Whether you use your internet connection to send e-mails, shop, download music or watch television, logging on to the world wide web is becoming an increasingly common occurrence in households around the United Kingdom.

If your broadband speed is slowing you down then don't despair as there are plenty of tips you can employ to speed things up on online.

First of all you should check the speed of your existing service. Speeds of around 2mb were common a few years back but times have changed and current speeds stretch from 8mb to 20mb and up to 40mb for business users when new and pioneering optic fibres are used in the near future.

It might be possible to upgrade your current broadband deal and it won't necessarily cost a lot more to up your bandwidth and enjoy faster speeds. Speak to your provider and find out about what's on offer or you could even switch to a new supplier.

There is also plenty you can do in and around your home to speed up your existing connection. Simply ensuring there are no electrical devices that could be interfering with your connection can make all the difference. Keep your modem and wiring well away from mains power cables and limit the number of electrical devices near your broadband connection.

Microwave ovens, printers and other household electrical appliances can interfere with your broadband connection when placed too close to the modem/router and phone cable and this is a problem that is easily remedied.

The quality of your cables and modem can make a difference to the speeds you are receiving. High capacity cables and modems can help you enjoy a faster connection and if you think your hardware is slowing you down, you could speak to your provider who may be willing to swap them.

You can also buy high capacity bits and bobs yourself, whether online or on the high street. Using a high quality Microfilter (splitter) could help as well. Microfilters plug into the phone socket providing two connections - one for the phone and one for the internet. This prevents one line from interfering with the other.

When it comes to your router you want to make sure it is encrypted so other people cannot use your wireless internet connection. Encrypting your router is easy - just follow your manufacturer's guidelines or have a look online for some hints and tips. If other people are connecting to the internet via your router this would slow down the overall speed.

If you have a wireless router but sometimes connect to the internet directly, using a cable, then remember to switch your router off if you want fast broadband.

There are certain times of day when the internet is being used by more people overall and this can lead to slower speeds. If you have any large files to download then it might be worth waiting until an off-peak time, such as late at night, to download them.

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