configured or integrated into the wider network. A specialist assessment should identify the cause of the problem before recommending replacement equipment. In some cases, configuration changes or repositioning existing access points may significantly improve performance.

What is the difference between Wi-Fi coverage and Wi-Fi capacity?

Coverage describes whether a usable wireless signal reaches a particular area. Capacity describes whether the network can adequately support the number of devices and amount of wireless traffic in that area. A modern office can have excellent Wi-Fi coverage but inadequate capacity when large numbers of people are using the network simultaneously.

Why are London offices particularly challenging for Wi-Fi?

London offices are often located in dense commercial environments containing many neighbouring wireless networks. Multi-tenant buildings, neighbouring businesses, complex building materials and high numbers of connected devices can create challenging radio environments. Effective office Wi-Fi therefore needs to account for the surrounding RF environment as well as the size and layout of the premises.

Can Geekabit investigate our Wi-Fi without replacing our existing IT company?

Yes. Geekabit can work directly with businesses, internal IT teams and existing managed IT providers to investigate specialist Wi-Fi and networking problems. The objective is to identify the underlying cause, provide evidence and recommend appropriate improvements rather than requiring a business to replace its existing IT support provider.

When should we call a Wi-Fi specialist?

Consider specialist investigation when Wi-Fi problems persist despite having a reliable internet connection, when performance changes significantly around the building or during busy periods, or when previous attempts to fix the problem have been unsuccessful. A specialist assessment can also be valuable before an office move, refurbishment or significant wireless network upgrade.

How can we tell whether the problem is our broadband or our Wi-Fi?

Comparing wired and wireless performance is a useful starting point. If devices connected directly to the network perform well while wireless devices experience poor or inconsistent performance, the problem may be within the Wi-Fi network rather than the internet connection. A proper assessment can investigate the internet connection, wired infrastructure and wireless environment to locate the actual bottleneck.

Should Wi-Fi be planned before moving into a new London office?

Yes. Planning Wi-Fi before an office fit-out allows access point locations, network cabling and capacity requirements to be considered alongside the physical layout of the space. This can avoid access points being installed wherever cabling happens to be convenient and reduce the need for disruptive changes after staff have moved in.

by admin20th August 2026

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Help Wi-Fi Issues Wi-Fi Problems Wi-Fi Site Survey Wi-Fi Speed Test Wi-Fi Speeds Wireless Network

“Why is my office Wi-Fi slow when internet speed tests are fine?”

As an IT Manager or Director, you’d probably expect a Wi-Fi failure to look catastrophically obvious. Like sirens wailing and offline-related casualties strewn throughout the office.

But most Wi-Fi failures don’t look like failures. Office Wi-Fi problems in London can really fly under the radar.

Access points? Online
Internet connection – Fast
No major outages on monitoring tools

And yet, your Teams calls drop, Zoom freezes and perhaps most importantly – Staff are complaining about slow Wi-Fi on a daily basis. What is going on?

It’s at this point most of our clients contact us for help. Persistent Wi-Fi problems when the obvious vital signs look okay are one of the most common reasons organisations in London contact Geekabit for a Wi-Fi survey or investigation into the cause of the problem.

“What is wrong with my office Wi-Fi? Everything Looks Fine!”

When your colleagues or staff members are constantly complaining about the office Wi-Fi it’s no fun for IT Managers at all. Especially when the IT Team are seeing:

Strong signal strength
Healthy internet bandwidth
No hardware faults
No ISP issues

On the surface, everything looks like the Wi-Fi should be performing well. But in reality, you’ve got users experiencing:

Poor Microsoft Teams calls
Random disconnects
Slow Wi-Fi roaming between areas
Applications pausing unexpectedly
Complaints concentrated in specific locations

So what is actually going on in these woeful Wi-Fi scenarios?

Five Hidden Causes of Poor Office Wi-Fi

1. Too Many Devices Sharing Airtime

Modern London offices tend to have:

Users with multiple devices all connected to the office Wi-Fi including Laptops, Smartphones and Tablets
Meeting room systems
Wireless displays
IoT devices

Imagine all of these devices and systems all trying to connect to the office Wi-Fi at the same time. The problem is often contention rather than coverage. Hence why the Wi-Fi monitoring systems and the user experience can differ so much.

