Common Christmas blunder is destroying your Wi-Fi speed – don’t make the same mistake when putting up the decorations

IF IT feels like your Wi-Fi speeds tend to slow down over Christmas - then you're not alone.

And it's not always because the cold weather is keeping people indoors - meaning there's more pressure on your bandwidth.

You may actually be harbouring a popular speed-sucking decoration.

The decoration in question is fairy lights, which are very popular at Christmas.

While they're usually wrapped around a tree, some people keep the decoration up all year round.

These twinkling lights create an electromagnetic field, which can block your router's Wi-Fi signals.

The more lights you have, the stronger the field they create.

This is especially the case if they lead to a big bundle of wires.

Because Wi-Fi routers are emitting electromagnetic radiation, having the two gadgets next to each other can create a clash.

It's the same reason your microwave, wireless speakers or even a baby monitor might also interfere with your internet strength.

Fortunately, a little bit of distance goes a long way.

So it's worth being tactical with where you put your router - or your tree.

Experts usually recommend plugging in your router and fairy lights in different sockets.

This can help to avoid interference which slows your Wi-Fi speed down.

You may find moving the router is actually more beneficial if it's not already in an optimal place.

Make sure you're keeping the gadget central in the home so Wi-Fi can reach as many gadgets as possible.

Remember to keep your router in an open area.

This is useful for several reasons including that trapping the device inside a cupboard or storage box can cause it to overheat.

An overheating router will also produce slow speeds - which is why it's worth keeping it away from a fireplace or heater.