What Are Some Common Causes of WiFi Problems?
- Walls, floors and objects
The construction materials in your home can greatly affect wireless communication speed and range. Materials such as wood and glass don’t have much of an effect. However, denser materials such as concrete, brick, and metal can make it difficult to connect. These denser materials can slow your network speed or even completely block wireless signals from reaching certain parts of your home. Large furniture items such as filing cabinets or bookshelves, as well as appliances like stoves or refrigerators, can also interfere with WiFi.
- Appliances and electronics emitting radio frequency interference
WiFi interference can also come from electronics and appliances that aren’t connected to your wireless network but use the same 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequencies to communicate. Examples include cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, wireless cameras, and baby monitors. Microwave ovens generate radio frequency noise as a byproduct, so if yours is located close to your WiFi router, you may notice a network slowdown or get disconnected only when you’re using your microwave.
- Other WiFi networks using the same channel as your own WiFi network
Interference from competing WiFi networks is especially common in apartment buildings and other densely populated areas. WiFi networks broadcast on channels, so when nearby WiFi networks are set to use the same channel, they’ll constantly be competing with each other for limited bandwidth.