2. Co-Channel Interference

Many busy London offices and modern office buildings accidentally create their own interference.

Typical causes of Wi-Fi interference in office environments include:

Too many access points
Poor channel planning
Legacy configurations
Neighbouring office networks

3. Office Roaming

In many office environments, users can be constantly on the move. Replying to emails whilst making a coffee. Checking files on the network from meetings. Roaming from floor to floor meeting with colleagues. Connecting to a Teams meeting on your way back to your desk.

Wi-Fi problems like Teams calls dropping whilst roaming can be due to:

Devices sticking to distant APs instead of moving with the user and connecting to the nearest
Poor handoffs between floors

4. Meeting Room Wi-Fi Congestion

One meeting room can generate more demand than an entire office area. Now imagine multiple meeting rooms all trying to function at the same time.

Common symptoms of meeting room Wi-Fi congestion can be:

Teams issues
Wireless presentation failures
Slow guest access

5. The Building Itself

Many of our clients are London-based. Offices in the capital often have specific challenges to overcome when it comes to identifying hidden causes of Wi-Fi problems at work.

London offices tend to consist of many potential network disruptors, including:

Multi-floor buildings
Dense neighbouring Wi-Fi networks
Glass partitions
Concrete cores
Users who hot-desk (and flexible working)
High user density in relatively small spaces

The signal bars on your monitoring systems aren’t telling IT Managers the whole story.

Why Speed Tests Often Mislead

As an IT Manager, you might look at a speed test and see that internet speeds are good, so assume all must be well with the Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, internet speed tests can often mislead people into thinking there isn’t a problem. Here are a few reasons why Wi-Fi speed tests don’t show the whole picture.

Internet speed ≠ Wi-Fi Performance

You might also be asking why is my internet speed, but my Wi-Fi still slow? It’s because the internet speed shown in a speed test is only the capacity of the wired connection – That is the speed of the internet coming into your office via fibre or cable. The Wi-Fi performance depends on what happens to the internet after it enters your office and goes through your router – How the Wi-Fi performs depends on the local, wireless distribution of that initial speed.

So the speed might look fine, but how the wireless signal is distributed could be affected by:

Physical interference (e.g. building materials)
The distance the signal is travelling (are there enough AP’s and are they deployed in the right places?)
Hardware limitations (is the hardware up to date and still in good working order?)
Having to share with lots of other devices (which might be older and slower)

These things can all degrade the speed that is delivered to your devices. Your network is only as fast as your slowest link, regardless of the speed coming into your building.

“Why am I not getting the 1Gb connection I pay for?”

You may be paying for 1Gb internet, but that may not be translating into user experience.

This goes back to what we said above – Your network is only as fast as your slowest link. So you might well be getting 1Gb internet speeds into your building, but what is happening after the wireless signal is distributed by your router?

There is little point in paying for 1Gb internet speeds if you don’t have the hardware capabilities to match it. It’s important that your router and AP’s have the capabilities to effectively transmit that Wi-Fi signal and speed. Older phones, laptops, tablets and other devices that use older wireless standards are also going to cap your maximum speed lower than what you’re paying for.

What matters more than raw bandwidth when it comes to internet speeds?

Whilst bandwidth is important, there are other factors at play when it comes to how fast an internet connection feels.

Bandwidth is the capacity to move a high volume of data. How fast and responsively that data is delivered is influenced by:

Latency
Airtime
Roaming

There are many interactive applications that only need a little bandwidth, but demand instant, unhindered transmission in order to feel fast.

How Can Wi-Fi Speed Problems Be Investigated?

Here at Geekabit, our expert Wi-Fi engineers have a number of tools at their disposal in order to help investigate Wi-Fi problems and identify solutions.

Spectrum Analysis for Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi spectrum analysis is the process of scanning and visualizing the invisible radio frequencies (RF) used by your wireless network. It helps network administrators, IT Managers and our expert Wi-Fi engineers to identify, locate, and mitigate interference from both Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi devices. This allows us to optimize network channels and improve speeds.

Why might spectrum analysis be necessary? The frequency bands used by Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) are unlicensed, meaning anyone can transmit signals there. While standard network scanners only see other routers, a spectrum analyzer sees all the energy in the air. This can then help inform decisions about Wi-Fi deployment in order to minimise interference.

