WiFi alert issued to all UK homes to check routers NOW over ‘mass blackout' risk
TEMPERATURES are soaring across the UK this weekend with Brits enjoying the sunshine.
Although hot weather is great for BBQs and tanning, your internet connection might suffer.
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1
Hot weather could slow down internet connectivity by 25 per cent
UK homes could experience connectivity issues with 25 per cent slower WI-FI.
According to Broadband Genie, high temperatures could overheat your router with upload speeds dropping by 27 per cent.
These black boxes, just like most devices, don't like being too hot and could completely shut down.
In order to avoid a total blackout, it is advised to keep your router away from the direct sunlight.
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The Broadband Genie team told Mirror: 'Broadband companies design and test their equipment to operate in and around temperatures up to 40°C.
'If users can keep their broadband router below this, we'll avoid a wave of mass broadband
blackouts
.
'Customers should check their router isn't placed in an unsuitable spot, such as
next
to any sunny south-facing window or a sweltering loft space.
'A couple of minutes taken here will save your broadband grinding to a halt, avoiding any broadband-related frustrations.'
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Exclusive
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But don't tuck away your router inside a cabinet either as that could block the signal.
It is recommended to place your black box at least 30cm off the floor on a flat, hard surface.
Brand new Wi-Fi router revealed
Broadband Genie also warns pet owners to keep their fur
babies
away from the router.
Your fluffy friend's fur could congest the air ducts which will prevent ventilation.
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If your router is too old and is struggling to keep cool even with all precautions taken, you might want to consider an upgrade.
Experts say households should
The newer
models
run cooler and aren't as perceptive to the temperature, and they could cost you only £50.
If all else fails and the temperatures reach 40+ degrees, it is best to disconnect from the internet and bask in the Sun while giving your devices a break.
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You might enjoy chatting to family and friends over BBQ or reading a book on a patio or in the park in the meantime.
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WiFi alert issued to all UK homes to check routers NOW over ‘mass blackout' risk
TEMPERATURES are soaring across the UK this weekend with Brits enjoying the sunshine. Although hot weather is great for BBQs and tanning, your internet connection might suffer. Advertisement 1 Hot weather could slow down internet connectivity by 25 per cent UK homes could experience connectivity issues with 25 per cent slower WI-FI. According to Broadband Genie, high temperatures could overheat your router with upload speeds dropping by 27 per cent. These black boxes, just like most devices, don't like being too hot and could completely shut down. In order to avoid a total blackout, it is advised to keep your router away from the direct sunlight. Advertisement read more on tech The Broadband Genie team told Mirror: 'Broadband companies design and test their equipment to operate in and around temperatures up to 40°C. 'If users can keep their broadband router below this, we'll avoid a wave of mass broadband blackouts . 'Customers should check their router isn't placed in an unsuitable spot, such as next to any sunny south-facing window or a sweltering loft space. 'A couple of minutes taken here will save your broadband grinding to a halt, avoiding any broadband-related frustrations.' Advertisement Most read in Tech Breaking Exclusive Breaking But don't tuck away your router inside a cabinet either as that could block the signal. It is recommended to place your black box at least 30cm off the floor on a flat, hard surface. Brand new Wi-Fi router revealed Broadband Genie also warns pet owners to keep their fur babies away from the router. Your fluffy friend's fur could congest the air ducts which will prevent ventilation. Advertisement If your router is too old and is struggling to keep cool even with all precautions taken, you might want to consider an upgrade. Experts say households should The newer models run cooler and aren't as perceptive to the temperature, and they could cost you only £50. If all else fails and the temperatures reach 40+ degrees, it is best to disconnect from the internet and bask in the Sun while giving your devices a break. Advertisement You might enjoy chatting to family and friends over BBQ or reading a book on a patio or in the park in the meantime.
