With the school summer holidays in full swing, you'll no doubt be jam-packing the weeks full of fun activities to keep your kids entertained - from trips to theme parks, summer camps, visiting family and much more. But what about the odd days when you're sat at home? Chances are yourself and your kids will be accessing the internet through connected devices, whether you're upstairs, downstairs, inside or outside.
Out comes the laptop so they can watch their favourite film, while you put your feet up and read the new best-selling novel on your e-reader, taking a minute to check your smartphone to catch up with your friends on social networks. With all these devices soaking up precious bandwidth, your home network will no doubt start to feel the pressure, resulting in either unhappy children who can't watch the end of their film due to annoying buffering or an unhappy parent who can't keep connected as their smartphone isn't picking up a signal. An AC WiFi router - AC being the latest WiFi standard - is a good place to start when experiencing such issues. They can run up to three times faster than the previous industry standard, allowing more devices to make the most of speedy internet this summer.
And it's not only rainy days where this can become an issue. When the sun comes out and you want to make the most of the weather, your children may want to play outside, or you may invite lots of friends over for a BBQ. But will you still be connected? By putting the right measures in place this summer, you can access the internet from the very end of your garden, to the very top of your house, ensuring you're able to stream your favourite radio channel while chilling in the garden with your family and friends. A gadget such as a range extender can make this problem a thing of the past. They simply plug into a socket anywhere in your home and do exactly what they say on the box - extend your WiFi wherever you want it to go.
For those of us lucky enough to be jetting off to somewhere exotic when the kids are off school, rather than staying at home, WiFi access is still a key consideration. However hard we try, we know that even when on holiday the internet has us under its ever evolutionary thumb. Your entire family will likely want to check in on their social networks or favourite gaming apps, and the last thing you want to do is all huddle in the hotel lobby as it's the only place to get a good signal. To help alleviate this pain, pocket size travel routers are a great item that you can just slip in your hang luggage and plug in when required, providing secure, instant and faster connections.
So whether you're leaving the country or having a stay-cation, it's not only sun cream you need in your shopping basket this year - home networking accessories are a key summer essential. Ensure a happy holiday at home or away and make life easier for you and your little ones with the latest WiFi helpers.