We all want the best Wi-Fi signal wherever we are in our homes or offices. However, in reality, this does not happen even if we get the best internet package in addition to the best router for your home. So what affects the WiFi signal in our home or office?
One of the main problems that most people quote is having a very poor network upstairs in a story-building and how to improve it. We have explored ways on how to boost the WiFi signal upstairs in our other article. The issue of the Wi-Fi signal being affected is also seen in non-story buildings.
So we would like to explore the 10 things that interfere with or block WiFi signals in our home thus affecting the strength and coverage. Let’s delve in!
What affects the WiFi signal in our homes?
1. Thick walls
We all love concrete or brick houses for their durability, security, and strength. However, houses with thick walls have a challenge in the penetration of WiFi signals. This is because WiFi signals are absorbed by materials all around us.
The absorption of Wi-Fi signals by different materials varies. It is the highest in concrete, brick walls, and metals. However, even thick wooden walls will absorb the signals significantly.
Moreover, even other materials affect the WiFi signal too. Thus you may experience a drop in Wi-Fi signals if you place your router in a wooden cabinet too.
Therefore, if your house is made of thick walls, for you to get a good signal in every house, you may consider locating the router strategically and or getting a router that can penetrate thick walls with Wi-Fi such as Amazon eero Pro 6 mesh Wi-Fi.
2. Distance between the router and the devices
Wi-Fi signals get degraded as they travel through space. They are also absorbed by other materials along their path. Therefore, the distance between the router and the devices affects the WiFi signal in our homes.
There is a significant difference between the range of the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band. The 2.4GHz band signal travels longer than the 5GHz band signal.
Therefore, to get the best signal in our home, you should place the devices near the router. However, if the device can not be moved, then change the band in use by your devices to the 2.4GHz band. However, you need a tri-band or dual-band router to be able to change the band that your devices use.
3. Wi-Fi interference from other Wi-Fi networks
If you live in an apartment, or in a place where the houses are nearby, then the Wi-Fi network may get interfered with. This is because other routers emit signals at the same frequency as your router.
The 2.4GHz band signal is easily affected by the neighboring routers’ networks. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you use the 5GHz band where there are many WiFi connections in the neighborhood.
In addition, if you have another WiFi network in your home, it may affect the WiFi signal. This is why a Guest network on your main router network is recommended instead of getting other equipment.
However, there are some excellent routers for apartments that can be used to ensure minimal interference such as Netgear nighthawk 12 stream AX6000. These routers are powerful to ensure there is minimal interference with your signal.
4. Bluetooth devices
Bluetooth devices affect Wi-Fi signals. This is because they use the same wavelength as the Wi-Fi signals. Devices such as wireless Bluetooth headsets, wireless Bluetooth speakers, and other Bluetooth devices.
Bluetooth devices use frequency hopping to broadcast sound signals. The signals oscillate around the 2.4GHz frequency by more than a thousand times per second. If the frequency jumps to the Wi-Fi signal frequency, it may cause congestion in the Wi-Fi signal. This is what affects the WiFi signal for our devices.
In some cases, the device may change the frequency of your connection to reduce interference. This is always the wrong thing since Bluetooth is always hopping around the signal.
In case of a change in frequency, you may get some lags as the devices reconnect to Wi-Fi on a different signal.
5. Radio devices such as baby monitors, walkie talkies, radio locator among others
The radio devices such as walkie-talkies, radio locators, and baby monitors affect the Wi-Fi signals by interfering with the frequency. This is because they use a similar frequency to the one used by 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.
Of course, a single-band router will be more affected since it only operates at the 2.4GHz frequency. In addition, alder Wi-Fi specifications such as 802.11 b/g/n will be more affected.
To limit the effect of this, you can get a good dual-band or tri-band router. This is besides keeping the router far from these radio devices among others.
6. Electronic devices like microwaves and televisions
A microwave oven can affect the WiFi signal in our homes or offices if the router is placed nearby. The device warms our food using electromagnetic waves in the 2.4GHz frequency band range.
This means if you are using a single band router, then your internet will be greatly affected. In addition, for older routers using the 802.11b/g/n WiFi standards, you may always wonder what affects the 2.4GHz WiFi signal in our home if the router is located near a microwave oven.
The microwave ovens are covered to ensure minimal leakage of the electromagnetic waves. However, it still happens and thus can affect the WiFi nearby.
In addition, TVs also affect the WiFi signals in our home or office. This is because the TV also produces electromagnetic waves that can interfere with WiFi signals.
Therefore, do not position your router behind the TV for better WiFi signals.
7. Metals and metallic objects
Metallic objects and metals when placed near the router maybe what affects your WiFi signal at home or in the office.
Metals disrupt the WiFi signals markedly making the signal range and strength poor. Therefore, to ensure you don’t get a loss of signal strength or range, do not place the router inside a metal cabinet.
In addition, you can find metallic objects on your walls or particleboard mounting using a handheld stud finder or smartphone stud finder app. If you find any metallic objects, please place the router away from them.
8. Water
We all want a beautiful home. What’s more beautiful than having a big aquarium in our home or office? However, to note is that wireless signals will find it hard to penetrate the water bodies.
Additionally, you may be having a hydronic heating system in your home. This is also one of the many mediums that will make the WiFi signals not pass through.
In such cases, place the router away from the water-containing objects such as aquariums and hydronic water heating systems. This will ensure that you get faster, reliable, and high-performance internet.
Conclusion
Many other things can affect the WiFi signal at home or in the office. However, what are the most common things that affect the WiFi signal are discussed above. You can use the methods to block WiFi in a room also.
To ensure a better Wi-Fi performance in our home or office, we should ensure we get a good internet service provider plan, an excellent modem, and an equally impressive router for our home or office.
However, even with all these high-performing internet connection devices and plans, placing the router near an object that can block or interfere with the Wi-Fi signal may cause poor internet connectivity. Therefore, check out on that.