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The secret settings to ‘scam-proof' your phone, stop crooks stealing your private photos & £1000s from your bank account
THOUSANDS of pounds gone in seconds, your private pics in the hands of strangers, and your loved ones ripped off too – these are just a few of the nightmare consequences of a smartphone scam. I've spent years writing about how to dodge increasingly convincing online cons that cost Brits millions a year - and it only takes a few seconds to avoid disaster by changing settings on your 16 Scammers are constantly trying out new tricks to hoodwink you – so make some easy changes to your phone today Credit: Getty 16 A new Apple feature will use a virtual robot to screen your calls for you Credit: Apple Online scams are big business and a recent Ofcom report warned that almost half of Brits have been drawn in by clever scammers. A quarter of those had lost money , with a fifth losing at least £1,000. They can come over the They may rush you into making an investment, trick you into thinking you're Now, crooks are even using AI to dish out more convincing scams faster than ever, so it's important you have the absolute best phone settings to avoid being another victim parted from their savings. Here are the iPhone and Android tricks you need to activate immediately to keep yourself and you cash safe. IPHONE TRICK #1 – SILENCE UNKNOWN NUMBERS Cold calls are a classic way for crooks to target you with a scam. So go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Calls > Silence Unknown Callers, then turn it on. This will send any calls from unknown callers straight to voicemail. If it's important, they'll leave a voicemail. You can also read transcriptions of your voicemail in real time if you've got iOS 17 or later (go to Settings > General > Software Update to check). IPHONE TRICK #2 – CALL SCREENING This one isn't out yet, but Make sure to install that (in Settings > General > Software Update), and then a robot will answer your phone calls for you. Deepfakes more 'sophisticated' and dangerous than ever as AI expert warns of six upgrades that let them trick your eyes 16 Set up Silence Unknown Callers to avoid being drawn in by scams Credit: The Sun / Apple It'll ask their name and reason for calling, and write out the answer in real-time on your screen. Then you can decide whether to answer or if it sounds like a scam. This also prevents scammers from being able to hear your voice and cloning it for future cons. IPHONE TRICK #3 – LOCKDOWN MODE One extreme option is to turn on It'll block most message attachment types, as well as links and link previews, as well as incoming FaceTime calls from unknown numbers. 16 It only takes a few seconds to turn on and sends scammers straight to voicemail – helping you avoid 'voice cloning' cons Credit: The Sun / Apple 16 Lockdown Mode is a special setting that gives you extra protections Credit: The Sun / Apple 16 Only turn this on if you think you're actively being targeted by a scammer Credit: The Sun / Apple You'll also be prevented from automatically connecting to unsafe "non-secure" WiFi networks – and you'll be blocked from adding configuration profiles that let other people change settings on your phone. Your iPhone won't work to its full potential with Lockdown Mode on, so keep that in mind: this is only for extreme cases. To switch it on, just go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode > Turn On Lockdown Mode > Turn On Lockdown Mode, then follow the steps to restart your phone. IPHONE TRICK #4 – AUTHENTICATOR If you've accidentally given up your password, it's not the end of the world – as long as your online accounts also require a special authentication code to log in. WHY ARE AUTHENTICATORS SAFER THAN TEXT CODES? Here's official advice from cybersecurity giant Bitdefender... "Threat actors will use data leaks, public records or social engineering to get your phone number," security firm "Then bribe or trick a carrier employee to port your number to a duplicate SIM card they control. "This enables them to receive your SMS verification codes and break into your various online accounts. "Authenticator apps work locally, meaning there's no way for an attacker to intercept your codes. "Unless they've infected you with data-stealing malware, but that's a different discussion." Picture Credit: Getty Images You've probably had these coming via SMS, but you can also get them via an app. Authenticator codes from an app are far safer than the ones that come over text, because SMS messages are more easily hacked. And your iPhone has an authenticator code generator built in as standard. Go into the account settings for an app, then choose the option to add two-factor verification. 