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Christmas lights might slow down your Wi-Fi

2015-12-02 01:49 by

 

British communication regulator Ofcom has warned customers that Christmas fairy lights could cause slower broadband speeds. 

Recently, the watchdog has released an app with which users can check home broadband networks for interrupted signals between wireless routers and devices like phones and tablets. In its press release, Ofcom notes that Christmas lights are among things that can affect Wi-Fi signal performance.

It turns out that this is a seasonal issue, with ISPs receiving a spike in complaints during the holiday period, and blinking lights are apparently among the reasons to blame.

Actually, the light emitted by the lights isn't interfering with Wi-Fi, but the RF signals that the flow of electricity generates cause the interference.

Another potential issue is that blinking Christmas lights create noise on a circuit shared with a router, thus disrupting the electrical power being delivered to a router.

As it is known, other gadgets in the home, including baby monitors, microwaves and cordless phones operating at 2.4GHz can also cause interference. In order to avoid problems with their home networks, users may try switching the channels over which their wifi broadcasts, or simply moving electrical equipment out of the way.

Read more -here-

 

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