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.

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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.

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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.

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"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