15 Household Items That Are Secretly Crashing Your WiFi
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WiFi has become essential for our daily activities, ranging from professional commitments and pursuits to entertainment. The new report, commissioned by the WiFi Alliance, estimated that the global economic value of WiFi surpassed USD 3.5 trillion in 2024. By 2025, that number is anticipated to reach almost $5 trillion. Despite this growth and having fast internet plans and modern routers, many continue to face frustrating connectivity issues.
The problem lies not with the internet service but with common household items that could interfere with your WiFi network. These devices are used daily, perhaps without much thought, which can cause signal interference or create physical barriers to weaken your connection.
Microwave Ovens
The microwave produces electromagnetic waves that interfere with your WiFi signal. This is because most routers operate within the same 2.4 GHz frequency as microwaves. This makes the running of microwaves create a noise that interferes with nearby wireless communication, translating to slower internet speeds.
This interference is particularly notorious when your router is next to the kitchen or uses the same frequency channel. To minimize this problem, it is best to keep your WiFi router away from your microwave oven.
Newer routers using the 5 GHz band can also reduce this interference. However, most devices use 2.4 GHz to connect, so if that is the case, the microwave can interfere with your network. Updating the router’s firmware or using a mesh system helps with connectivity over these home appliances.
Cordless Phones
Other common culprits of WiFi interference include cordless phones. Like most WiFi routers, older models operate on the 2.4 GHz frequency. If turned on, they can introduce noise that degrades your wireless Internet performance.
Sometimes, even an idle cordless phone emits residual interference that affects nearby devices. If your cordless phone is causing problems, consider upgrading to a newer model that uses the DECT 6.0 standard, which operates entirely outside the 2.4 GHz band.
Otherwise, reposition your router and phone base station to minimize the area in which their signals overlap. Keeping them in different rooms can help improve call quality and speed up your internet.
Baby Monitors
Baby monitors can cause quite a disturbance in your WiFi because they operate on radio frequency bands. Most models, especially those from older versions or lower-end units, broadcast their signals within the 2.4 GHz range. This causes congestion, especially within homes that already have a high number of WiFi networks.
To minimize this risk, consider a baby monitor that utilizes FHSS or operates on a different band, such as 900 MHz. These technologies reduce interference with your WiFi network. Moving the monitor away from your router can also help minimize signal overlap. Upgrading to dual-band or tri-band routers is a good solution if multiple wireless devices are at home.
Smart Home Devices
All these devices, from security cameras and smart speakers to light bulbs, can stress your WiFi. Many of these devices must stay online constantly, which is beginning to clog up your network. Plus, many older or lower-end devices only use the 2.4 GHz band, adding interference.
As more smart devices are added to your home, the bandwidth competition will increase and eventually slow your WiFi. For better performance, use smart devices on a different 5 GHz band whenever possible. You may also set them up in a special guest network, easing congestion around your main WiFi.
Regular firmware updates keep device firmware consistent with today’s modern router updates. Proper planning of what goes where helps distribute internet traffic around your network better.
Wireless Security Cameras
Wireless cameras are known to be bandwidth hogs and create WiFi interference. Many cameras stream video continuously, which can clog up your network and slow down other connected devices. Many models also use the 2.4 GHz frequency, adding to the interference that routers on the same band must deal with. And the problem gets worse with more cameras running.
To this end, consider upgrading to cameras that use 5 GHz WiFi or are wired. Reduce bandwidth usage by limiting the resolution of the video or the time it records. This will also help keep them off the main router network to prevent slowdowns. Mesh networks or WiFi extenders can distribute the load more evenly, improving internet performance.
Bluetooth Devices
Examples include speakers, headphones, keyboards, and Bluetooth devices that interfere with WiFi signals. Though short-range communication is used, it happens on the 2.4 GHz band and is likely to cause interference. This can cause dropped connections or slower speeds for nearby WiFi devices.
You can minimize this interference by keeping your router and Bluetooth devices in different physical locations. Modern routers, with their dual or tri-band capability, are much better at fighting such interference.
Manual switching of your Bluetooth device to another channel can avoid interference from an interfering frequency. Keeping the firmware of your router and Bluetooth devices up to date also ensures smooth working.
Television Sets
Modern TVs with internet capabilities compete for bandwidth with other devices on your network. Moreover, older TVs or those models with built-in wireless receivers might send signals that interfere with your router.
