Wifi on the storm

How Weather and Heat Affect Wi-Fi Networks

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.

1. Its biggest advantage is that the signal reaches further.
2. They get a connection speed much lower than 5 GHz.

1. Higher speed compared to 2.4GHz networks.
2. 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.

1. There is a decrease in the speed of the Wi-Fi network and the performance of the computer.
2. 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.

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Weather forecast: WiFi storms make meteorologists look mad

Boffins are finding ways to stop WiFi messing with weather stations

A problem in a world of global WiFi equipment is that global spectrum allocations aren’t consistent, and in some places, kit clashes with applications like weather radar. A group of Austrian researchers is looking at how to clean up radar images spoiled by nearby WiFi kit.

In a paper published on the Arxiv pre-print server, the scientists note that it’s not just 5 GHz WiFi that causes artefacts on images: air traffic control radars and topology also cause problems for weather radar.

Led by Harald Ganster of Joanneum Research in Austria, the research found that a third of images from one weather station in the mountainous country suffered wireless LAN interference, with disturbance like that shown below present in “2713 from 8928 images”.

“Improvement of WXR [weather radar – El Reg] images — by combining them with other sensors in order to complete concealed zones and eliminate interfering signals without losing important meteorological information — is essential for an accurate prediction of weather phenomenons and atmospheric conditions”, they write.

WiFi interference on Austrian weather radar

The algorithm developed by Ganster’s group is designed to identify such artefacts in the radar images so they can be removed. Geometry is helpful here: something like WiFi, whose interference appears as a straight line, can be classified, turned into a vertical line, and removed, as can the speckle coming from air traffic radars.

The other aspect of the work is to fill in shadows in the radar. They do this by taking long-term data from meteorological satellite images, and stitching that data – which they refer to as “meteorologically reasonable” – back into the real-time radar data.

The aim of that part of the work is to provide a model that can reasonably serve as a proxy for the real-time data.

It still doesn’t provide an explanation, however, for artefacts like Australia’s “Rottnest Monster”, which set the country afire with speculation in February.

That ended up being attributed to a defence training exercise. ®

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Are Wireless Things OK to Use During Storms?

Storms can occur at any time, and you may not always be prepared. During a storm, you need to avoid contact with any device that is connected to a wall outlet, but it is OK to use wireless devices that are not connected to wall outlets, including cellular and cordless phones, as long as you are inside. You should also properly shut down your desktop or notebook computers and unplug them to avoid damage from power surges and static electricity.

Power Surges

1. Lightning can cause power surges that are harmful not only to electrical equipment but also to you. The surges can cause serious damage, such as blowing a device’s power supply or shocking you, if you are using the device when the surge goes through it. Wireless devices that are not connected to an electrical outlet are not susceptible these power surges.

Charging

1. During a storm, do not attempt to charge any wireless device — including mobile and cordless phones, laptops or tablets — by connecting the device’s AC adapter to a wall outlet. Wait until the storm is over to charge your device.

Laptops and Tablets

1. During a storm, you may use a laptop or tablet inside as long as the device is not plugged into a wall outlet. Make sure you save any files you are using before the battery is depleted. Also, stay away from windows and doors while using your laptop or tablet to avoid static electricity damage and lightning strikes. If your office contains multiple windows, power off your laptop or tablet and immediately move to an area without windows.

Internet Usage

1. If the storm in your area hasn’t caused a power outage, your Internet service should still be active unless your Internet service provider’s power is out. Even if the power is out, your smartphone or tablet may still be able to access the Internet through a cellular signal unless cellular transmissions are down. You may even get Internet access for your computer via tethering if you have that feature enabled on your smartphone.

Nick Davis is a freelance writer specializing in technical, travel and entertainment articles. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Memphis and an associate degree in computer information systems from the State Technical Institute at Memphis. His work has appeared in «Elite Memphis» and «The Daily Helmsman» in Memphis, Tenn. He is currently living in Albuquerque, N.M.

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