Does Microwave Affect WiFi? Did you encounter a breach or interference When you turned off your microwave? If you own a microwave, you may have observed that while it is in use, you may have trouble loading online sites on your smartphone, laptop, or other Internet-enabled devices, mainly if your network and microwave are nearby. So, does microwave affect WiFi?
Yes, microwaves can interfere with your network. Radio waves and microwaves are electromagnetic radiation, i.e., they have the same physical properties. Some leaking microwave radiation may interfere with WiFi transmissions.
Understanding Electromagnetic Radiation
Essentially always, we are surrounded by electromagnetic radiation. Visible light, which pervades the surrounding environment, is a kind of electromagnetic radiation. Similarly, several other objects, such as mobile phones, television remote controls, microwave ovens, and WiFi, function using electromagnetic radiation.
Depending on its frequency, electromagnetic radiation may take on several forms. Gamma rays and X-rays have high frequencies and, therefore, high energies, while radio waves and microwaves are on the other end of the frequency spectrum due to their lower frequencies. You may recall the electromagnetic spectrum diagram below from your high school science lesson.
Microwave Ovens And WiFi Routers
As previously stated, electromagnetic waves are required to operate several common household appliances. Both microwave ovens and WiFi routers release electromagnetic radiation to work; microwave ovens emit microwaves to heat food, while WiFi routers emit radio waves.
Microwave ovens transform energy into electromagnetic waves with larger wavelengths, known as microwaves, which are released inside a hermetically sealed metal box. Theoretically, these waves should reflect off the wall and not flow through it.
Although it is currently unclear how the waves transfer heat throughout the meal, it is known that microwaves are very effective in exciting and vibrating water molecules. The majority of natural foods contain water. These microwaves cause the water molecules to move rapidly, causing intermolecular friction that provides heat to cook the meal.
Interference Of Frequencies
Suppose you are a science continuously seeking causation and association between practically everything. In that case, you may have seen that your WiFi connection gets unstable as soon as you place food in the microwave and turn it on. In certain instances, your device may not connect, but the Internet connection returns to normal if the microwave is turned off.
If you have not seen this, you should do so. Place your WiFi modem and microwave nearby and activate the microwave. Install Internet speed testing.
While attempting to heat water in the microwave, attempt to verify your Internet connection. You may likely notice connection issues or a decrease in speed… nonetheless, why does this occur?
The cause of this issue is that the operating frequencies of your WiFi modem and microwave oven overlap. Both typically operate at around 2.4 GHz. In contrast to WiFi modems, microwave ovens do not transfer data but produce signals in the unlicensed ISM band at 2.4 GHz (Industrial, Scientific and Medical band).
As previously said, a well-shielded microwave oven of the brand should not allow microwaves to escape inside its metallic borders; in theory, it should prevent all microwave radiation created in the oven from escaping to the outside, but it does not in practice.
Some leaking microwave radiation interferes with WiFi communications or 2.4 GHz radio waves. Note that this interference at 2.4 GHz is generated by WiFi devices that adhere to the 802.11a and 802.11g standards, such as WiFi routers, smartphones, cordless telephones, and Bluetooth devices. In addition to electric blankets, electric insect zappers, and toaster ovens, other equipment may also create comparable interference.
Does Microwave Affect WiFi?
Suppose your device’s WiFi connection is lost each time you turn on the microwave to reheat or cook your meals. In that case, it accurately means that your wireless network and your microwave emit electromagnetic radiation.
WiFi (radio) waves and microwaves belong to the same category. The microwave rays leak and collide with the radio waves when you use both devices in the same space.
Consequently, network interference occurs and slows down online page download. What causes this interference, though?
As was already explained, your microwave and router both produce radiation. Electric energy is transformed into electromagnetic waves in the microwave oven. The waves remain within the metal box of the device after they have been emitted.
However, the frequency interruptions are caused by the waves’ ability to seep. Your WiFi signals drop out because the leaky waves cross over with them. If the frequency (2.4GHz) is the same, there will be interference, but if the frequency of your router is greater, there won’t be any overlapping.
Why Does Microwave Affect The Internet?
