Geekabit’s Top 10 Blogs of 2023

2023 is coming to a close – And we know the new year will bring new technology and wireless improvements with it!

Here at Geekabit, we covered a lot of different Wi-Fi topics last year here on the blog. Much of what we write about is influenced by the enquiries and questions that our customers and clients ask our Wi-Fi Experts across Winchester, London and Cardiff. This year we’ve seen an increase in demand for 4G/5G broadband and Starlink Satellite broadband options, particularly for homes and businesses in rural areas.

We thought we would take a look back on the last year and see what blogs were most popular with you – Our readers!

In at Number 10, this blog had people wondering whether scientists could watch we are doing through walls!

#10

Number 9 was all about finally getting 5G on the London Underground so you can stay connected whilst travelling around the capital.

#9

With Ubiquiti UniFi devices increasing in popularity, it’s no surprise that this fault finding blog about flashing lights on access points made it in at number 8.

#8

Here at Geekabit, we’ve talked a lot about how impactful broadband can be for rural businesses. This blog about unreliable broadband for rural businesses came in at number 7.

#7

It seems you all want to know how to choose and install a 4G and 5G mobile broadband antenna, as this blog telling you how narrowly missed being in our top 5 blogs of the year.

#6

Kicking us off in the top 5 was where best to place your router for successful results.

#5

Taking the 4th spot was a look into 2023 and what it had in store for us in the world of Wi-Fi.

#4

In 3rd place was another blog on 4G and 5G mobile broadband, answering all your frequently asked questions.

#3

Narrowly missing the top spot, this blog about discounted Starlink Satellite Ultrafast Broadband here in the UK was one of your most popular reads this year.

#2

And taking the top spot for most read Geekabit blog of 2023 was this one about the rise of UK Starlink broadband speeds.

#1

So it seems our readers were most looking for information on Starlink Satellite broadband and 4G/5G mobile broadband options. Does that mean that consumers and business broadband customers are interested in alternative Wi-Fi options for their homes and businesses?

We’re looking forward to what 2024 will bring in the tech world and seeing how that impacts all things Wi-Fi and staying well connected.

Watchdog Bans ‘Fastest Wi-Fi’ Advert from Virgin Media

Is Virgin Media Wi-Fi really faster than its rivals like its advert claims? Touted as misleading customers, their advert making this bold claim has been banned in recent weeks. 

Virgin Media claimed in their advert that they had the ‘fastest Wi-Fi guarantee of any major provider.’ 

Understandably, this ruffled a few of their rivals’ feathers leading to Vodafone making a complaint to the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority).

The watchdog agreed that the information presented by Virgin Media was misleading, by leading customers to believe that Virgin’s Wi-Fi was faster than that available from other providers. 

Virgin were left feeling rather baffled by the decision, insisting that they did indeed offer a faster minimum speed (guaranteed) than its competitors.

The advert was supposed to communicate the message that Virgin customers are guaranteed a minimum Wi-Fi download speed of 30 Mbps. This guaranteed minimum speed is faster than the minimum speed offered by other providers. If Virgin customers find that their minimum download speed was not met, they would then be given a credit towards their bill. 

In comparison to Virgin’s minimum guaranteed download speed of 30 Mbps, Vodafone’s equivalent is 10 Mbps. Hence the claim in their advert, albeit a potentially misleading one. 

Despite Virgin’s explanation, the ASA upheld the complaint from Vodafone and agreed that the information presented in the advert was misleading to customers. 

There is a subtle difference between ‘guaranteeing the highest speed and offering a guarantee which promised action by the advertiser if a minimum speed was not met’ which led to the ASA’s decision to ban the advert. 

They weren’t convinced that the majority of potential customers watching the advert would have understood the actual meaning by the headline claim, but instead would assume it meant that Virgin offered (and guaranteed) they had the fastest Wi-Fi service of all the major broadband suppliers. 

In the ASA’s eyes (and likely Vodafone’s) the claim was not substantiated, therefore leading to the conclusion that the advert was misleading. 

Virgin were told that they could no longer run the advert, and were not to imply that they could guarantee that they offered the fastest Wi-Fi service of all major broadband providers unless of course that was the case. 

Originally appearing on their website on the 3rd July presenting their Wi-Fi guarantee, Virgin further specified that it only applied to customers with access to fibre optic broadband and those opting for their M50 broadband package in which they offer an average download speed of 54 Mbps. 

The guarantee was a promise to give the customer a £100 credit if they didn’t get at least 30 Mbps in each room of their home, following up to 3 Wi-Fi signal boosters to help achieve that minimum speed. 

Virgin remained adamant that their customers would understand the meaning behind the claims in their advert and were both disappointed and surprised that the ASA ruled it as misleading. 

Virgin insisted that they are not the only major broadband provider to promote Wi-Fi guarantees to their customers and even managed to support their claims that consumers understood the meaning of the advert with an independent poll reflecting that the majority did indeed correctly understand what was meant by the guarantee. 