Wi-Fi Client Behaviour Analysis

Wi-Fi client behaviour analysis evaluates how connected devices (clients) interact with a wireless network or how people move through a physical space using their devices.

It can be split into two main categories: Business Analytics (consumer tracking, i.e. seeing how a customer moves through a retail space) and Network Troubleshooting (looking at the technical performance in a workspace).

Network troubleshooting is going to be most helpful in an office environment, enabling Network Administrators and IT Managers to understand device performance throughout the office, identify problem areas and thus improve network health and performance.

Client Behaviour Analysis in Network Troubleshooting would likely look at:

Roaming behaviour – How are devices transitioning between Access Points? Are there any ‘sticky’ clients that refuse to disconnect from weak, distant AP’s? Are there any dead spots?
Device capabilities – Are there any legacy devices that are slowing things down? Which clients support modern protocols (which Wi-Fi standard or frequency band are they utilising?)

Professional Wi-Fi Site Surveys

Wi-Fi Site Surveys are a key tool in analysing the performance of your network, helping to diagnose your Wi-Fi problems as well as measure our success fixing your Wi-Fi issues.

A Wi-Fi site survey is the most effective way to design, troubleshoot, or optimise a wireless network for homes, offices, warehouses, schools, and commercial environments.

Our expert Wi-Fi engineers work out of London, Hampshire and Cardiff. An on-site survey always provides the most accurate results, however for circumstances where this is not possible, we also offer predictive Wi-Fi site surveys using industry-standard modelling software.

You can find out more about our Wi-Fi Site Surveys here.

Wi-Fi Capacity Planning

Analysing the Wi-Fi Site Survey, spectrum and client behaviour mean that our expert Wi-Fi engineers can effectively plan for your Wi-Fi capacity, making sure your wireless network fits your bespoke office needs.

Wi-Fi capacity planning is the process of designing a wireless network to support the concurrent demands of users, devices, and applications, rather than just ensuring basic signal reach. It calculates the network’s ability to handle traffic without congestion, ensuring seamless performance even during peak usage.

A robust capacity plan goes beyond simple coverage and translates real-world traffic demands into specific hardware and configuration requirements.

“Why does my office Wi-Fi look fine but still feel slow?”

In conclusion, the biggest Wi-Fi problems are often invisible.

If users in your office or workspace are complaining about slow Wi-Fi despite healthy-looking dashboards, the issue may not be with your internet connection, access points or ISP.

As we’ve outlined above, it may be the way the wireless environment behaves in the real world. And this can be affected by various factors.

If you have tried everything you can think of to improve your slow office Wi-Fi but things still aren’t improving, then call in the experts. Geekabit helps organisations across Central London, Canary Wharf and the City identify and solve complex Wi-Fi problems through professional site surveys, troubleshooting and wireless network optimisation. Get in touch with our friendly team today.

by admin22nd June 2026

5G Satellite Broadband Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Issues Wi-Fi Speed Test Wi-Fi Speeds Wi-Fi Standards

Do UK Trains Have the Slowest Wi-Fi Speeds in Europe?

It has been found that trains in the United Kingdom deliver some of the slowest internet speeds across Europe.

Ookla, the network testing company, analysed the Wi-Fi performance onboard train services across Europe and some Asian rail networks using their favoured service Speedtest.net by collecting data via consumers themselves. Results suggested that the UK does indeed deliver some of the slowest Wi-Fi speeds available on trains in Europe.

If you’ve ever tried to work on your train commute or while away the time by streaming a show using train Wi-Fi then you will likely already know that Wi-Fi quality across UK rail operators and networks is not particularly strong, consistent or reliable.

What Are the UK Government’s Plans for Rail Network Connectivity Improvements?

Back in 2017 the government at the time pledged to improve connectivity on mainline train routes by this year, with the aim to provide Wi-Fi and mobile speeds (5G) of up to 1 Gbps. While this may be true of a few rail operators, for most this outcome has not been reached.

This issue has recently been revisited by the current government as part of their Infrastructure Strategy for the next 10 years, which was published back in June. This strategy includes a commitment of £41m to “introduce low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains, significantly improving both the availability and internet data connection speeds for Wi-Fi connected passengers“. However, there doesn’t seem to be a clear date as to when this will be delivered.

