Most jobs start with something that will not connect, will not stay connected, or will not talk to something else. Here is the detail.
In the home
The things people usually ring me about
Wi-Fi and internet problems
The most common reason people get in touch. I work out whether the trouble is the broadband line, the router, where it is sitting, or something in the house interfering with it — then fix the cause rather than restarting things and hoping.
Typically that means
Wi-Fi that drops out in one room but not another
Everything slowing down when the family is all online
A new router that has made things worse, not better
Devices that connect but say there is no internet
A work laptop or VPN that will not stay connected at home
Mesh Wi-Fi and home networking
Where one router was never going to reach, I can set up a mesh system or wired access points so coverage is even throughout the house. That includes thick-walled older properties, extensions, loft conversions and cellars. I can do the physical work too — running and clipping cable, and mounting access points where they actually belong.
Typically that means
A mesh system chosen and set up properly, not just plugged in
A mesh system that has not fixed the problem it was bought for
Stone walls, extensions and converted lofts
Ethernet run and clipped neatly to where it is needed
Getting rid of the old powerline adapters that never quite worked
Smart TVs and streaming
New TVs are computers now, and they do not always behave. I can set up the TV and the streaming sticks and boxes — Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV and the rest — get the apps signed in, sort out the sound, and tidy up the tangle behind it. Buffering is usually the network rather than the app, so I test that first. I help with the equipment and the connection; the services themselves have to be your own licensed subscriptions.
Typically that means
A film that buffers every ten minutes on the good telly
A streaming stick or box set up and connected from scratch
Streaming apps refusing to sign in or load
Sound coming from the wrong place, or not at all
Too many remotes, boxes and inputs to keep track of
Smart-home devices
Smart devices are easy to buy and frustrating to make work together. I set them up, connect them to the right app and account, and make sure they keep working after the first week.
Typically that means
Smart bulbs and plugs that keep dropping off the network
A heating or thermostat system that will not connect
Devices spread across three different apps
Voice assistants that no longer control anything
Cameras and video doorbells
I can handle setup and fitting: mounting the camera or doorbell where it covers what you want, drilling the small holes that takes, running the cable, and getting it onto the network reliably so recordings and notifications actually reach your phone. That includes wired PoE cameras and NVR or CCTV systems as well as the battery ones. I work with common brands including Ring, Tapo and Reolink.
Typically that means
A doorbell or camera mounted, wired and set up from scratch
PoE cameras and an NVR installed and configured
Notifications arriving late, or not at all
Cameras covering the right areas without watching the neighbours
Computers and printers
Everyday help with the computer and the printer: the machine that has slowed to a crawl, software that will not behave, a new computer set up the way you want it, files and photos moved across from the old one, and backups turned into something you no longer have to think about.
Typically that means
A printer that has stopped talking to the laptop
A computer that takes an age to start up
A new machine set up and everything moved across
Photos and documents that are not backed up anywhere
Sonos, audio and device connectivity
Multi-room audio, soundbars and speakers set up so they play where you want them to, and keep doing it. I also help with the wider problem of devices that will not pair, will not stay paired, or have quietly fallen off the network.
Typically that means
Sonos or multi-room speakers dropping out
A soundbar that will not pair with the TV
Music playing in the wrong room
Bluetooth devices that connect once and never again
Garden offices and outbuildings
Getting a genuinely usable connection to a garden office, annexe, workshop or garage — good enough for video calls, not just for checking email. Usually that means running a proper cable rather than hoping the house Wi-Fi stretches, which I can do.
Typically that means
A garden office that needs to work for a full day of video calls
A workshop or garage with no signal at all
An annexe that needs its own reliable connection
Cameras or a doorbell out at the far end of the property
More advanced home networking
Where a standard setup is not enough, I can go a good deal further: wired networking through the house, UniFi equipment, separate VLANs so smart devices and guests are kept away from the rest of the house, PoE, network storage, and home automation with Home Assistant or camera recording with Frigate. Sensible engineering, explained in plain English — you do not need to know any of those words to ask for it.
Typically that means
Wired networking and UniFi equipment through a larger property
VLANs keeping smart devices and guest Wi-Fi separate
Home Assistant, NAS storage or Frigate camera recording
A network that has grown piecemeal and needs sorting out properly
Product names such as Ring, Tapo, Reolink, Sonos, Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, UniFi, Home Assistant and Frigate are used here only to describe the equipment and software we work with. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorised installer for any of these companies.
We help with the equipment, the connection and the apps. The subscriptions themselves need to be your own, from the official providers. We do not set up or support unofficial or unlicensed television services, modified or preloaded streaming devices and getting around a provider's blocks, licensing or regional restrictions.
Installation
I can do the fitting as well as the setup
Plenty of home-technology jobs are half software and half a ladder. I can help with both.
Work I take on
Mounting cameras and video doorbells
Drilling the small holes that takes
Running and clipping Ethernet cable
Installing access points
PoE networking and PoE cameras
NVR and CCTV installations
Work I do not take on
Mains electrical work
That needs a qualified electrician.
Major structural work
That needs a builder.
Television aerial and satellite dish installation
That needs an aerial installer.
Repairs to the inside of appliances
That needs an appliance engineer.
Component-level repair of computer boards
We fix computers that are misbehaving, not soldering on the motherboard.
Ongoing managed IT contracts
We take on individual jobs for small businesses rather than running their IT.
If a job needs specialist work I cannot safely take on, I will tell you what sort of trade you need.
Also worth knowing
Two more things I can help with
Neither is the main job, but both come up often enough to be worth saying out loud.
Help for small local businesses
Plenty of small local businesses have exactly the same problems as a house, just with more riding on them. I can help with Wi-Fi and networking, printers, CCTV, connectivity, and getting equipment set up or working again.
Typically that means
Wi-Fi that does not reach the whole premises
A printer or till system that has stopped connecting
CCTV installed or an existing system sorted out
Getting a new unit or office connected and working
3D printing and custom parts
A lot of home-technology problems come down to a small plastic part that broke, went missing, or was never made in the first place. I can design and 3D print practical replacements and one-off parts — often the neatest way to finish a job properly.
Typically that means
Brackets and mounts for cameras, sensors and speakers
Adapters and enclosures for equipment that does not quite fit
Replacement clips and fittings that are no longer sold
Small custom parts to solve an awkward problem
3D-printed parts are practical items such as brackets, mounts, adapters, enclosures and clips. We do not produce safety-critical or structural parts, certified components, mains-electrical components or parts where failure could create a significant safety risk.
Get in touch
Not sure which one you need?
Tell me what is happening and I will help work out what needs doing. You do not have to know the answer before getting in touch.