Hardware Posts
Routers, mesh systems, laptops and the cables between them: this section covers the kit itself. The buying guides only recommend products that have been verified as available and fit for the specific job, and the troubleshooting guides work through hardware faults symptom first, the way you actually meet them. Laptop power problems are a speciality here, from machines that die the moment the charger comes out to sudden shutdowns under load. Start with the best routers to replace a Virgin Media hub if you are upgrading, or laptop turns off when unplugged if a battery problem brought you here.
Surface Plugged In But Not Charging: Causes and Fixes
A Microsoft Surface that shows the plug icon yet refuses to charge is one of the more confusing power faults to diagnose, because Surface devices charge in two completely different ways depending on t...
An MSI Laptop That Turns Off When Unplugged: Causes and Fixes
An MSI laptop that switches off the instant you pull the charger is almost always running on mains power because the battery cannot carry the load alone. On a gaming MSI that load is unusually high: a...
Mesh, Extender or New Router: A 60-Second Decider
Fixing patchy home WiFi usually means picking one of four paths: optimise the hub you already have, add an extender, add a mesh system, or replace the hub with your own router. Spending on the wrong o...
Laptop Will Not Charge Past 80 Percent Is a Battery Feature, Not a Fault
A laptop that charges to 80 percent and then sits there showing "plugged in, not charging" looks like a fault, but it almost never is one. On nearly every modern Lenovo, ASUS, Dell, HP and M...
Laptop Power and Charging Problems: The Complete Diagnosis Hub
Laptop power and charging problems feel alarming, but nearly all of them trace back to one of three families of cause: battery or charger hardware, power-management software, or overheating. A machine...
Laptop Battery Drains While Plugged In: Causes and the Fix Ladder
A laptop that loses charge while it is plugged in feels like a contradiction, yet it points to one simple imbalance: the system is drawing more power than the charger can supply, so the battery quietl...
Acer Laptop Turns Off When Unplugged: Causes and the Fix Ladder
An Acer laptop that runs happily on the mains but dies the second the charger leaves the socket is sending a clear signal: the battery is no longer carrying the load on its own. On the wall adapter th...
Best AI PCs & Copilot+ Laptops 2025: Complete Buyer's Guide
The AI revolution has finally come to personal computers. In 2025, AI PCs and Copilot+ laptops are transforming how we work, create, and interact with technology. But with so many options and confusin...
Change Your Stadia Controller To Bluetooth
Stadia Controller Bluetooth support has been on most Stadia players' wishlists since the platform launched. Every cloud has a silver lining, and Stadia is no exception. Although the online segment of ...
Best Mesh Wi-Fi 6E Systems: 2025 Buying Guide
In recent years, mesh Wi-Fi systems have become more popular because they can make a fast and stable wireless network available over a large area. In this blog post, I will compare three of the latest...
Why Is My Xfinity Router Making Noise
Why Is My Xfinity Router Making Noise? Xfinity routers are great for connecting to the internet for most users. They are reliable and solid and don't often give many problems. However, over time some ...
How to make the perfect Ethernet Cable (11 Step Guide)
If you have ever had an issue with making your own network or Ethernet cables before, then we have got a surprise for you. We went ahead and made our own guide to help you with the task of crimping an...
Sky Broadband Hub Lights Meaning: Every Colour and Fix
Sky Broadband Hub Lights Explained. We have put together this article to get the lights on your Sky hub explained. If your internet is not working then we can help. Follow our light guide below and fi...
My Laptop Switches To Battery While Gaming
Gaming laptops good! Interruption to gaming bad! If your laptop Switches To Battery While Gaming and you are reading this, then you are probably experiencing a very irritating problem while gaming on ...
Asus Laptop Turns Off When Unplugged: Causes and Fixes
An Asus laptop that switches off the moment you unplug it almost always has a power-delivery fault: a flat or failing battery, a worn charger, or a dirty charging port. These checks isolate the cause,...
