Expert reveals the common household appliance that could be causing a bad Wi-Fi signal
- A kitchen appliance could be to blame for slow Wi-Fi connection in your property
- Drew English, from Charter & Co, shares information and tips on how to fix issue
- READ MORE: The four surprising foods you should NEVER reheat the next day
Websites not loading quickly enough and files downloading at a snail's pace? It turns out there may be more than just a weak internet connection to blame.
Frustrated by sluggish Wi-Fi? Before pointing the finger at your internet provider, consider looking closer to home.
It might come as a surprise, but tech guru Drew English, from US-based marketing agency Charter & Co, says one common household item could be sabotaging your broadband connection.
The source of those 'buffering' webpage loads and e-mails confined to Outboxes might be your household microwave.
English said: 'You might not realise it, but microwaves and Wi-Fi can interfere with each other.
Websites not loading quickly enough and files downloading at a snail's pace? It turns out there may be more than just a weak internet connection to blame (stock image)
'This can be a real pain if you keep getting dropped from conference calls, have issues watching HD videos, or face problems doing something important online.'
Both microwaves and Wi-Fi routers operate on the 2.4GHz radio frequency.
While microwaves use these waves to heat food, Wi-Fi routers rely on them to transmit data around your home.
This overlap can result in slower Wi-Fi speeds whenever the microwave is in use, although it doesn't affect the heating of your food.
Microwaves are designed to focus their energy inside the appliance, so in theory they shouldn't interfere with Wi-Fi - however, energy can, at times, escape.
The expert added: 'Microwaves leak energy. Microwaves from lesser-known brands often aren't built to the same high standards as those from big-name manufacturers.
'This means there's a higher chance of leakage occurring sooner than with a branded model. Even pricier microwaves can develop leaks in their seals over time, though.'
To combat the interference, English recommends moving the router further away from the kitchen or switching to a higher frequency setting.
The source of those 'buffering' webpage loads and e-mails confined to Outboxes might be your household microwave (stock image)
To combat the interference, English recommends moving the router further away from the kitchen or switching to a higher frequency setting (stock image)
He said: 'While moving the router away from the microwave is a definite plus, it might not always be practical for everyone's setup.'
'If your router has a 5GHz band, switching to that could be a right winner. It's less likely to get messed up by the microwave.'
In the meantime, if you're plagued by poor Wi-Fi performance and suspect your microwave might be the culprit, checking for leaks and considering an upgrade to a higher-quality model might also be worth exploring.
Additionally, there are a few other less intuitive ways you might be slowing down your own internet speeds.
Some of the seven common household items that could be blocking your Wi-Fi connection include mirrors, Bluetooth devices and cordless phones.
