Your internet Wi-Fi picks up signals much the same way as a TV antennae does. Because these signals travel through the air, they can be affected by the environment around them.
Let’s look at some common things in the home that could be interfering with your Wi-Fi connection, causing it to be slow or sporadic.
Wireless Game Controllers
Wi-Fi operates on an unlicensed band, and therefore other devices are free to operate on the same band or frequency. Potentially you could be using the internet via a Wi-Fi connection and have the signal interfered with if someone else in the home is playing the latest console game with a wireless controller.
Household Lighting and Christmas Lights
This one is a bit of a surprise, but apparently household lighting, and especially loads of Christmas lights, can reduce the performance of your Wi-Fi by up to 25{549ce728cd77d5dd6f9576dc246356730d06515ce85ea1fc5e383172fa3c63fe}. As far as regular lighting goes, fluorescent lighting is the biggest culprit. It has something to do with the way light flickers that can cause the interference.
The Microwave Oven
Yes, heat up your dinner and your internet connection could be lost. Almost two thirds of data throughput can be affected if your device or Wi-Fi is located within 7 metres or so of a microwave oven when the microwave is in use. And people worry about what microwaves might be doing to the quality of their food.
Power Cables
Homes are full of these, yet the electricity passing through power cables can affect with your Wi-Fi performance. Electricity creates a radio frequency noise, but the effects probably aren’t really that noticeable.
Mirrors
Mirrors are designed to reflect things. They can reflect images, sunlight, soundwaves and radio waves. Test it out by pointing your TV’s remote at a mirror and seeing if it works. Well, it’s the same with a Wi-Fi signal. The signal can actually be reflected and deflected if the Wi-Fi or device is located directly near a mirror.
The Takeaway
This has been a bit of a light-hearted look at just some of the things in the home that can potentially interfere with your Wi-Fi signal. If you are having signal problems, perhaps check to see if there is a mirror nearby, or someone is using the microwave.
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