NETGEAR Router Lights on But No Internet
We have all had those nights when our home internet is not working, and we are clueless as to what is wrong. We 've all had issues where the router's lights (LEDs) are on but no internet. The LEDs on ...
Lenovo Laptop Switches Off When Unplugged? Here's Why
🔄 UPDATED GUIDE AVAILABLE (January 2025) This Lenovo laptop article has been superseded by our comprehensive laptop shutdown guide covering all brands including Lenovo Vantage and ThinkPad-specific f...
Laptop Shuts Down When Unplugged? 5-Minute Fix (2026)
Quick Fix Summary: If your laptop shuts down when unplugged, 90% of cases are caused by: 1) Dead battery (needs replacement), 2) Faulty charger, 3) Power settings misconfiguration, 4) Overheating issu...
Why Does My Laptop Restart when I Put It to Sleep?
If you find that your laptop is shutting down while you are working, try disabling Hybrid Sleep. This setting can be found in Windows 10 under Power & Sleep Settings. If you can't find it, you can...
Why Does My Laptop Keep Asking for A BitLocker Key
Why Does My Laptop Keep Asking for A BitLocker Key? Even if you never had a problem with BitLocker before, you might be asking yourself what went wrong. or why does my laptop keep asking me for a BitL...
Why Does My Laptop Run Slow when Not Plugged In
Why Does My Laptop Run Slow when Not Plugged In? If your laptop is running slow when unplugged, you can fix it in just 2 minutes. You don’t need to buy a new laptop. You can make your old one faster b...
Why Does My Laptop Sound Like a Tractor Engine
Why Does My Laptop Sound Like a Tractor Engine? It's 11 PM, you are trying to finish up some work before you crash for the night, but your laptop sounds like it is about to clear the runway and takeof...
What do my AT&T NVG599 Router Lights Mean?
What do your AT&T Router Lights Mean? LED lights on your AT&T router show you the current state of the device. For quick diagnostics, we have compiled a list of all the most common routers and...
How to Reset AT&T Router: Quick Guide
Reset AT&T Router Quickly and Easily. in this guide with us and learn how to do it yourself. We have gathered up a lot of useful information for you. Even if you are not an electronics guru, we've...
How to Reset Verizon Router: Quick Guide
Reset Verizon Router Quickly and Easily. We will explain how to reset Verizon routers in this guide. We have put together an article to show you how to reset, restart, and power cycle your Verizon rou...
How to Reset an EE Smart Hub or Smart Hub Plus (Factory & Reboot) 2026
If you have ever wanted to Reset EE Broadband Router Quickly and Easily then this is the article for you. Here's a quick guide on how to reset EE Broadband routers, also known as EE Bright Boxes. Even...
EE Router Lights Meaning: Every Colour and Flashing Fix
This guide explains what the lights on an EE router mean, what the colours on an EE router signify, and how to fix the EE internet problems behind each warning state. These are both questions that we ...
Xfinity XB6 vs XB7 modem: Which One Is The Best?
Xfinity XB6 vs. XB7 modem. Have you ever wondered if you must use the equipment provided by your internet provider (ISP)? There are many options for modems- in fact, we think of the XB7 modem as a ste...
Can you use a long Ethernet cable? (Plus Common FAQs)
Can you use a long Ethernet cable? In the modern world, virtually every broadband user connects to the internet. This makes it essential for you to know about Ethernet cables and how they work. The on...
Best Virgin Media Router - NETGEAR R6260: A Closer Look
Best Virgin Media Router: NETGEAR R6260 – best alternative Virgin Media router for your home. Using Virgin Media with the R6260 is a great experience, thousands of people have had great things to say ...
How to Fix Xfinity Ethernet Problems. (Easily)
How to Fix Xfinity Ethernet Problems? It can be frustrating when your internet connection is down, but there are many ways that you could potentially fix this problem! You should first start by checki...
Laptop Turns Off When Unplugged: Causes and Quick Fixes
A laptop that turns off the moment you unplug it has a power-delivery fault rather than a software one in most cases. These checks narrow down whether the battery, the charger, or the power settings a...