Broadband experts have revealed the five common mistakes made that slow down WIFI speeds and make your experience with the Worldwide Web all the more excruciating.

The experts over at Broadand Savvy set out to name some of the most common mistakes and to provide some advice on how to speed up your internet connection.

With many of us now relying on our internet connection for work and many more using it to stay connected with loved ones, ensuring you have fast and reliable WIFI is as important as ever.

So, without further ado, here are the five mistakes slowing down your broadband, according to Broadband Savvy.

5 mistakes slowing down your WIFI

1. Putting your router near the microwave

One of the experts warned: "Most people aren't aware of how sensitive" their router is, adding that other electrical appliances could cause WIFI to slow down or drop out entirely, such appliances can include the microwave if the router is too close.

They said that the "electromagnetic radiation leaks out of the microwave and interferes with the radio waves your WIFI router broadcasts."

To fix this, they suggest moving your router away from the microwave to another part of the house.

2. Leaving automatic app updates turned on

With so many interconnected apps and devices, it may not be your WIFI's fault that it is slow as apps working in the background could be affecting its performance.

The experts said: "By default, your phone is set to only perform updates when connected to Wi-Fi, to avoid using up your mobile data. Sometimes, when you get home, a heap of updates start, using up all your bandwidth, and making your Wi-Fi feel incredibly slow."

This is not limited to phones as games consoles and laptops may attempt to install updates, slowing down your broadband.

This can be fixed by turning off automatic updates on your devices to prevent this.

Alternatively, you can schedule updates to only happen overnight or limit the amount of bandwidth allowed to be used for updates, preventing them from slowing down your WIFI.

The Northern Echo: PA/Yui Mok - Automatic updates can also slow down WIFIPA/Yui Mok - Automatic updates can also slow down WIFI (Image: PA)

3. Not scanning for malware and adware

Your WIFI can also be made slow with malicious software with experts warning that most people don't scan for these.

They said: "While the inbuilt antivirus software on Windows and macOS is quite effective, some malicious or bloated software can slip through the cracks, slowing down your web browsing experience.

"It's often the case that people have toolbars and browser extensions installed that not only slow you down, but also track what you do online, and sell that data to advertisers."

They added that users should run a malware scan on their computer at least once a month to help identify and remove these bloating bits of software.

4. Using the wrong WIFI frequency

The experts revealed that modern WIFI operates on two frequencies, 2.4Ghz and 5.0Ghz.

2.4GHz is a bit slower but performs better over long distances and passes through walls more easily.

While frequencies are usually chosen automatically, it sometimes gets it wrong, so it's always worth checking to see if the right frequency has been chosen for your home.

5. Using the same WIFI channel as your neighbours

While WIFI can operate on two frequencies, it is also true that it functions on 14 channels.

If too many people are using the same channel as you at any given time, this can slow down your broadband.

Broadband Savvy recommends a WIFI Analyser to see which channel your router uses as well as the channel your neighbours use.

If there is any overlap, you can hop into your router's settings and switch over.