Just last month, Virgin Media issued an alert telling UK homes to follow a ‘golden rule’ and not switch off their routers when heading to bed. With energy prices on the rise and people looking for easy ways to cut their usage, it might seem like a smart move to turn everything off overnight but it’s a really bad idea. Now Sky is also urging customers to keep the lights flashing on their routers 24 hours a day.
During a recent chat with Amber Pine, Managing Director of Sky Connectivity, about the firm’s new One Touch Switching service she explained to Express.co.uk why leaving things on is so important.
“We know broadband usage through the day is pretty high so the nighttime moments are when we can send our software updates and downloads to make sure that everything’s working brilliantly,” Pine told us.
“So keeping your hub on overnight is a really good tip.”
It’s definitely top advice as killing the power will mean you might not get vital software patches that not only improve reliability but also help to keep your network safe and free from bugs.
Along with not turning off the router, Pine also offered some other advice to customers including where best to place this broadband-boosting gadget.
“Please don’t put hubs in cupboards or under things,” Pine added.
“As much as possible, put it in a place where it can be more far-reaching and think logically about the best position.
“If you have a larger home there might be a need for an extender or booster around the home and again think about where’s best placed to put it.”
Something else to check if you feel your smartphone or tablet speeds are slow is that you have actually connected to the Wi-Fi.
“One of the things we were quite surprised by is that some consumers are still using mobile data in their homes,” Pine continued.
“Make sure you’re on Wi-Fi and when you get into the home make sure you’ve logged on to your local internet network.”
Amazingly, it seems the issue of switching off the router is bigger than you might think. According to new research from Virgin, around 18 percent of UK users say they turn this off before getting their nightly shuteye.
“Nearly 1 in 5 broadband users break the golden rule by switching their Hub off overnight,” Virgin revealed.
“This can hamper their experience as it prevents any overnight software updates that happen overnight and can lead to broadband lags.”
So, the advice is clear, leave your router on, don’t pop it in a cupboard or behind your TV and make it sure it’s fully updated with the latest software.
