Home Office Internet Tips

Working from home has become normal for many people, but it relies heavily on a stable internet connection. Dropped video calls, slow downloads and unreliable Wi-Fi can quickly turn a productive day into a frustrating one.

This guide covers simple, practical ways to make your home office internet faster and more reliable.

Start with your Wi-Fi setup

Most home office problems are caused by weak Wi-Fi rather than the broadband service itself.

Try these basics first:

• Work as close to the router as possible
• Keep the router in an open, central location
• Avoid thick walls between you and the router
• Restart the router occasionally

For detailed advice on improving coverage, see our placement guide.

Router placement tips

Make video calls more reliable

Video meetings are often the biggest test of a home connection. To get smoother calls:

• Close unnecessary apps and browser tabs
• Avoid large downloads during meetings
• Use a wired connection if possible
• Ask other household members to pause heavy streaming

Use a wired connection where you can

For important work, a wired Ethernet connection is always more stable than Wi-Fi. If your laptop has an Ethernet port, connecting directly to the router can make a huge difference.

Even a long cable running along the wall is often better than unreliable wireless.

Consider better equipment

If your home office is far from the router, extra equipment can help:

• A Wi-Fi extender for a single problem room
• A mesh Wi-Fi system for whole-home coverage
• An upgraded router if yours is very old

This guide explains which option makes most sense.

Extenders vs Mesh Wi-Fi

Check your broadband speed

Home working often needs more bandwidth than casual browsing. If several people in the house are online at the same time, your current package might not be enough.

If you regularly struggle with slow speeds, it may be worth reviewing your broadband plan.

Choosing the right broadband

Simple daily habits that help

• Restart your router once in a while
• Keep important software up to date
• Turn off devices you’re not using
• Schedule big downloads for evenings

Need a more reliable setup?

If your home office internet still isn’t performing the way you need, we can help review your setup and suggest practical improvements tailored to your home.

Get personal help