Which Country in Europe Has the Best Onboard Wi-Fi When Travelling by Train?

According to the data collected by Ookla, there seems to be quite a gap between the best European train operators for onboard Wi-Fi performance and the worst.

From data taken during the second quarter of 2025, the countries with the top 3 fastest onboard train Wi-Fi were Sweden, Switzerland and Ireland in terms of the median average download speed (64.58 Mbps, 29.79 Mbps and 26.33 Mbps respectively.

At the other end of the scale, with the slowest on board speeds were Spain, the UK and last of all the Netherlands with median average download speeds of 1.45 Mbps, 1.09 Mbps and 0.41 Mbps respectively.

So while the UK doesn’t have the absolute slowest onboard train Wi-Fi in Europe, it wasn’t far off.

The countries with the best upload speeds were similar. You can see how other European countries fared in the graph imagery below for both download and upload speeds, with thanks from Speedest Intelligence.

Will the UK Rail Network Catch Up With Current Wi-Fi Standards?

If you’re a regular reader of our Geekabit blog, you’ll have seen us talking about Wi-Fi 8 and the advancements this new Wi-Fi standard will be making when it arrives.

Unfortunately, many rail operators aren’t up to date with Wi-Fi standards and are still using Wi-Fi 4 based connectivity which could be a big part of the problem. Not only this, but 38% are also still using the 2.4 GHz band which is the slowest and most congested.

Interestingly however, even countries who are embracing more modern Wi-Fi options like using the 5 GHz band are also still underperforming on speed (this can be seen in the likes of Spain and Italy’s speed scores). This could be due to poor satellite or trackside infrastructure causing a lack of pace in backhaul capacity. This is a key factor for onboard performance.

What Are The Key Factors Affecting Onboard Rail Wi-Fi Speeds?

There seem to be many contributing factors to what causes issues with Wi-Fi speeds across European and Asian rail networks. These include:

Construction materials used in train carries
Onboard network design
Political leadership and policy
Adoption of satellite broadband connectivity from LEO satellites

Whilst it’s great that the UK has listed Low Earth Orbit satellites in their Infrastructure Strategy as part of improving connectivity on rail networks, it’s still not going to improve Wi-Fi in tunnels!

You can read the full report from Ookla in much more detail here.

by admin20th October 2025

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Broadband Verification Scheme Launched by Ookla

Have you ever arrived at a conference, sporting event or hotel only to be greeted by a frustratingly slow internet connection? Whether you are trying to access work emails, share a clip of an amazing goal or just laze in your room binge watching your favourite show on your smartphone, we’ve all felt that frustration at a sinfully slow connection.

If only you could check a venue’s connection quality before you book…

Ookla, a network testing business which collects consumer data through their popular broadband testing service Speedtest.net, launched a new Speedtest Certified™ scheme last week.

The thinking behind this new scheme is to be able to offer people and businesses verification on ‘superior connectivity.’ Think places like hotels, stadiums, event venues, office buildings, and airports.

As a consumer, you want to know these venues are going to be able to offer an excellent connection while you are visiting. As a business, you want to be able to offer verification of that excellent connection before they’ve even arrived.

How Can You Prove to Customers that Your Business Offers Superior Connectivity?

As a business owner, you may be one of the many properties identified by Ookla who are keen to prove their connectivity to their potential customers, demonstrating their readiness to meet everyone’s connectivity expectations and needs.

This new service from Ookla, Speedtest Certified™, is designed to give businesses the proof they need.

The newly launched program aims to provide a “trusted badge of excellence“ to venues like hotels, stadiums, airports, event venues and office buildings. Based on Ookla’s globally recognised reputation for mobile and broadband performance measurements, this verification of excellent broadband and connectivity will help businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors and show how committed they are to aiding their customers’ digital experiences.

How Will Speedtest Certified™ from Ookla Deliver This Verification Scheme?

The entire approach will be data-driven, enabling the provision of comprehensive and objective assessment of a venues network. The following key variables will be measured:

The quality of Wi-Fi radio frequency (RF)
Wi-Fi network configuration
Wi-Fi network security assessment
Network performance metrics
ISP backhaul

If you’ve trusted Ookla’s popular Speedtest platform to manage your own connectivity, then you’ll likely be excited at the prospect of knowing just how good the internet connection will be, BEFORE you arrive at an event or hotel. In the words of Stephen Bye (President and CEO of Ookla, Ziff Davis Division) the new Speedtest Certified™ scheme will give you ‘a seal of approval you can count on’ when it comes to reliable connectivity.