Jan 2024 – FTTP Broadband Advanced Installs Launching from Openreach 

From the 2nd January 2024, those ordering an Openreach FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) broadband ISP product will be able to get their new ‘Advanced Connection’ service.

This service will be leaving its pilot phase and launching fully on the 2nd January, providing an option for situations where installation is a bit more complex than usual.  

Although this has already been implemented on other broadband products, this ‘Advanced Connection’ option from this operator is quite a recent addition. 

This ‘Advanced Connection’ on FTTP lines has been piloted by Openreach since July last year, and is now ready to launch at the beginning of January to the wider public. 

How much does an Openreach installation cost?

Did you know that an Openreach installation costs from £114.78+VAT? There are a couple of options available when installing a FTTP broadband connection..

Standard Openreach Installation

On a consumer broadband line, the Standard FTTP Openreach installation will generally cost a one-off price of £114.78+VAT*. 

This only covers the basics.  

Premium Openreach Installation

For more choice, the Premium Openreach installation gives consumers more options when it comes to the connectivity inside their home or premises. 

Things like: 

  • Router repositioning
  • Wi-Fi analysis
  • More extensive testing

These options help to optimise the connectivity. 

This Premium option costs £154.78+VAT*.

What if it’s a difficult Openreach install?

The new ‘Advanced Connection’ installation provides an option for more complicated setups where a standard Openreach install isn’t an option for that property. 

The cost of the new ‘Advanced Connection’ will cost ISP’s £289.78. As this is quite a significant cost, this is likely to be passed onto the customer. 

This new option for more complicated Openreach installations is most likely to be useful for businesses and public sector users. The cost for these types of premises have a much higher connection charge. 

Some homes that are particularly tricky may also benefit from this new ‘Advanced Connection’ option. 

ISP Charges

As Wi-Fi engineers ourselves, we think it’s useful to know what the charges are to the actual ISP, so that consumers can better understand the costs that they then are quoted for Wi-Fi work. 

Especially when it comes to an Openreach difficult install or people wanting to move their BT master socket. 

* The price charged by ISP’s may vary to those quoted, as there are often discounts and other considerations. Some ISP’s offer the standard installation option free of charge. 

What Are The Capabilities of the ‘Advanced Connection’ Openreach Installation? 

Available from the 2nd January 2024, this new ‘Advanced Connection’ option from Openreach will offer wider capabilities compared to the Standard and Premium installations. 

‘Advanced Connection’ Openreach connection benefits:

  • From where the Openreach network connects to the premises, up to 100 metres of internal wiring is offered
  • The option for more complex cabling for example, through multiple walls, or new cable trunking
  • Utilising existing horizontal or vertical cable trays 
  • Ability to go through ceiling or floor tiles (that are accessible and removable)
  • Utilising in-situ structured cabling to provide the service
  • The option to connect to existing structured cabling in the building, with a preference for NTE (Network Termination Equipment) or ONT (Optical Network Terminal) install location, for example in the comms room
  • Where installs require more than the 100m of internal wiring that is included, an installation with Excess Construction Charges can be applied to pay for the additional work required
Is Your Business the 1 in 5 with Insufficient Internet Speeds? 

Business leaders and decision makers from 160 UK companies were surveyed on their businesses broadband speeds during June 2023 by Neos Networks – 1 in every 5 were found to have broadband speeds that were insufficient. 

Furthermore, 42% of those surveyed planned to move to a higher capacity connection during the next two years as part of their key growth plans. 

Investment in Connectivity

Over the previous 2 years, 11.2% of respondents who had already invested in connectivity said it had a direct impact on their business profitability. 

And it’s not just profitability that’s impacted by good connectivity in business. 98.3% of surveyed businesses said it also impacted:

  • Productivity
  • Staff retention
  • Client collaboration

Why Are Businesses Prioritising Higher Capacity Connectivity?

Why might businesses prioritise higher capacity connectivity? Better performing broadband impacting many parts of the business, including:

  • Increased computer power (22.4%)
  • Operational development in terms of more data and higher capacity requirements (21.2%)
  • Greater device usage for each employee (11.6%)

With the prevalence of AI being used in business, this also influenced decisions to improve and increase connectivity with 1 in 10 businesses actively looking to increase connectivity in order to better integrate AI into their business processes.

What Is The Negative Impact of Insufficient Broadband Speeds in Business?

Poor internet connectivity, speed and/or reliability doesn’t just negatively impact employee productivity and retention, it can also cause businesses to risk losing a customer or client. 55.6% of businesses surveyed felt like they were at risk of losing custom down to poor internet. 

Has Project Gigabit Had A Notable Impact on Business Broadband?

The businesses being surveyed were asked if they felt their business had felt a notable impact from Project Gigabit, of which 52.5% said yes. 

Project Gigabit is a £5 billion government broadband plan aiming to deliver next-generation gigabit broadband to over a million households and businesses across the UK. You can read about their progress here

Project Gigabit didn’t actually start to award contracts until August 2022, so it’s possible that the above percentage figure is reflective of respondents including other similar schemes (like the Gigabit voucher and GigaHubs Dark Fibre) or other commercial upgrades to broadband services. 

