• Tech - Tips And Tricks
• Updated: Nov 23, 2020

How Microwave, Other Electric Devices Kill The Strength Of Your WiFi

Hearing this for the first time could make you think this is absolutely ridiculous and make you brush it off. However, little do you know that the use of microwave has a very negative effect on the performance of your WiFi.

The UK’s communications watchdog, Office of Communication (OFCOM) has warned that your microwave and a few other electric devices can, in fact, affect your WiFi, and here is how it does.

How Microwaves Slow Down Your WiFi Strength

As more people are working from home, it seems a lot of people are complaining about their WiFi speeds. The problem is that both these devices and Wi-Fi operate on the same frequency of 2.4 GigaHertz (GHz). This interference at 2.4 GHz can be caused by common 802.11b and 802.11g wireless devices, like routers, along with Bluetooth devices, baby monitors, and microwave ovens.

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WiFi is a radio signal and while microwaves shouldn’t leak any radiation, they actually do, hence, why people are discouraged from using it unnecessarily which leads to radio-frequency interference.

There are several electric devices in the house that can affect your WiFi speed such as toaster ovens, electric blankets, and heating pads. The only way to fix this problem is to upgrade your WiFi equipment that operates in the 5 GHz band, like the latest 802.11n routers (this is the other major band that Wi-Fi networks can operate in).

Platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, and Facebook have also reduced the quality of videos in an attempt to ease the strain on internet service providers.

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