5 Star Rating for Internet Speed

Properties that meet or exceed the rigorous standards of Ookla’s Speedtest Certified™ will earn themselves a high-value certification backed by the trusted Speedtest name. This trusted Badge of Excellence will give them a star rating out of 5 for speed and will be valid for 1 year, after which the venue must be re-certified to ensure they still meet the necessary connectivity standards to keep that status.

Not only will they be able to share their Speedtest badge of honour for superior connectivity, businesses will also have access to Ookla’s Speedtest Certified Digital Platform. Here they will be able to:

Access personal insights
Benchmark performance against other Speedtest Certified Networks
Receive targeted recommendations for improvements

Can We Expect the Same for Mobile Connectivity?

The initial Phase One launch is aimed at Wi-Fi connectivity and performance inside properties such as the ones mentioned above.

Phase Two of this programme will look at assessing cellular performance testing in terms of 4G/5G mobile. It’s likely we’ll see this rolled out in the coming months.

What if Your Business Wi-Fi Isn’t Up To Standard?

This new Speedtest Certified™ scheme launched by Ookla is great – If your business or event venue has the superior connectivity that the standards insist upon.

What if your internet speed star rating falls short and your venue’s connectivity doesn’t meet the required standards?

There is always something that can be done to improve your Wi-Fi network and connectivity for customers.

If your business struggles with slow Wi-Fi, an unreliable connection or any other Wi-Fi issues, then our Wi-Fi Experts here at Geekabit can help.

Whilst you’re probably tearing your hair out with frustration, we actually love Wi-Fi problems like slow speeds, Wi-Fi dead spots or users unable to connect – Because we know what a huge difference we will be able to make to you and your business.

Using globally renowned specialist measuring and testing equipment, we can get to the root of the problem. Though Wi-Fi Site Surveys, Planning & Design and Wi-Fi Installation we can get your business’ connectivity working just as it should be.

We’ve helped hotels, warehouses, corporate offices and stadiums to name just a few. We can also help with event Wi-Fi!

So don’t put up with dodgy Wi-Fi any longer – It’s time to call in the experts. Contact Geekabit today.

Imagery used with thanks from https://www.ookla.com/speedtest-certified

by admin22nd September 2025

Broadband Broadband Speed Connectivity Estate Agents Fibre Broadband Full Fibre Hampshire Home Network Home Office Home WI-Fi SpeedScore Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Speed Test Wi-Fi Speeds

Broadband Performance: A Must-Have for Estate Agents to Showcase Dream Properties

A recent survey highlights the critical importance for estate agents to offer broadband performance reports when marketing properties, particularly “dream property” offerings.

Recent research suggests that Estate Agents should be focusing on providing home buyers with broadband performance reports if they want to meet the criteria of buyers dream homes.

The top ranked factor for the ‘dream home’ wish list when looking for a new property was reliable internet.

UK based platform Compare My Move assists home buyers, sellers, landlords and movers with the whole property buying process. They commissioned research with Front Door Comms and OnePoll, creating an online survey of 2,000 adults based in the UK, naturally representative of age, gender and region.

62% Brits Looking for Decent Wi-Fi When Looking at a Potential New Property

The survey found that 62% of survey respondents put decent Wi-Fi as the number one feature they would want in their realistic dream property. Strong Wi-Fi came above a private driveway and a walk-in wardrobe.

This would appear to highlight a shift away from fancy frills, instead favouring functional living and everyday essentials when looking for a new property.

If you’ve ever had your internet go down for a significant length of time then you’ll know how much you rely on that connection. From the obvious things like logging onto your laptop to work from home, to the more taken for granted things like asking Alexa for a timer whilst cooking dinner or trying to listen to music – Having no Wi-Fi is excruciatingly frustrating.

Since the pandemic when the UK was plunged into the world of working from home and home learning, Estate Agents have seen a dramatic increase in questions about reliable broadband when prospective buyers are looking at new property.