Let’s Focus on the Positives

It’s clear that businesses are seeking high-capacity connections to keep up with new technologies as well as support their employees and customers. 

Of course, businesses that are based in more rural areas may well be part of the 1 in 5 businesses without sufficient broadband speeds that need improved network accessibility to achieve better connectivity. Other means of connecting to the internet may be useful, such as mobile internet through the likes of 4G/5G routers or Satellite broadband like Starlink

But if 1 in 5 businesses don’t have sufficient broadband, that means that 4 in 5 do! Recent data from Think Broadband suggests that only 21% of UK premises are yet to be reached by gigabit-capable broadband. That means 79% of business premises in the UK are covered by a broadband connection that is gigabit-capable. 

By 2030, the UK government is hoping to reach their target of having nationwide coverage. Network operators are hoping for more support so that they are able to help businesses with poor connectivity sooner than that. 

Rural businesses may be able to improve their connection through AltNet options. AltNet are alternative network providers offering fibre broadband packages. Although smaller in scale, AltNets compete with the UK and England’s big brand internet service providers. AltNets offer their own full fibre connections and don’t rely on the Openreach network and can sometimes offer higher upload speeds in comparison to the major network providers.

This could mean that rural businesses in hard to reach locations could have access to better internet services sooner than the national telecoms provider can offer, giving them next generation speeds like 2.5, 3 and 10 gigabit services across certain networks before national providers have even started trials. 

Let’s also remember that even though 1 in 5 businesses are receiving insufficient broadband, that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have access to it via other networks. There might be other options to the one they are currently using. 

The broadband demands of differing businesses also vary hugely. A graphic design studio or video editing company would need higher speed internet than a takeaway shop that could rely on a slower link. 

As always, these types of surveys should be taken with a pinch of salt. Whilst it is undeniable that there are 1 in 5 businesses with insufficient broadband, there should be options for them to explore like mobile broadband and satellite broadband like Starlink. 

Can we help your business improve its broadband connection?

If your business is struggling with a poor internet connection, then get in touch with our expert Wi-Fi engineers who will be able to advise if mobile broadband or Starlink satellite broadband could be a viable option for you. Give us a call or drop us an email today and let’s get it sorted. 

New Dish and Router for Satellite Broadband Service Launched from Starlink

Back in March 2021, we first wrote about Starlink and what it was all about (you can read that original blog here). Now, we’re writing about the next development in all things Starlink with a third-generation in terminal hardware for us in homes. This global constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband satellites from SpaceX will see it’s latest generation of hardware offering better durability for customers on standard plans and higher performance in terms of speed.

What is Starlink Satellite Broadband?

If you skipped the link above to our original blog, then here are the main things to know about Starlink. 

The Starlink network is currently made up of approximately 5,077 LEO satellites, with plans to add around 7,500 more by the end of 2027. 

How much does Starlink satellite broadband cost?

The regular home kit costs £449 plus £20 shipping fee, consisting of the standard dish, router etc. UK customers then pay £75 per month.

How fast is Starlink satellite broadband?

On the standard package, you could expect:

  • Fast latency times of 25-50ms
  • Circa 25-100 Mbps download speeds
  • Circa 5-10 Mbps upload speeds

Currently, only new customers opting for the standard residential plan will be able to get this new third-generation kit. 

GEN3 Starlink Terminal Hardware – What’s New?

Last week, Starlink updated their website with this new third-generation terminal equipment including dish, router and the other bits needed to get you online. Not only are these GEN3 items cheaper to manufacture, they are also touted as providing better performance for new customers. 

So what are the improvements with the new Starlink hardware? 

Dish:

  • The new dish is bigger, also coming with an improved environmental protection rating of IP67 (up from IP54)
  • It comes with a wider field of view (110° up from 100°)
  • The antenna (or dish)  has a default configuration with a simple manually oriented kickstand where it can receive a signal just by facing the sky without obstruction (instead of automatic motorised rotation)

Router:

  • Wi-Fi 6 support is now included with the new router (improved from Wi-Fi 5) (although it’s worth noting that only support for WPA2 encryption is listed, instead of the usual WPA3 you tend to find with Wi-Fi 6 kit)
  • It is now a tri-band device (instead of dual band)
  • The router has 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports (instead of an adapter)
  • It has improved durability with water resistance rating of IP56 (up from IP54)

Are there any disadvantages with the new Starlink hardware?

After we’ve talked about all the pros, there are a few things to note with the new hardware that might be considered cons. 

  • The new third-generation router is not compatible with mesh systems that are not their own which means you need to use their second- and third-generation mesh nodes.
  • The power consumption of the new dish has increased from 50-75W to 75-100W, which could impact your electricity bill. (As a comparison, one standard router tends to use between 7 and 15 watts on a fixed line broadband connection. 

