Sky and Virgin Media have both issued alerts this week, and it’s a good idea to take note if you have a house full of family and friends over Christmas. With millions of us at home during the festive period, it’s wise to make some very simple Wi-Fi checks ahead of the online onslaught. Streaming movies, downloading games, setting up smart speakers and browsing the Boxing Day deals require a decent internet connection, and there are plenty of things that can seriously affect those all-important speeds.

Perhaps the worst offender at this time of year is the Christmas tree, lights and endless decorations scattered throughout rooms.

“Check where your WiFi hub is in relation to your Christmas tree,” Sky explained.

“Older fairy lights set to the flashing or twinkling modes may interfere with your WiFi signal. And if the tree itself is blocking line of sight to the hub, it can weaken your WiFi signal even more.”

Virgin Media has a similar warning, with the firm saying, “No matter whether you’ve got a real tree this year or an artificial one, we bet there’s going to be lovely twinkling lights all over it. But did you know that fairy lights can obscure wireless signals? Yep, if our hub ends up stuffed behind the tree like an unwanted present, you may see a reduction in your WiFi speeds.”

Along with the tree, Sky is also warning to keep the router well away from tinsel as this shiny foil is not your Wi-Fi’s best friend either.

“​​It might be a Christmas staple, but tinsel is made of shredded foil that can reflect your WiFi signal. Keep any tinsel on your tree away from your hub this Christmas, and definitely don’t wrap your hub in it!” Sky explained.

Another top tip from Sky and Virgin is to unplug the Wi-Fi router. Virgin says a quick reboot will eliminate any bugs or gremlins and ensure full speeds are regained. “There’s always the old favourite – turning it off and back on again,” Virgin advised.

Sky adds that unplugging things and moving the router a different socket can also stop interference

“If you’ve got a lot of Christmas decorations plugged in, or you’ve decorated your front garden like a grotto, move your WiFi hub to a different plug socket or extension cable to avoid interference,” Sky said.

Some other advice that could save Christmas Day arguments includes downloading movies and games before the festivities start and prioritising certain devices so they get the best speeds.

“Download the video if the option is available,” Virgin added. “For example, you can do this on Channel 4 and BBC iPlayer. You’ll have to wait a while for the download as the file will most likely be large, but once it’s finished downloading, you’ll be able to play the video without interruption.

Meanwhile, Sky confirmed that some of its latest routers can beam the web to certain devices so they get the best signal. “Some broadband hub upgrades come with a device prioritisation feature, like Sky WiFi Max – which lets you prioritise a device in your home for up to 8 hours, giving you an enhanced connection – so the Christmas movie marathon happens without a hitch.”

If you want to make sure everyone stays connected this Christmas, give these things a try.