Oct 25 2022
Getting fast and cheap internet should be your top priority when setting up your home internet connection. But they meet only half of your needs. You need an internet service that always does the work for you, so you’re always online at the speed you signed up for.
This means keeping an eye on your home internet connection and ensuring that it’s just as fast wherever you are—in the living room, bedroom, home office, or kitchen. Unfortunately, most of the time, you might notice “dead zones” or slower speeds in some parts of your home compared to others. This is due to a weak Wi-Fi signal.
The good news is it’s an easy fix. Let’s start by looking at the most common things in your home that may be blocking the Wi-Fi signal. Once you know what’s interfering with your Wi-Fi, you can get it out of the way, and start enjoying your Comwave internet plan.
One of the most common things that slow down your Comwave internet speed at home is your distance from the Wi-Fi router. Simply, the farther you are from the router—such as if you’re on a different floor or another room—the Wi-Fi signal is weaker, making your internet connection slower. You can fix this by ensuring the Wi-Fi router is placed in a central location, such as in the living room where it’s close to the TV for streaming or by your desk if you’re working from home.
But what if it’s not just a distance issue?
Other things that weaken the Wi-Fi signal include your home’s building materials or those used in furniture and decor. Similarly, the Wi-Fi router could be too close to certain appliances that affect the signal. Most of all, thick walls pose a major barrier to the Wi-Fi signal from reaching different rooms.
With all of these obstacles in mind, let’s have a look around your home and find out how the most common sources of Wi-Fi interference can be addressed.
As mentioned earlier, thick concrete walls are one of the biggest culprits in slowing down your Comwave internet. It’s difficult for Wi-Fi signals to travel through walls and floors since concrete is one of the thickest building materials. The thicker the concrete is, the tougher it is for Wi-Fi signals to pass through—and sometimes, not even at all.
Similar to concrete, metal is a foundational building material. Not only is it tough, but it also conducts electricity. And since Wi-Fi uses electromagnetic radio waves, metal absorbs them, rather than allowing them to pass through.
As a result, anything made with metal, such as blinds, doors, walls, floors, and even decor can obstruct the Wi-Fi signal. Even with Wi-Fi extenders, you’re likely to encounter the same problem if they’re placed in the same area with metal elements. Keep this in mind when building or furnishing your home so that you can find a good location for the router.
Another common building material, plaster is used in the walls and ceilings. While plaster is not as thick as concrete and metal, it can still obstruct Wi-Fi signals. Your Comwave internet may also be further slowed down by the use of metal laths with plaster to construct interior walls.
Similar to other home construction materials, drywall can also contribute to Wi-Fi interference and slow down your Comwave internet. But here’s the silver lining: out of all the materials mentioned earlier, drywall has the smallest impact on Wi-Fi signals.
Tiles are commonly used on floors and walls, especially in the kitchen and washrooms. Similar to drywall, ceramic is also known to weaken Wi-Fi signals. This is further complicated by the use of mastic to apply ceramic tiles on plaster or drywall, which can increase interference.
Since these are transparent and not nearly as thick as concrete walls, windows can still cause minor Wi-Fi interference. Of course, every house needs windows and benefits from letting natural light flow in. But did you know that Wi-Fi signals are reflected too? Low-emissivity windows, in particular, are designed with a metallic film to help with insulation, but they also block Wi-Fi signals more than clear windows.
Similar to windows, mirrors are reflective, which can cause Wi-Fi interference. But not only that—they’re also built with a thin coat of metal, which increases the impact on your Wi-Fi signal. However, the effect a mirror has on your Wi-Fi varies with its size, so a small decorative mirror will have much less impact compared to a full wall mirror.
Wireless security cameras that transmit video feeds to a computer or TV monitor via satellite are a great investment in making your home safe. However, the satellite transmission can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal—and even reach your neighbours’ homes.
Appliances are made of metallic and electrical components, which, as discussed earlier, obstruct the Wi-Fi signal. Two of the biggest culprits are the refrigerator and the microwave.
Refrigerators cause Wi-Fi interference because they have the largest metallic components, which can block Wi-Fi signals. Meanwhile, microwave ovens tend to use the 2.4 GHz radio frequency—the same one as the Wi-Fi standard. Aside from placing the router away from the kitchen, you can also switch to the 5 GHz band to avoid jamming the frequencies.
Similar to home construction materials, various pieces of furniture contribute to Wi-Fi interference. Beds, couches, tables, bookshelves filled with books, and more not only vary in size and shape, but they’re also often made of metal and other construction materials.
The result is a compound effect: furniture adds to existing Wi-Fi interference caused by the walls, floors, and ceilings. To avoid further weakening the Wi-Fi signal and enjoy your fast and cheap Comwave internet, make sure that the router isn’t obstructed by any furniture.
From speakers to smart devices and accessories, Bluetooth is one of the most common connection methods. But with all of these frequencies bouncing around, it’s no surprise that they can also interfere with your Wi-Fi. That’s because Bluetooth uses frequency hopping, which allows it to hop on the 2.4 GHz band that your router is on. To prevent this, turn off Bluetooth devices when not in use.
Water features are known to make homes feel more relaxed. But did you know that indoor waterfalls, fountains, and fish tanks can also interfere with the Wi-Fi signal? Water is an electrical conductor, making it absorb Wi-Fi signals. Similarly, it reflects and refracts sound waves, making it longer for signals to travel between the router and your devices.
As you’ve seen, many things in your home can affect a Comwave internet connection and Wi-Fi signal. And while it isn’t realistic to get rid of them all, there are ways to minimize the interference they cause with your Wi-Fi router.
If you need help, our team of specialists is here to help you find the problem and address it. We can also recommend using Wi-Fi extenders to boost the signal across your home. The important thing to remember is, if your fast and cheap Comwave internet isn’t doing the job so well in some parts of your house, it’s a Wi-Fi issue with many minor fixes that can easily restore your ideal speed and browsing experience.
Is your Wi-Fi weak in some areas at home? Talk to a Comwave specialist today. Find out how to restore your fast and cheap internet with Comwave.
Comwave is Canada’s largest independent communications company, offering home internet, TV and phone services at some of the best prices in Canada.
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