Geekabit love a bit of problem solving, and this week we have been looking at some of the myths commonly associated with wi-fi interference. Wireless devices are everywhere now, in both home and office environments, and interference is something worth reading up on if you want to keep your network performing at its best.

All may seem well with your network if the most you ask of it is web surfing and occasionally up or downloading large files, but it will be being impacted by external interference and you may not realise how much, until you ask more of your network. For example, should you decide to use your wireless network for your business’s telephone calls and invest in VoIP phones, you will need a network resilient to interference – this becomes more important if you have multiple lines.

So what might cause interference, and how? Some of these might surprise you! Microwave ovens, fluorescent lights, bad electrical connections and cordless phones are all culprits, among many others – it might just be worth taking a look around your office and seeing what might be lurking. When a device on your network senses an interference burst occurring (such as someone switching on the microwave to heat up their lunch!), it will hold off its own transmission until the interference has finished, resulting in a domino effect of hold ups and transmissions. This will negatively impact the capacity of your wireless network, and needs to be addressed.

Next month we will share the secrets of preventing interference with you – be sure to pop back!