In this tutorial we will try to determine if the weather can affect Wi-Fi speed. We will also talk about whether weather conditions such as storms, rain, cold and heat affect our Internet connection. Obviously, if they affect our connection, they could also indirectly affect Wi-Fi since we will not obtain the full potential of our Internet connection.
Before we begin, we are going to make a brief introduction to current WiFi networks, the speeds they support and what elements could make our WiFi network slower.
Introduction to WiFi networks, bands, speeds and more
Currently, in our home networks, the person in charge of providing us with an Internet connection and establishing a Wi-Fi network is our router. This equipment that we always use is supplied by our Internet provider. Currently the vast majority of routers that they provide us are simultaneous dual band, unless we hire an ADSL connection, which is then single band.
In that sense, our router will offer us:
- A 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network uses the frequency band that we have always used over the years, so we will not have any compatibility problems with our devices.
- Another 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, although most equipment supports this frequency band, it is possible that, if your network card is very old, it will not be able to connect to this band.
An example of a dual band router is the HGU distributed by Movistar.
Regarding the 2.4 GHz WiFi networks, we could draw two conclusions:
- Its biggest advantage is that the signal reaches further.
- They get a connection speed much lower than 5 GHz.
Regarding 5 GHz WiFi networks they offer us:
- Higher speed compared to 2.4GHz networks.
- The drawback they have is that they tolerate distance and obstacles worse.
Currently the Wi-Fi 5 standard is used, or also known as Wi-Fi AC, this standard allows us to achieve speeds of up to 433Mbps per data flow, therefore, if our router has four antennas, we could achieve up to 1733Mbps without problems, although the real yield will be around half.
Now we will briefly discuss the factors that can negatively affect the spread of WiFi. One of them is the choice of the location of our router. In that sense we must place it in an open space and a minimum height of one and a half meters. From RedesZone we do not advise putting it in drawers, closed spaces or leaving it on the floor. The other point is the architectural barriers that you have to cross. In this way, the more walls you have to go through and they are thicker, the worse the WiFi will reach you. Also a good choice of WiFi channels can help.
If we add to this how the weather affects the Wi-Fi speed, the situation can be even worse, especially if we have our router wrongly located.
How the weather affects the speed of Wi-Fi and mobile network abroad
Without a doubt, the weather condition that most affects the weather to the speed of Wi-Fi is rain . Previously we talked about the bands, and in that sense we could say talk about 2.4 GHz wireless networks.
In communities with Wi-Fi installed to be used abroad, its effects can be appreciated. Therefore, on rainy days, we can say that they have a negative impact on the signal strength of that community WiFi network. The explanation is that the water droplets absorb this radio frequency and partially block the signal. Rain in this sense interferes with the propagation of the Wi-Fi signal, but, nevertheless, aspects such as distance have more influence. If you have an Internet connection through Wi-Fi, from a WISP operator, you may have noticed that on rainy days or with bad weather, the Internet connection may work more slowly.
Regarding hail, it will depend on the size and intensity. A hailstone reflects more radiation than a drop of water. However, since they fall less, the situation will depend on the amount that falls. However, interference with mobile or WiFi networks will be very likely.
As for the wind , it produces particles moving at high speed, however, these do not have enough charge or speed to generate magnetic fields. In this way, we can say that it does not affect the Wi-Fi or mobile connection. The only exception is that you swing the antennas, however they are designed and mounted so that this does not occur.
If we refer to snow , in principle, due to its low density and quantity, it will affect our outdoor and mobile WiFi networks very little. This is because snowflakes are less dense than liquid water. Only in cases of heavy and heavy snowfalls, they could weaken the signal, that is, in extreme cases .
Another classic within meteorological phenomena are thunderstorms that can cause interference. In addition, lightning emits waves that can disturb the signal, and static energy from clouds can cause distortions during the storm.
We also have fog and we can say that they are microscopic droplets of water in suspension that will not have much effect on our communications, although logically, if there is a very dense fog, it could be the case that it affects the Wi-Fi wireless network and mobile networks.
Temperature and other climatic phenomena affecting indoor WiFi
Now it’s your turn to see how the weather affects your indoor Wi-Fi speed. In a sense, we can say that the WiFi router of an office or home will generally not be affected by the effects of the weather except in rare occasions that we will comment on below.
One of those cases is when you are trying to get WiFi reception while outside your office or home. For example, if you are in your garage or garden and you get the WiFi from your house. In that sense, we can see how the weather affects the speed of Wi-Fi in the same way that it affected it outside. Therefore, in that sense, meteorological phenomena that we mentioned before such as rain, hail and thunderstorms could interfere with that Wi-Fi signal that we receive from outside.
However, if there is a meteorological effect that affects the speed of Wi-Fi indoors, it is none other than the temperature we have in our homes or offices. In this sense, it should be noted that when it is very hot it is not that the WiFi signal spreads worse. The problem is derived from the heating of the routers and access points that we have at home.
In case you don’t know, electronic equipment is designed to work within a limited temperature range. When this temperature is exceeded, two things happen:
- There is a decrease in the speed of the Wi-Fi network and the performance of the computer.
- If the effect is very long over time, it takes its toll on your electronic components and breakdowns occur.
In short, when teams begin to work at 30 ° inside our home or office they begin to suffer.
Therefore, it is clear that the weather affects the speed of Wi-Fi, indoors especially the temperature. The heating of the electronic components of our equipment is gradually taking its toll. A good placement of the router as we discussed at the beginning can alleviate the situation.