16 You can view your log-in codes inside the Codes section of the new Passwords app Credit: Apple Then scan the code with your iPhone camera, and Apple's iCloud Keychain will suggest adding it to your account. Then when you sign in, iCloud Keychain will automatically fill in the code for you. You can also manually add it by going into Then if you ever accidentally give up your password to an account, crooks still won't be able to log in. IPHONE TRICK #5 – CALL BLOCKING There are lots of apps that maintain giant lists of phone numbers that are known to be spam or scams. And your iPhone can use these apps to automatically block calls from these numbers. First, go to the Apple App Store in the UK, and download some call identification apps, like Truecaller or Whoscall. Then go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. This will only appear if you've installed some ID apps. 16 Truecaller is a popular app that maintains a list of dodgy phone numbers – and IDs them as scammers for you Credit: The Sun / Apple 16 Once you have a Call ID app, a new feature will appear in your Phone settings Credit: The Sun / Apple 16 You can turn on multiple Call ID apps at once Credit: The Sun / Apple Now, choose Silence Junk Callers, which will silence calls identified by your phone network as potential spam or fraud. This option may not appear if your phone network hasn't activated it. Then activate any Call Identification apps that you've installed. ANDROID TRICK #1 – SCAM DETECTION Millions of Android phones now have a feature called Make sure to update to the latest version of Android. 16 Google Messages has a special feature that exposes text scams live as they're happening Credit: Google Then when you're receiving texts, AI on your phone will scan your texts to look for "suspicious" signs that you're being scammed. It only works on conversations with non-contacts, and your texts won't be send to Google (unless you report the conversation). You'll see it working if a big red alert pops up that says "Likely Scam" – and then you'll be able report and block the sender. ANDROID TRICK #2 – APP SCANNER Dodgy apps are another way criminals will try to scam you. 16 Google Play Protect can save you from scam apps if if you've downloaded them from outside of Google's official store Credit: Google These apps might even seem legitimate, but they're actually silently harvesting your info or money in the background. Google automatically scans the apps you download from its Play Store – but often the most dangerous apps come are ones that Go to the Google Play Store > Profile > Play Protect > Settings > Improve Harmful App Detection and turn it on. This will let Google scan apps that you've ANOTHER SAFETY TRICK – CALL YOUR FAMILY! The Sun's tech editor One of the most devastating scams out there right now is the "Hi mum" con. This sees crooks texting parents or their kids posing as the other – saying they're reaching out from a new number and need help. It'll start innocently, but they'll quickly ask for cash for an urgent bill, taxi, or fine. Brits have lost thousands in one go So call your loved ones today and set up a safe word or phrase. That way, if any of you asks the other for money, you'll be able to verify the request with a safe word. Don't pick something obvious like a place or birthday – and certainly don't write it down anywhere online or on your devices. This is the easiest way to avoid being caught up in a "Hi mum" scam, so don't delay – call your family today. Picture Credit: Sean Keach ANDROID TRICK #3 – CALL BLOCKING One option is to outright block calls from unknown numbers. Just go to Phone > More > Settings > Blocked Numbers > Unknown, which blocks calls from private or unidentified numbers. You'll still get calls from phone numbers not stored in your contacts though. And like iPhone, you can also use spam-busting apps to identify scam callers too. Just download an app like Hiya or Truecaller, both of which maintain giant lists of known spammers and scammers. That way, you can easily avoid dodgy calls. ANDROID TRICK #4 – AUTHENTICATOR Like with iPhone, Android phones also have a way to serve up log-in codes. These give you an extra layer of protection on top of your password – and they're safer than the ones you get via text. On Android, the standard option is the Google Authenticator app. 16 Google's Authenticator app is a safer way to log in vs SMS text codes Credit: Google It's totally free and will generate log-in codes for apps and websites whenever you need them. That way, even if you accidentally give your password to a scammer, you'll still be protected. ANDROID TRICK #5 – ADVANCED PROTECTION MODE The iPhone's Lockdown Mode doesn't exist on Android – but there's something very similar called You'll need to update to the latest Android 16 software (just go to Settings > System > Software Update and follow the instructions). 16 You can find Advanced Protection inside your Android phone's security settings Credit: Google 16 Advanced Protection gives you an extra layer of safety compared to regular users Credit: Google It's designed for VIPs who might be targeted by crooks – like celebs or politicians – but anyone can use it for free. If you toggle the button on, it'll activate a long list of hardcore security features to help you dodge scams and boost your security. That includes preventing your phone from being hacked by a physical cable, using AI to detect scam calls live as they're happening, saving you from unsafe Wi-Fi, and blocking you from unsafe websites and apps. You'll find it in Settings > Google > Personal & Device Safety > Advanced Protection > Device Protection. 16 It turns on a Scam Detection feature built to save you from crooks during phone calls. This feature is still rolling out, so you may not see it on your device yet Credit: Google
