If you live in London, you already know how frustrating slow WiFi can be. Maybe you’re in a Victorian terrace with thick walls that kill your signal, or a busy flat where every neighbour’s router overlaps with yours. One moment, your Zoom call is fine, the next you’re frozen mid-sentence.In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to fix slow WiFi in London homes and get the fast internet speeds you’re paying for. These aren’t generic tips — they’re based on real-world experience in London housing, from old brick cottages to modern apartments.Let’s dive in.
If you’re in a Victorian terrace, Edwardian house, or even a Georgian conversion, chances are your WiFi is fighting against brick, concrete, and sometimes even stone walls. These materials absorb or block WiFi signals. I’ve seen cases where someone’s router in the front room couldn’t reach the kitchen just 10 metres away because of two thick walls in between.
In London flats, especially high-rise blocks, WiFi congestion is a nightmare. You’re not just dealing with your own router but also the 10–20 others from your neighbours, all blasting on similar channels. That’s why you might notice speeds dropping at night when everyone’s streaming Netflix.
Even if your home setup is perfect, your internet provider can slow down at peak times. In London, evenings between 7 and 10 pm are the worst. You’ll notice buffering when you try to stream, or pings spiking when gaming.
Before spending money on new gear, try these quick steps. They often solve 50% of cases.
It sounds obvious, but rebooting clears cached data and can fix random slowdowns. Just unplug for 30 seconds and restart.
Use Speedtest.net or Fast.com. Do one test on WiFi and another by plugging your laptop directly into the router with an Ethernet cable. If the wired test is fast but WiFi is slow, the problem is your wireless setup, not your ISP.
Most routers in London default to 2.4GHz, which is overcrowded. If your router supports dual-band, connect devices like laptops and phones to the 5GHz channel. It’s faster and less congested — though with a shorter range.
Click here to stop buffering — get your WiFi fixed now!