A broadband provider has issued a warning not to leave your internet router out in bright sunlight as the UK enjoys a mini-heatwave.
In what the Met Office has described as an “early dose of summer”, temperatures are expected to hit highs of nearly 30C in some parts of Britain this week, with widespread sunshine forecast across the country.
But experts warned that placing your router close to windows and within reach of bright sunlight could slow your internet connection, or even cause you to lose connectivity completely.
In a statement, Virgin Media said: “Although we test our hubs carefully at a range of temperatures, they are better off out of bright sunlight, just like your phone or laptop.
“If the hub gets too hot, it could slow down your connection or even grind to a halt altogether.”
The broadband provider also advised that careful placement of your internet router could improve the reach of your wifi connection, for example, by avoiding putting it in cupboards or behind large objects such as TVs.
The statement added: “Keep the hub at least 1m away from cordless phones or baby monitors, and as far as possible from big obstructions like cupboards and fish tanks.”
Geoff Pestell, chief executive at broadband comparison site Fibre Compare, also advised against the “common mistake” of placing routers in cupboards or behind furniture, warning this can also cause them to overheat.
“What many people don’t realise is that by doing this, it can actually significantly diminish the strength of the signal you get to your devices in your home, as well as causing all kinds of connectivity issues,” said Mr Pestell.
“This occurs because airflow behind furniture can become trapped in cabinets or small spaces, which can cause your router to overheat and perform poorly overall.”
The warm weather will continue on Wednesday, with highs of 27C in London forecast.
Temperatures could hit 30C at the earliest point in the year on record in the UK on Thursday, the Met Office has said.
Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “It is not particularly unusual to see warm and sunny periods in April where temperatures reach the mid-20s.
“This has occurred as recently as 2018 and 2019, for example.
“However, it is more unusual to see temperatures reach the high-20s, and if we see 30C this week, it will be the earliest point in the year in which we have achieved that threshold.”