The interference becomes noticeable when the TV streams something or syncs with any other external device. Big metal components in TVs may reflect WiFi signals and create weak spots in your coverage.
Locate the router away from your TV for minimal interference. Accessing the smart TV using hardwired Ethernet could open that bandwidth within WiFi for other devices in use. Upgrade the location or change to mesh systems. Attention to the careful planning and layout of devices improves home Internet.
Fish Tanks
Fish tanks can surprisingly disrupt your WiFi by physically blocking the signal. Water absorbs and reflects radio waves, weakening WiFi as it passes through. A large tank near your router can create dead zones on the opposite side.
This is particularly a problem in homes with thick walls, where the water further depletes the signal strength. To mitigate this, avoid placing routers or extenders near fish tanks. If relocation is not an option, consider a mesh network to bridge weak spots.
Positioning the router above or to the side of the tank can also reduce signal loss. Clear line-of-sight between devices ensures a smoother connection.
Radiant Floor Heating Systems
Radiant floor heating systems might interfere with WiFi signals through the electromagnetic fields produced. This further interferes with your router’s radio waves and reduces signal intensity in such areas.
These are highly recognizable in old, uncompartmentalized versions of home heating technologies. Even metallic parts within such technologies scatter WiFi waves. Elevating your router above floor level can minimize these effects.
Switching to a dual-band router or adding extenders can bypass weak zones caused by heating systems. If new radiant heating is installed, opt for systems designed with minimal electromagnetic interference.
Mirrors
Surprisingly, mirrors could block WiFi with their reflecting surfaces. Many mirrors indeed have a metallic coating at the back, which reflects radio waves and weakens the signal behind it. If your router faces a big mirror, you won’t have good connectivity in rooms beyond your mirror. This is especially powerful in homes where several mirrors will create an overlapping reflective zone.
To avoid these, set your router away from mirrors and reflective surfaces. When moving the router is impossible, a mesh network addition routes the signals around the obstacles. Having fewer large mirrors around your router improves the signal’s flow.
Wireless Printers
Wireless printers, mainly those on the 2.4 GHz band, can compete with your router for bandwidth. While sending active data, they can cause interference that slows other devices on the network. Some printers, even in their standby mode, may send low-level signals and disturb WiFi.
Connect printers via Ethernet or USB when possible to improve network performance. Turning off wireless functionality when it’s not in use also reduces interference. Place the printer away from your router to avoid signal overlap. Regular firmware updates keep printers operating efficiently alongside other devices.
Metal Furniture
Metal furniture weakens WiFi signals because it reflects or absorbs radio waves. Tables, shelves, or bed frames near your router can create dead spots in your coverage. Larger pieces of furniture, especially those with dense or solid construction, block the signals quite effectively. This issue is more evident in homes with open-plan layouts and metallic decorations.
To enhance WiFi performance, keep routers away from metal furniture or fixtures. Elevate the router above the level of the furniture for better signal dissemination. Use a mesh network to overcome blocked signals by metals.
Fluorescent Lights
Fluorescent lights emit electromagnetic radiation, which can cause interference with WiFi. These interferences are most noticeable in old light fixtures or when bulbs flicker. The noise these lights create overlaps with WiFi signals, degrading performance for nearby devices. Homes with many fluorescent lights experience cumulative interference, worsening connectivity issues.
Upgrading to LED lighting can eliminate interference from fluorescent fixtures. Position your router away from these lights to reduce signal degradation. Replacing older wiring or adding filters to light circuits may also help.
Refrigerators
Refrigerators can disrupt the WiFi signal due to their large metal surfaces and motor vibrations. The outer metallic body reflects radio waves, and the compressor and cooling systems produce electromagnetic noise. These combinations weaken signals for devices near the fridge, especially small kitchens.
Improve signal strength by keeping the router away from significant appliances like refrigerators. Add some WiFi extenders or a mesh system to bridge those weak zones.
Concrete Walls
Concrete walls are notorious for blocking WiFi signals by soaking up and weakening them as they pass. This can become a big problem in multi-story homes or apartments with thicker walls.
If the concrete is reinforced-meaning with embedded metal rebar, the reflective interference further amplifies the problem. WiFi signals struggle to navigate these barriers, speed suffers, or dead zones arise.
To overcome this challenge, locate your router in an open area with fewer barriers. Implement WiFi extenders or additional mesh nodes to help minimize losses through concrete. Powerline adapters are another pretty reliable option for reaching the furthest areas.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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