For full details of the new Starlink Kit Specifications, head to their website

Client Highlight: Starlink Satellite Broadband Hire for Winchester Bonfire and Fireworks

Our November started with a bang, getting muddy working as technical support to Winchester’s largest one-day annual charity event, Winchester Round Table’s Bonfire and Fireworks. Geekabit’s CEO has been heavily involved with this event for many years, volunteering time and expertise. 

This year we joined the team of volunteers to lend them our Wi-Fi expertise to help make the event a success through seamless connectivity and reliable broadband across an external network.

This event regularly raises in excess of £60K – A phenomenal community effort, and one that everyone involved should be immensely proud of. There are so many great causes and vital work that this money will go towards in the local community of Winchester and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have volunteered our time and expertise to be a small part of that.

Why does a bonfire and fireworks event need a wireless internet connection?

You might be thinking; what does a Bonfire and Firework event need Wi-Fi for anyway? Well, this is no ordinary bonfire and fireworks night. Every year, Winchester Round Table hosts around 20,000 people for an evening of entertainment, food, drinks, and of course the legendary bonfire and fireworks spectacular.

An event of this scale calls for reliable connectivity, and that’s where Geekabit came in. We have a wealth of experience and expertise in the area of remote internet and events, and so we were more than happy to volunteer to this great cause.

Starlink Satellite Internet for Events

20,000 people can place a great strain on the local cellular mobile towers, and so we turned to a more modern, low orbit satellite solution that would sidestep these issues.

We installed a temporary network across the main fireworks site, using Starlink satellite internet as our connectivity backhaul.

Event Wi-Fi Network – Ubiquiti

Using a variety of Ubiquiti point-to-point links, we spread the network out across the important parts of the fields, and used several outdoor grade wireless access point solutions from the Ubiquiti UniFi range in order to reach the retailers on-site.

This meant that the Starlink internet we provided could reliably aid the event control room on the night as well as help run the operations and production areas.

Food Traders Payments through Starlink Internet

It even provided connectivity for the on-site food festival traders so they could power their payment terminals when mobile reception would be very minimal, ensuring smooth and fast transactions.

Ticket Booth Internet Connectivity for Events

The event also offers ticket pick-up on the day from temporary event Ticket Booths based in two outside locations in the city centre. Due to the volume of people that need to pick-up tickets, it’s not possible to borrow a building or utilise a shop as the crowds and the queue would be too big.

This therefore makes it necessary for the booth to be in a location that will cause as little disruption as possible. Due to the outside location of the ticket booth, and the nature of the service it is providing, it’s necessary for there to be a reliable internet connection. 

Geekabit made this possible using two Starlink Satellite Broadband temporary event installations, which enabled solid laptop, tablet and mobile access to live spreadsheets, order information, customer service emails and social messages throughout the day of the event.

Starlink Satellite Broadband Provides Vital Connectivity for Outdoor Events

A reliable internet connection throughout the day of this event was vital for production purposes and the smooth running of critical processes, which Starlink Satellite Broadband provided.

Working with Winchester Round Table Bonfire and Fireworks was a privilege and a pleasure. Year on year there are more things that require a wireless connection to ensure the smooth running of an event, and we hope to be on hand again in the future to help this to happen.

For more information on our Event W-Fi services get in touch with one of our Wi-Fi experts and we can show you how we can help make your event a success.

Get in touch here.

Fixed Broadband Speeds: Europe vs UK 

Opensignal, the leading global provider of independent insight and data into network experience and market performance, have recently released a new study looking at fixed broadband speeds across Europe (28 countries).

The data published in this research finds that the UK has placed quite poorly when judged against its peers. For downloads, the UK is around the middle of the table, but closer to the bottom for uploads. 

How do they collect the data?

The results collected are based on crowdsourced data (data collected from a large number of sources direct from customers), in this case from consumer speedtests. 

For this reason, they don’t necessarily paint an accurate picture of network capability or availability. However, as the data has been collected in the same way across all the countries looked at, the results can offer some insights into the speed of fixed broadband across Europe. 

The data set in this study was collected between the 1st April and 27th September 2023. 

How does the UK compare to Europe when it comes to fixed broadband speed? 

Download Speeds

Coming out on top with the best broadband speeds from the data collected, both France and Spain scored a median average download speed of 121 Mbps and 114.4 Mbps respectively. 

The UK sits in the middle of the table with a download speed of 66.1 Mbps.

Coming slowest was Greece with a slow download speed of 36.5 Mbps. 

Upload Speeds

Spain again topped the table for upload speeds with an average of 91.4 Mbps. They were closely followed by France with an average upload speed of 88.5 Mbps. 

UK were found towards the bottom of the table with an average upload speed of just 20.6 Mbps. 

Again right at the bottom of the table was Greece, with an average upload speed of 7.3 Mbps. 

Opensignal-UK-vs-EU-Broadband-Speeds-Q3-2023

With thanks to Opensignal for the imagery.

Why are UK download speeds slower than almost half of Europe? 

When looking at the results found, we need to consider that much of Europe is already using full fibre FTTP coverage. The UK is behind these European countries, which goes some way to explaining the results of this data set. 

