THOUSANDS of UK households have received a free Wi-Fi boost thanks to a hidden upgrade involving their Alexa gadgets.
People don’t realise that a number of Amazon Echo devices can be used as a Wi-Fi extender with certain routers.
This means you can improve the connection across your home without spending on extra kit – it spares you of tech clutter too.
Using the gadget can improve coverage by up to 1,000 sq. ft. and supports speeds of up to 100Mb/s for ten or fewer connected devices.
Internet service provider TalkTalk has announced that their Full Fibre customers can now take advantage thanks to a software update.
TalkTalk’s Full Fibre package includes the Amazon eero router, powered by Wi-Fi 6 technology.
But it should benefit anyone who has bought an eero router separately too.
Eero works with the following Echo devices:
- Echo Pop
- Echo Dot – 4th Gen
- Echo Dot – 5th Gen
- Echo Dot with Clock – 4th Gen
- Echo Dot with Clock – 5th Gen
- Echo – 4th Gen
John Bowles, Wi-Fi expert and Product Director at TalkTalk, said: “We’re always looking for ways to bring our customers even more value for money and enhanced reliability.
“Thanks to this smart software feature and our partnership with eero, our fastest Full Fibre customers can now use select Amazon Echo devices as Wi-Fi extenders at no extra cost.
“This represents a great way to keep our beloved devices connected.”
How to boost your Wi-Fi with eero
You’ll need to enable the eero built-in feature to benefit from the connection boost.
This can be done from the eero app.
Go into the app and follow the on-screen instructions to sign in and link your Echo device.
Little-known objects that can disrupt your Wi-Fi
People don’t realise how many objects around the home can impact their Wi-Fi signal and slow things down. Here are some you may have missed.
- Microwaves (when they’re running)
- Baby monitors
- Fish tanks
- Mirrors
- Bluetooth devices
- Cordless phones