So it’s little wonder that prospective home buyers want to know exactly what kind of broadband connection they could expect from a potential new home – And if Estate Agents want to make a sale, and Estate Managers want to find a tenant then they need to be providing information that shows the available broadband for that property.

Reliable Broadband for High End Estate Agency

High End Estate Agents aren’t just matching High Net Worth Individuals with their latest luxury home – They need to give their buyers confidence that they will be moving into a well connected home with strong, reliable broadband.

Co-founder and MD of Compare My Move says it himself – The results show that “people are prioritising convenience, comfort, and connectivity in their everyday lives. While high-end extras might look impressive on paper, it’s the things we rely on daily – like Wi-Fi and a driveway – that really make a place feel like home.”

And thus, this needs to be reflected in the way that Estate Agents (including High End) and Estate Managers are marketing their properties.

Is Slow Internet the Dealbreaker That’s Losing You House Sales?

The survey reported above supports previous research from a few years ago when it was found that 20% of people would not buy a property if it had slow internet speeds.

Similarly, the lack of 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 important, Estate Agents must now recognise that for many house hunters the quality and speed of the internet is now on par with other deemed essentials. In Scotland and the Southwest, some prospective house buyers value the availability of high-quality broadband above everything else – Even house size.

Estate Agency and Estate Management clients are least likely to compromise on high-quality broadband when looking for a new home. Decent Wi-Fi was deemed more important than local amenities and space.

In addition to this, homes for sale that had a worse connection could see Estate Agents selling at approximately £5K less, based solely on whether a home had access to a 300Mbps connection or not.

How Many Homes Have Access to Full Fibre?

According to Ofcom, 20.7 million UK homes, or 69% of the total, have access to full-fibre broadband. This represents a significant increase from 17.1 million homes (57%) in September 2023.

Specifically, Ofcom’s Connected Nations report in July 2024 showed that:

Full-fibre coverage has expanded to 69% (20.7 million) of the UK’s 30.1 million homes.
This is an increase of 12 percentage points (3.6 million premises) since September 2023.
Full fibre is more prevalent in urban areas (71%) than in rural areas (52%).
Gigabit-capable coverage, including full fibre and hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) cable, has reached 83% (25 million) of UK homes.
Northern Ireland leads the way with 93% of homes having access to full fibre.

SpeedScore from Geekabit Wi-Fi Experts

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

Thus, we launched our innovative Internet Connectivity Measurement Platform – Geekabit SpeedScore.

This gives Estate Agents and Estate Managers a variety of tools to help provide an independent certification of internet speeds and connectivity. Ideal if you’re trying to make a sale by proving the speed and connectivity of a property’s internet.

Whether it’s a high end luxury property or the dream home of the average buyer, a clear, concise and accurate presentation of a property’s broadband could be the leverage to close that sale.

You can read more about SpeedScore here.

by admin14th July 2025

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How Can I Test My Broadband Speed?

Are you paying for 70Mbps but only getting 1Mbps? If you’ve checked your router and everything seems in order there, then you might want to be reliably checking your broadband speed as well as your Wi-Fi.

When you obtain broadband from an Internet Service Provider (ISP), they are responsible for getting their broadband service to your home as far as the router. That’s where their responsibility ends. After that, your Wi-Fi is up to you.

A speed checker won’t check the speed of your Wi-Fi inside your home, but rather the broadband speed that is delivered to your premises before going through your router.

It’s worth remembering that you will often be offered broadband speeds of ‘up to’ a certain Mbps – That means that roughly 10% of customers will get that speed, but many more will get lower.

What is broadband speed affected by?

There are lots of factors that affect broadband speed.

The distance the property is from the exchange
The wiring (quality, number of joints)
Router quality
Time of day broadband is being used (How many people are vying for bandwidth at the same time)

When you are measuring broadband speed, it can also be affected by the router and the computer being used to test.

The best way to get an accurate measure of your broadband speed is by connecting a device to the router using an Ethernet cable. Internet connections via Ethernet cable are faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi, so will give you a more reliable measure of broadband speed.

To test your broadband speed, turn off the Wi-Fi on your device and then plug it directly into the router using an Ethernet cable.