Don’t fret though – There is good news! The UK are on the path to rapidly catching up with their European peers, but these things take time. 

Although Opensignal is one of the better organisations for collecting and analysing this type of data, remember that performance testing of this nature doesn’t always tell the entire story.

Why Does My Wi-Fi Randomly Stop Working?

And more importantly, how can I fix it? 

There’s little more frustrating than your Wi-Fi going down. Whether you’re working from home and mid Zoom, streaming your favourite show or gaming with friends – If your Wi-Fo goes down it’s an urgent problem to solve as soon as possible. 

Much like a power cut, when there’s no Wi-Fi we really feel it’s absence. And much like flicking the light switch on and off, we head straight for the hardware when we’re trying to figure out what the problem is. 

What to check on your hardware when your Wi-Fi stops working

  • Are the router and any other units plugged in and switched on – Are the lights on? 
  • Is every relevant cable properly connected?
  • Are any external antennas linked to the router fastened correctly?

Checking for disconnected cables that have been unplugged, disconnected or damaged could be a straightforward fix for your Wi-Fi woes.

If it’s an intermittent problem, then look for a ‘strangled’ cable. This is a cable that might be getting squashed underneath furniture or has perhaps been nibbled by a pet. 

If you’ve checked all the cabling and hardware and things look okay – What’s next?

How to check if it’s a Wi-Fi problem when your internet connection goes down

If everything is powered-on hardware wise, then the next thing to check is your Wi-Fi and whether the signal is being broadcasted. Find a device and try to connect to your Wi-Fi. 

  • Is your network being broadcast – Is it in the list of possible networks to connect to?
  • Can you connect to your network on the device?

What to do if your network is not being broadcasted or you cannot connect to the network

If one or neither of these things is happening, then the problem could be with your wireless source. You could try resetting the power on your equipment ie. turn your router off for 30 seconds and then turn back on again. 

You may even need to replace your router. If yours is leased from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) then get in touch with them to see if they can either help reset it remotely or get you a replacement. 

What to do if your network is being broadcasted and it says you’re connected, but you still have no internet connection

If you can see that your network is being broadcasted and you are able to connect to it, then check the signal strength in various locations (ie. where you need a connection).

What should my Wi-Fi signal strength be? 

In an ideal world, your Wi-Fi signal would be above -68 dBm.

For general internet access (not voice or video calls) then you could probably manage at -72 dBm. 

Anything below that level would probably cause problems, and you would likely need to be considering alternatives to solve your signal coverage issues. 

These alternatives could invoice:

  • Additional access points
  • Extender / mesh extender

Be cautious with signal extenders – These should only really be used as a last resort. This is because in order to keep the wireless link between the extender and main router, they use up considerable bandwidth. 

You could instead try a tri-radio router and implement multi-radio extenders or mesh nodes. This could enable you to use one channel for your network and another for end device access.  

How to measure your Wi-Fi signal

To measure your Wi-Fi signal and check if you have enough coverage, there are a couple of ways to do this. 

Measuring Wi-Fi signal on a laptop

If you have a laptop, you can check the stats of your wireless interface, or install a wireless measuring tool, like WinFi Lite. 

Measuring Wi-Fi on a smartphone

If you have an android smartphone, you can install a wireless signal measuring app, like “WiFiman”, or if you have an Apple device, you can install the “Airport” app and use it to scan the signal strength.

Measuring Wi-Fi signal strength

Using the tools above, you will be able to not only measure your own network but also neighbouring networks and how they are affecting yours.  

It’s nigh on impossible to be unaffected by an external 2.4 GHz network. If you can, try to use the 5 GHz spectrum. This network has more channels for you to use and thus a lot fewer interfering networks, even in residential areas. 

Bear in mind that in locations like apartment complexes, even the 5 GHz spectrum can become congested but is still generally the better option. 

An even better option would be the 6 GHz channel, but it’s likely that your devices will no longer support it in the not so distant future. 

If your Wi-Fi coverage seems fine, it could be your network usage causing internet problems

If your hardware looks okay, your network is broadcasting and you can connect, and your coverage looks good, then it’s time to consider your network usage. 

At the time you were experiencing internet problems, consider

  • How many people were connected to your network
  • What they were using the internet for 

It’s quite likely that your router wasn’t built for the demands of multiple video conferencing calls on your work laptop, a show streaming on Netflix, plus online games being played on the iPad. 

That’s a considerable amount of traffic for it to process and could cause things to get a bit unpredictable connection wise. 

If this is a common usage demand, then it may be time to speak to you ISP and see if you can upgrade your router and package. Think about whether it would be worth upgrading to hardware that supports Wi-Fi 6.

You could also consider installing additional access points to help ease the burden on the main router. 

Another potential solution is to skip the Wi-Fi element altogether, and plug your device into the router via an Ethernet cable. Hint: THis is also a great way of testing whether the issue lies with the internet connection itself or how the Wi-Fi signal is being transmitted. 