Electromagnetic waves that leak at the same frequency as your wireless network overlap, which causes the issue. Most routers operate at 2.4 GHz, but most microwaves do as well.
A specific microwave head direction’s waves will collide with and overlap with your omnidirectional WiFi signals. Consequently, your gadgets receive a weak signal while your meal is warmed in the microwave.
How Far Should The Router Be From The Microwave?
Keeping your router away from the microwave is one of the best strategies to prevent microwave interference with WiFi. Place your microwave 10 feet from your router.
The waves will always collide if both devices have the same wavelength spectrum and are close. Use a dual-band router with a 5GHz band if your room is too small to make the most of the 10 feet of distance.
How Can You Prevent Your Microwave From Interfering With WiFi?
Try Changing To The 5 GHz Band
Because microwaves operate at the same frequency as your router, 2.4 GHz, they significantly interfere with your signal. The good news is that almost all current routers feature a setting that lets you broadcast your signal at 5 GHz.
The likelihood of signal interference will drastically decrease since so few devices use this frequency. So, first things first, it’s time to see whether your router has this feature.
If not, we must attempt the subsequent step with a different fi. However, if it does, the next step is to confirm that all the devices you are utilizing are 5 GHz capable. Sadly, many smart home appliances won’t be.
However, this will be a great option if you only need a consistent signal to a computer device. You should notice a significant improvement as soon as you switch your router’s settings to 5 GHz.
There is one sacrifice, however, that we need to make you aware of before we continue with this stage. The 2.4 GHz signal has a far greater range than the 5 GHz one. It could be necessary to adjust your seating arrangement so that you are closer to the router or relocate it to a more suitable location.
Verify That The Router You Use Is Not Too Near To Any Other Routers
The positioning of routers is crucial to their long-term performance. We often see individuals placing their routers too closely together if they have more than one. Your network’s efficiency will suffer if they are near one another, and there is also a microwave present, which will cause speeds to slow to a crawl.
You should notice improved signals across your house or business if you make sure each router you use has its area to function. Naturally, there is also the option to include extenders and boosters in this situation to give them a little additional support.
Your WiFi problems will be fixed entirely after completing all these steps. For the great majority of you, at least, this will be the situation. If not, it’s time for the subsequent step.
Keep Everything Just Away From The Microwave
The most obvious and reasonable step to take is probably this one, but if the issue still exists, there doesn’t seem to be any other, more ingenious solutions. Simply put, you’ll need to relocate the router farther away from the microwave than it is now.
While doing so, it is essential to ensure no other sources of strong interference are nearby. Perhaps there is another radio transmitter in this area that is producing problems?
Naturally, the device you are attempting to utilize in combination with the router should get the same treatment. The outcome will be the same if that is close to a source of interference. This is pretty much all you can do if your router lacks an internal 5 GHz capability.
Is This Interference Dangerous?
Do you need to be concerned about the electromagnetic waves from the WiFi device and the microwave interfering with the WiFi device? Fortunately, the electromagnetic interference that interferes with your WiFi does not harm your gadget. Remember that it is not the gadgets themselves that mix, but rather the waves they emit.
We are surrounded by gadgets and products that continually release these high-frequency electromagnetic waves, including our cellphones, laptops, appliances, power lines, and baby monitors. Only if your microwave chokes the Internet when the WiFi router is many meters distant should you consider requesting replacement/repair from the manufacturer.
Conclusion On Does Microwave Affect WiFi
In conclusion, there is a possibility that your microwave is affecting your WiFi. When cooking food, microwave ovens produce at least 1,000 watts of power, which is 10,000 times greater than the access point for your WiFi. While most of the electricity in your oven is securely kept inside, some of it escapes out and disrupts your WiFi.
It’s essential to update your WiFi hardware if you regularly have this issue and your network is unreliable. Think about switching to a 5GHz band, such as auto channels or 802.11n routers. Remember that auto channels are designed to handle a variety of WiFi signals in a small space. By changing channels, you may increase or decrease the jamming effect your microwave produces. I hope you now have an answer and a solution to “does microwave affect WiFi.