BritTech Guides

Fix it. Install it. Understand it.

Straightforward technology help for everyday people: practical installations, guided troubleshooting, smarter buying decisions, simple explanations and myth busting.

Every guide includes a read-aloud option, and selected topics include video-learning suggestions for visitors who prefer to watch.

Looking for current developments? Read the Daily Tech Briefings →

16 guides

Fix It Yourself

USB Drive Not Showing in Windows? Check These Things Before Formatting It

A safe troubleshooting path for a flash drive or external USB drive that does not appear in File Explorer, without jumping straight to formatting and risking your files.

Beginner13 minAudio available

Fix It Yourself

Wi-Fi Connected but No Internet? Diagnose It Step by Step

A practical troubleshooting path that helps you find out whether the problem is your device, Wi-Fi, router, DNS or internet connection.

Beginner12 minAudio available

Do It Yourself

How to Set Up a New Home Wi-Fi Router Yourself

From cabling and first login to secure Wi-Fi names, passwords, placement and final testing.

Beginner20 minAudio available

Before You Buy

Wi-Fi Extender vs Mesh vs Access Point: What Do You Actually Need?

Understand the problem before buying the solution. Choose based on coverage, Ethernet availability and the size of your space.

Beginner10 minAudio available

Tech Explained

Router vs Modem vs Switch vs Access Point — Explained Simply

Four devices people often confuse, explained by the job each one performs on a network.

Beginner7 minAudio available

Myth Busters

Myth: Full Wi-Fi Bars Mean Fast Internet

Strong Wi-Fi signal and fast internet are not the same measurement. Here is what those bars actually tell you.

Beginner5 minAudio available

Fix It Yourself

Printer Offline but Switched On? Fix It Step by Step

A clear way to separate a printer power problem from a Wi-Fi, IP address, queue or Windows print-service problem.

Beginner14 minAudio available

Fix It Yourself

Wi-Fi Works on Your Phone but Not Your Laptop

Use the working phone as evidence: the internet may be fine, so focus on the laptop's adapter, address, DNS and local settings.

Beginner11 minAudio available

Before You Buy

8GB vs 16GB RAM: What Do You Actually Need?

Choose memory based on what you do, not on the biggest number in the shop.

Beginner9 minAudio available

Do It Yourself

How to Change Your Wi-Fi Name and Password Safely

A beginner-friendly guide to changing your SSID and Wi-Fi password without accidentally locking yourself out of the router.

Beginner10 minAudio available

Myth Busters

Myth Buster: Restarting and Resetting a Router Are the Same Thing

They are not. One reboots the device; the other can erase your configuration.

Beginner5 minAudio available

Fix It Yourself

Internet Is Fast Everywhere Except One Device — What to Check

Use a simple elimination process to find out whether one slow device has an adapter, driver, signal, DNS, VPN or background-traffic problem.

Beginner12 minAudio available

Fix It Yourself

Second Monitor Not Detected? Check These Things in Order

A practical display troubleshooting sequence covering cables, inputs, ports, display settings, docks and graphics drivers.

Beginner10 minAudio available

Before You Buy

SSD vs HDD: Which Storage Should You Buy?

Understand speed, capacity, durability and price before choosing storage for a laptop, desktop, backup or archive.

Beginner8 minAudio available

Tech Explained

2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz Wi-Fi — Which One Should You Use?

A simple explanation of range, capacity, interference and why the faster-looking option is not always the best one for every room.

Beginner7 minAudio available

Myth Busters

Myth: A Wi-Fi Extender Makes Your Internet Faster

An extender can improve coverage, but it cannot create more internet bandwidth than your connection and network design can provide.

Beginner5 minAudio available