‘I’ve tried everything and my internet still won’t work!’

Okay, we get it, by this point you would be really frustrated. You’ve checked the hardware, you’re connected and coverage is fine, network usage is low – Yet there are still network problems! What else could be causing your internet connection to be unreliable and unpredictable? 

It could be wireless interference issues. 

Many routers we use in our homes support only 2.4 GHz communications. The problem with using that range is that many other manufacturers use those channels for other pieces of equipment because it’s cheap and long ranging. 

Things that could be interfering with your Wi-Fi signal are:

  • Baby monitors
  • Wireless video security cameras / doorbells
  • Microwaves
  • Motion detectors as part of an alarm system

These are just a few common examples, there are many others that use the 2.4 GHz band and could cause interference problems. To get a full picture of what’s going on, you could need a spectrum analyser.

There are of course other possible forms of interference as well. Where is your wireless router located? You should avoid:

  • Shutting it in a cupboard
  • Placing behind a large bit of furniture
  • Too much metal close by (cabinets, fridges, etc)
  • Mirrored windows 
  • Painting walls with magnetic or metallic paint

We have a whole article on how to avoid interference – You can check it out here. 

Could it be your naughty neighbour? 

As we must consider all possible options – Could it be that your neighbour is doing naughty things to your internet connection? 

Unfortunately, it is a possibility that your neighbour is deauthenticating your network. This means they are using external wireless equipment to pose as your network and then start sending deauthentication packets to your users. In other words, telling devices that are connected to your network to get off every time they leave and try to reconnect.

It’s very hard to catch this happening unless you have the proper knowledge and tools. Fortunately, some access points can detect these attacks and report them like cloud-based solution access points.

Is there anything else that could be causing my Wi-Fi problems?

So far we’ve checked:

  • For hardware problems
  • Whether your network is being broadcasted
  • Whether your Wi-Fi is transmitting a signal
  • How strong your Wi-Fi signal is / coverage
  • Network usage
  • Wireless interference
  • Naughty neighbours

That’s a pretty comprehensive list. If none of these are causing your internet problems, then it could be the integrity of your internet connection. 

How do you check the integrity of your internet connection?

Use one of your devices to check to see if you are getting an IP address. This is something you could try first, but if you checked the connection using an Ethernet cable (for example, a desktop computer that’s connected directly to the main internet connection (router) via cable) and everything was fine then your main internet connection is unlikely to be the issue. 

Things to check:

  • Do you have an IP address?
  • Can you ping your gateway?
  • Do you have DNS?

If you don’t have an IP address:

Have a check of your network stats and verify if you have a proper IP address. If you don’t, then try to register again to your home network. To do this you can simply just restart your router. 

If that doesn’t work, then try resetting your DHCP server. Most of the time, it’s to do with the home router. If you’re not using a router, then whatever you are using – restart that. 

If restarting it doesn’t work then check your DHCP configuration or give your ISP a call. 

If you do have an IP address:

If you can see that you do have a proper IP address, try to ping a public site like google.com. If that fails, try to ping a well-known public IP address like 8.8.8.8. 

If that works, then there may be an issue with the DNS that you have configured so you could try using public DNS servers, like 8.8.4.4 or 8.8.8.8. 

If a ping to a public IP address fails, then that indicates that the problem is either in the path between your home router and the ISP or something in the ISP itself.

It’s not you, it’s them

Sometimes it’s not anything to do with any of the potential problems we’ve discussed above. Sometimes it’s a problem with your Internet Service Provider and there is simply an outage on the service that you are trying to access.  

This can be for a few different reasons. 

Perhaps you have been disconnected because your street or building has a problem in the distribution panel. A cable could have been cut or damaged somewhere in the network during construction or roadworks or something similar. 


It could also be a problem with the ISP infrastructure. If they are experiencing issues in their client management system, then this would stop you accessing the service. 

If you’ve tried all of the above and nothing has helped, then it’s probably time to give your ISP a call and see if the problem is their end of things. 

Good luck! 

Average UK Broadband ISP Speeds Hit 69.4Mbps, Ofcom 2023 Study Finds

This month, Ofcom published their last report into ISP performance in terms of UK fixed line broadband. This report revealed that the average download speed has risen from 59.4Mbps (last year) to 69.4Mbps now. Upload speeds also increased from last year’s 10.7Mbps to 18.4Mbps now. 

However, there is unfortunately still a gap between broadband speeds in urban and rural areas. 

Ofcom 2023 Study on UK Broadband ISP Speeds

Study data was collected during March of this year using custom routers and ISP supplied routers installed inside customer’s homes. It’s a highly accurate method of data collection, and gathers information at router level during idle periods of usage. For these reasons, it stops the influence of slow Wi-Fi and local network congestion. 

It’s worth noting that this research focused on the larger ISP’s, restricted by the small sample size. Also, don’t forget that speed test results don’t automatically equal network availability! 