Remember that your ISP can’t do anything about your internet speed from your router onwards. By measuring the speed through an Ethernet cable, you can see how fast it’s coming in at. You are likely to measure a much lower speed using a device on the Wi-Fi. If the speed you measure via Ethernet cable is close to your Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) speed, then you’re doing alright. But you can’t expect to get the same speeds on a device using the Wi-Fi like your tablet or phone.

How can I test my own broadband speed?

There are two types of speed tests you can do – Casual and Serious.

How to Do a Casual Broadband Speed Test

Go to any broadband speed checker on your browser – You can find them on Google. You can run the test directly through your browser.

How to Do a Serious Broadband Speed Test

This one is a bit more involved.

Turn off your PC / laptops Wi-Fi connection
Connect the PC / laptop to the router using an Ethernet cable
Turn off any other devices that are using the internet connection (e.g. TV’s, smartphones etc
Restart your router
Restart your PC / laptop and keep any unnecessary programmes closed down (that includes anti-virus software)
Open a clean browser window and go to your chosen broadband speed tester

What results should I be getting?

To check if the results seem reliable, you can use different browsers and see if there is a difference, for example, between Edge and Chrome. If you are getting approximately the following speeds on the below connections, then you don’t have any major problems.

ADSL connection – 7Mbps

ADSL2 connection – 12-16Mbps

FTTC connection – 30Mbps

Cable connection – 50Mbps

Mobile broadband connection – 20Mbps

Remember that the results can vary and can be affected by:

The server
The local exchange
The internet itself
And more!

It may also be worth testing the speed at varying times of day and see what you find.

How do I know which broadband speed checker to use?

For the best results, you should use a local service with the lowest latency or ‘ping’ rate.

According to the Guardian, the three best speed checkers were:

I’ve tested my broadband speed and it looks fine – So why am I having issues?

Maybe you’ve got a Wi-Fi problem rather than a broadband speed problem.

If your device works better when it’s closer to the router, then perhaps the problem is the signal strength, and getting that signal to where you are wanting to use your device most.

If your Wi-Fi is just slow in general, it could be that your router is the problem. If your ISP won’t upgrade the one you currently have, then maybe you could replace it with an alternative and upgrade it?

The problem could even be your device itself! See if a friend or family member has a different / newer device that you could test on your Wi-Fi and see if you encounter the same problems.

Who can help with broadband speed tests and Wi-Fi issues?

If all of the above feels a bit confusing or if you’ve carried out the test but don’t understand the results then don’t panic! Here at Geekabit, our Wi-Fi experts are currently developing our own best-in-class solution for supporting people who wish to record and verify their internet speeds. Coming soon!

by admin10th October 2022

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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.

by admin25th August 2022

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SpeedScore by Geekabit

Your internet speed has never been so important. Connectivity is as important as electricity, water and gas to a home or business. Decisions are made based on the speed you can offer, yet connectivity is often overlooked until it’s too late.

House buyers, tenants, hospitality customers and even employees are getting more tech savvy and starting to ask questions about internet speeds and reliability.

With a decade of providing connectivity solutions to UK markets, we have launched our innovative Internet Connectivity Measurement Platform.

SpeedScore by Geekabit gives you a variety of tools to help provide an independent certification of your internet speeds and connectivity.

Most internet speed tests are not accurate, as they become affected by the use of Wi-Fi, old devices and different test endpoints. You can’t expect them to provide the same results test after test due to a variety of factors.

Our hardware and software is different, resolving these issues and providing a balanced and independent view. We have no affiliation with any connectivity provider or hardware manufacturer, allowing us to create a truly impartial scheme based on scientific measurement and reporting.

Who is SpeedScore for?
Perfect for Estate Agents looking to prove internet connection speeds in properties for sale, landlords looking to provide accurate broadband measurement for potential tenants, and hospitality hosts giving confidence to those looking for a connected stay.

What does SpeedScore include?
The core platform consists of the SpeedScore ConnectBox – plugged directly into your broadband router (available for purchase or hire) and the SpeedScore Platform and App. You can show live scores within your own online marketing, provide exportable reports and download certificates to provide an independent and balanced view from our experts.

Prove your internet speed and connectivity status, when and where you need it with SpeedScore by Geekabit.

We have limited availability for the first rollout of our platform, and are looking for a final few customers for our initial shipping batch. If you would like to take part, please email info@geekabit.co.uk.

by admin18th October 2021