Short answer: a good home IT health check covers twelve things: your router, WiFi coverage, passwords, a guest network, wired connections, smart devices, backups, updates, cameras, children’s controls, remote access and your phone line. Work through the list below once or twice a year and you will avoid most of the problems that cause frustration and risk.
Most people only think about their home technology when something breaks. A short, regular check finds weak points before they cause trouble. This checklist is written for ordinary households, and links to our more detailed guides where you need them.
The 12-point checklist
1. Is your router in a good place?
A router in a cupboard, behind a TV or in a corner is wasting its signal. Move it to a central, open, raised position. Our guide to why home WiFi is slow covers the common causes.
2. Does WiFi reach everywhere you need it?
Walk the house with a phone and look for dead spots, including the garden office. If there are weak areas, see how to improve WiFi coverage across the whole house, and compare extenders and mesh WiFi.
3. Have you changed the default passwords?
Change the router’s admin password and the WiFi password from the defaults printed on the label, and use long, unique ones.
4. Do guests and smart devices have their own network?
Guests should not be on the same network as your laptops, and smart devices benefit from separation too. See VLANs explained.
5. Are important devices wired?
Home offices, TVs, consoles and access points work best on Ethernet. See Cat6 versus Cat5e for what to fit.
6. Are your smart devices reliable?
If plugs, bulbs or thermostats keep dropping, read why smart home devices go offline.
7. Are your files backed up?
Keep photos and documents in at least two places, one of them off-site. A single hard drive is not a backup.
8. Is everything up to date?
Update the router, computers, phones and smart devices. Retire devices that no longer get updates.
9. Are your cameras working and positioned well?
Check recordings, storage and camera angles. See where to place CCTV cameras and how long your footage lasts.
10. Are children’s devices protected?
Check filters, safe search and screen-time schedules, as explained in router versus app parental controls.
11. Is remote access safe?
Make sure nothing is open to the internet that does not have to be. See how to access your home network remotely without getting hacked and home VPN versus VPN app.
12. Are you ready for the landline switch-off?
The UK landline network closes by 31 January 2027. Check your phone, alarms and power cut plan with what to do before the switch-off.
Ten-minute quick wins
- Move the router into the open and away from the TV and thick walls.
- Change any default passwords still on the router.
- Run every software update on phones, laptops and the router.
- Create a guest WiFi network for visitors.
- Check your camera app still shows live video and recent recordings.
- Look at your router’s port forwarding page for anything you do not recognise.
- Check any alarm or telecare device against our landline switch-off guide.
If your home is a mix of old and new rooms, extensions or a home office, read working from home in Essex and home network installation in Southend-on-Sea for local advice.
How did you do?
| Ticks | What it means |
|---|---|
| 10 to 12 | In great shape. Keep reviewing once a year. |
| 6 to 9 | Some easy wins are waiting. |
| Fewer than 6 | Worth a proper review, ideally with a survey. |
When to get a professional
Many of these checks take minutes. Coverage problems, cabling, network security and camera installation are worth a professional survey, because mistakes are expensive to undo. HomeIT Services offers a free consultation across Essex and a clear, fixed quote before any work. You can also try the interactive health check on our network and WiFi page.
For the complete picture, read our guide to home IT services in Essex, or get in touch from Southend-on-Sea, Rayleigh, Billericay or nearby.
Frequently asked questions
A quick review once or twice a year is sensible, and again whenever you add new devices or change broadband provider.
Your router: its position, password and firmware. It is the front door to everything else on your network.
Not for everything. Many checks are simple. A professional survey is worth it for coverage problems, cabling, security cameras and anything you are unsure about.
Check for a changed router password, updated firmware, a separate guest network and no unnecessary open ports. If you are unsure, ask for a review.
HomeIT Services offers a free initial consultation across Essex, and you can start with the interactive health check on our network and WiFi page.
Rather have it done properly?
Get a clear, fixed quote from a local engineer before any work starts.