A tech expert has urged Brits to move one outdated Christmas decoration away from their routers, as it could be the cause ofslow WiFi. Homes at Christmas time are often overloaded with family and friends coming to visit, meaning the router is already working harder than normal.

But slow internet could impact the festive preparations even further, whether it's streaming a Christmas film or watching a recipe video for a new holiday dish. So, tech expert Juliet Moran from TelephoneSystems.Cloud advised households to get prepared ahead of the holiday rush to ensure internet issues don't become a problem.

"The last thing you want at Christmas is a laggy WiFi connection, especially if you've got a houseful of visitors, kids and are streaming Christmas movies," she said.

Ms Moran explained there are some "really easy fixes to keep connected", and that checking Christmas lights should be "one of the first" jobs.

She explained that older or poorly made lights may contain electrical components that emit electromagnetic interference, which could disrupt the WiFi signal, especially if they're placed too close to the router.

While acknowledging that lights and decorations may "play a small role in slowing speeds", she suggested moving them away from the router to see if the signal improves. "The further away they are, the lower the interference will be," she added.

"If they are really old, it may be time for an upgrade," she added, explaining that newer lights will be better quality and could minimise the impact, if they have any, on your connection.

There is also a range of channels to choose from on your WiFi. If WiFi is performing sluggishly, she suggested logging in to your router to try moving the Wi-Fi channel up or down a couple of numbers to see if that improves your connectivity.

"Other simple things to check are the placement of your router, check the direction of its aerials and make sure it's not covered by anything - especially anything metal."

Homeowners could prioritise devices that require a stable connection, or even use a wired connection for devices that can be plugged into the router, such as Smart TVs and games consoles.

Another no-go according to Ms Moran is draping any decorations directly over the router, such as tinsel or metal decorations, as it could interrupt the signal.

"Your WiFi will take a battering over Christmas with everyone at home and visitors popping in," she added.

"It's worth taking a few minutes ahead of the festivities to check everything's in working order, moving your router if you have to, to keep any disruption to a minimum."