New routers designed to make web access more stylish

New broadband routers are being designed by Goldsmith's University of London and TalkTalk in a bid to make web access more stylish.

The routers, which are used to provide broadband access and services such as VoIP solutions, have been designed by students at the university to be used as part of domestic decor, while also maximising the strength of the signal and being energy-efficient.

Students have developed the Jellyfish among a range of different designs, which provides a central hub inspired by the biology of the distinctive sea creatures.

Goldsmith's said: "[The Jellyfish] is our craziest design and we were given full creative license. We wanted to place the router at the centre of the community, at the heart of the house."

Although routers are becoming smaller and sleeker, they are not generally designed to draw attention but instead are usually tucked away out of sight.

Most routers offer plugs for physical Ethernet connections but many homes now use them to establish a wireless network.