For example, currently:

  • Fixed line ‘superfast broadband’ (30Mbps +) are available to almost 98% of the UK
  • ‘Gigabit capable’ networks (1000 Mbps +) cover over 76% (using both full fibre FTTP and Hybrid Fibre Coax lines) or 56% with just FTTP.

Let’s not forget about ADSL

ADSL is still used by up to 3 million lines. Although this is mostly in areas where there are few other alternatives, FTTC still remains very popular (15.6 million active lines) in locations where there are gigabit-capable connections available. 

In reports like this one from Ofcom, speed testing figures can be dragged down by customers still using slower copper-based ADSL2+ and FTTC lines (up to 20-24 Mbps and 40-80 Mbps respectively). 

Whilst the take up of faster connections is increasing, there are some customers who will be reluctant to to upgrading. This could be due to:

  • Cost of upgrades to a faster connection (faster services are quite often more expensive)
  • Not knowing that there are alternatives available
  • Fees for exiting a contract
  • A fear of switching

What are the UK Median Download and Upload Speeds?

In 2023, the average download speed was 69.4Mbps and upload speed was 18.4Mbps.

The report from Ofcom shared data on real-world average speeds for different types of connection:

  • ADSL2+ – Average download speeds during peak times as well as across 24 hours ranged from 11.2 to 1.7 Mbps. 
  • FTTP – Average download speeds during peak times as well as across 24 hours ranged from 34.7 to 66.8 Mbps. 
  • Cable – Average download speeds during peak times as well as across 24 hours ranged from 134.5 to 1,137.1 Mbps. 
  • Full Fibre – Average download speeds during peak times as well as across 24 hours ranged from 74.8 to 919.8 Mbps. 

Remember that performance can be affected by a number of things. Connections that use copper wire (FTTC, G.fast, ADSL) suffer with signal loss over distance. Results can also be affected by things like:

  • Network congestion
  • Traffic management
  • Service Faults
  • Poor home wiring

FTTP May Not Actually Be Slower Than Cable

Although the figures from Ofcom’s report seem to suggest otherwise, Cable might not actually be faster than FTTP. 

Firstly, the ‘fixed superfast product take up’ reflects the percentage of UK customers that have chosen a package with download speeds of 30 Mbps or more. 

Gigabit ‘cable’ download speeds may look like they are higher than FTTP, but that could be down to the provider (Virgin) setting its profile speeds as faster than their advertised rates. 

Therefore, FTTP is not necessarily a slower technology than cable. 

Rural Connections Still Falling Short

Unfortunately some rural areas and even digitally disadvantaged urban areas are yet to be reached by ‘superfast’ connections. 

Sadly it is harder to make an economic case for the investment in remote rural areas, meaning that the commercial roll-out of gigabit-capable networks has been rapid in urban areas and at a much faster pace than rural areas. 

There is still a big gap between performance in urban and rural areas. This could be reflective of the influx of commercial FTTP builds within cities and towns. 

In Ofcom’s report, the data on this was limited as it only looks at the two most common rural broadband technologies. These are FTTC and ADSL. Unfortunately, copper ADSL lines in rural areas tend to be much longer than ones in urban areas, making them less reliable and more prone to signal attenuation. 

When looking at the peak times of between 8pm and 10pm, the report from Ofcom presented a difference of 26% between the average download speed in urban and rural areas (70.3 and 56 Mbps respectively). It’s worth noting that the average download speed has increased from last year for both rural and urban areas. In March 2022, there was a 585 difference between speeds, so perhaps the gap is slowly closing. 

Could the Universal Service Obligation Help Rural Wi-Fi?

The Universal Service Obligation (USO) sets a minimum download speed of at least 10 Mbps. Anyone who is not getting this could consider using the USO to improve their connection. This doesn’t happen automatically unfortunately – It needs to be requested. 

Interestingly, provider BT/EE are using 4G devices to help tackle anyone not achieving speeds in line with the USO. Whilst it can be transformative for some connections, it doesn’t work for everyone so an alternative may be needed. 

One possible option would be FTTP, however this is often too expensive to deploy under the USO and still won’t solve the issue in that last 1% of premises. 

How Will Project Gigabit Help Rural Areas?

Project Gigabit is a £5 billion project from the government, ensuring that ‘gigabit-capable’ broadband services (1 Gbps +) reach at least 85% of UK premises by the end of 2025. The aim is to have nationwide (99%) coverage by 2030. 

Much of this funding is being used on that final 20% of premises in hard to reach rural and semi-rural areas. Great news, but it will take time to deliver and see the benefits. 

How Can You Resolve Broadband Speed Problems?

Unfortunately, sometimes broadband speeds do fall below the initial estimates for your line. But did you know that Ofcom’s Voluntary Code of Practice for Broadband Speeds can help you to resolve any problems with internet speeds that arise and are not in line with the estimates a member ISP provides on connection performance during the order process. 

Which ISP’s are Ofcom members of the Voluntary Code of Practice for Broadband Speeds? 

