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How To: Troubleshoot Wi-Fi Interference with your Home Internet

Contents

Overview

Wi-Fi is a technology that makes it possible for devices to connect to the Internet wirelessly. Your Freedom modem acts as a wireless hub, making Wi-Fi available in your home.

Signal strength is important because the connection relies on signal transmission from the modem to your devices.

Range and Throughput

The best signal will be available with a clear line of sight between your modem and your device and will degrade with distance and obstructions. In an ideal setting with no walls or interference, the theoretical best performance from a modem to a single device would be, devices that:

Connect only to 2.4 GHz will have Data Range: 54Mbps and Approximate Range: 100-200ft

Connect to 2.4 GHz or 5GHz will have Data Range: 54Mbps or higher and Approximate Range: 80ft

Connect primarily to 5GHz will have Data Range: 430Mbps or higher and Approximate Range: 80ft or more.

Tip: The latest Wi-Fi Protocol, 802.11ac, operates exclusively on 5 GHz and should experience much less interference, as the 5 GHz space is less congested.

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Causes of Physical Interference

The materials, thickness, and the number of walls, ceilings, and other objects wireless signals must pass through, may limit the range of your home Wi-Fi. You can minimize physical interference by ensuring a direct line of sight between your modem and device, or by positioning the modem somewhere central that reduces the number of obstructions. A modem will offer the best connection to devices on the same floor of your home.

Brick, stone, and concrete walls will limit the effectiveness of a wireless signal.

Interior walls and ceilings are more of an obstruction when they contain insulation, metal ducts, metal pipes, and steel studs.

Large appliances and heavy furniture can physically block Wi-Fi signals.

Glass from windows, mirrors, and aquariums can reflect Wi-Fi signals back around the room unpredictably.

Lead paint (uncommon) acts as an effective shield for radio signals and can diminish or block a local Wi-Fi network.

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Causes of 2.4 GHZ Wi-Fi Interference

Interference can be caused by other wireless networks, other 2.4 GHz frequency devices, and high voltage devices that generate electromagnetic interference, including:

  • Bluetooth devices like headphones and speakers use 2.4 GHz. Newer models of Bluetooth devices are usually built to avoid active Wi-Fi channels.

  • Nearby wireless networks, like those in neighbouring homes, may operate on the same frequency and disrupt the performance of your Wi-Fi network.

  • Cordless phones often use 2.4 GHz. If your network performance drops whenever your cordless phone is in use, consider switching to phones on a different frequency.

  • Baby monitors often use 2.4 GHz. Given the constant connection between the monitor and the receiver, a baby monitor can affect the performance of your network.

  • Microwaves, especially older or poorly-shielded microwaves, can cause a great deal of electromagnetic interference in the 2.4 GHz space. Newer microwaves are properly shielded and should not cause any considerable problems.

  • Wireless security equipment like cameras and motion sensors can congest the 2.4 GHz frequency. Newer cameras and sensors are Wi-Fi ready and can connect to your Wi-Fi network instead of interfering with it.

  • Radios and police scanners operate on a wide range of frequencies and can cause interference to any other nearby radio device. Proximity is likely the deciding factor in radio interference so don't have your modem located directly next to (or on) a radio-transmitting device.

  • Monitors and TVs, especially those that aren't properly shielded, can cause interference for 2.4 GHz networks (specifically channels 11-14). Avoid placing your modem directly next to a TV, monitor, or screen.

  • High voltage and high-draw household items like laundry machines and air conditioning units can cause electromagnetic interference. If you notice degraded network performance, you may want to move your modem further away.

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Possible Remedies

While much of the interference in your home can be unavoidable (eg. neighbour's networks, wall construction), there are things you can do to improve the performance of your home network, including:

  • Use the 5 GHz Wi-Fi frequency whenever possible. The 5 GHz range is still a newer frequency, so it is less used in many congested areas, and typically provides faster speeds because it can carry more data.

  • Your Freedom modem can automatically switch to a different channel if the current channel is experiencing too much interference.

  • Line of sight works best for signal strength. For example, you shouldn't put your modem on the floor as this reduces the 360-degree field of range by half.

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