  • BT
  • EE
  • Plusnet
  • NOW TV / NOW Broadband
  • Talk Talk
  • Utility Warehouse
  • Sky Broadband
  • Zen Internet

When you are in the ‘sign up’ stage, you can use the code to obtain more information on connection speeds. If these then fall below what was guaranteed and expected, it can help you to exit that contract if things don’t improve. ISP’s are allowed one month to resolve the issues, and if at that stage there is still a problem then the customer can walk away from the contract with no penalties. This ‘right to exit’ can also apply to phone and TV bundles that were purchased along with the broadband.  

You’ll have noticed that only the larger ISP’s are members (apart from Vodafone which is noticeably absent!). Many of the smaller ISP’s don’t sign up due to the costs involved with adapting to Ofcom’s code being too high. 

If you want to read more and see the data in full, you can find the full Ofcom Report for 2023 here

Researchers See Through Walls With Wi-Fi 

New technology recently engineered by scientists at UC Santa Barbara using Wi-Fi signals has enabled people to see objects and read letters through walls.

Your initial reaction to this is probably one of two things:

  1. Wow – Amazing! What a breakthrough
  2. Well this seems like a potential privacy issue further down the line

How have Wi-Fi systems been used to see through walls?

Researchers from UC Santa Barbara developed this system where the edges of solid objects on one side of a solid barrier ie. a wall, can be traced from the other side using WI-Fi signals. This includes letters of the alphabet. 

Imaging the letters individually, in one experiment this technology was used to work out the word ‘believe’ from the other side of a wall, deciphering the letters one by one. 

They did this using 3 standard Wi-Fi transmitters. Over a particular area, these Wi-Fi transmitters sent wireless waves. The imaging was based on measuring the signal power received by a Wi-Fi receiver grid via receivers mounted on a movable vehicle. 

3 transmitters you say – Would that not be triangulation? One of the researchers on this project states that triangulation is not being used. Instead, each transmitter is merely providing a different viewpoint, illuminating the area from different angles. This approach helps to reduce the chance that one of the edges they are detecting will not fall into a ‘blind region.’ To leave a signature on the receiver grid, they need to be ‘seen’. 

The key to the success of this tech system using Wi-Fi signals to see through walls is their edge-based approach. Triangulation in this instance would not perform well. 

How can objects be tracked using Wi-Fi signals?

This tech system is based on the principle of Keller’s Geometric Theory of Diffraction (aka The Keller Cone). 

Keller introduced his Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (GTD) in the 1950s. The development of this theory was revolutionary, as it explained the phenomena of wave diffraction entirely in terms of rays for the first time, via a systematic generalisation of Fermat’s principle. In simple terms, it explains the process of a wave bending around an object (or obstacle) and how it spreads out across a particular space. 

Using the principle of this theory, the system can interpret what could be on the other side of a wall. 

Why is seeing through walls with Wi-Fi something new?

Scientists have actually been attempting to do this for a while, years in fact. This particular team at UC Santa Barbara have been working on this since 2009. This latest engineering breakthrough is significant because it was previously thought that anything as complex as reading the English alphabet through walls using Wi-Fi signals would be too difficult due to the complexity of the lettering. 

Indeed, using Wi-Fi for imaging something still (like letters) has been a challenge due to the lack of motion. However, they seem to have overcome this issue by tracing the edges of the objects.

Back in July, we saw a similar tech engineered by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University where they tracked a 3D shape as well as human bodies moving in a room using Wi-Fi signals. 

Seeing Through Walls With Wi-Fi – What will it be used for?

Assuming that this tech system matures and is put to wider use, we might find it useful for a few different applications: 

  • Crowd analytics
  • Identifying individuals
  • Boosting smart spaces 

Is the resolution high enough? 

Resolution on imagery can be improved by increasing the signals to higher frequencies. However, this would also increase the propagation loss so there would be a trade-off on energy.

This is likely where future experimentation will lie, as researchers and scientists look to explore this energy trade-off as frequencies and propagation loss increase.  

Is it just edges of objects that can be detected? If this tech system of looking through walls with Wi-Fi signals is going to be widely adopted then depth sensing would also be useful. This can be achieved by using a wideband signal for transmission. 

The experiment spoken about in this article was designed to showcase the performance of everyday radio signals, using 802.11n Wi-Fi which is narrowband. However, the framework could easily be expanded to utilise wideband signals too. 

What challenges could ‘seeing through walls’ with Wi-Fi face?

As we stated at the start of this article, some potential issues that could arise from using Wi-Fi signals to see through walls relate to privacy and security. 

Thus, this could have an effect on how successful this new tech system could be. 

Could cyber criminals use this technology in part of an attack? Could law enforcement officials abuse this technology in some contexts?

We wrote on this topic of Wi-Fi seeing through walls back in January, about a similar piece of research that used ‘dense pose’ from Wi-Fi, using Wi-Fi signals as a human sensor and a way to map the position of human bodies using AI. You can read it here.

What are your thoughts on this – We’d love to know! Which camp do you sit in – Amazing Breakthrough or Privacy Nightmare? Get in touch on Facebook, X or Instagram