So after weeks and weeks of hot dry weather, Dorset and now the Isle of Purbeck are enjoying rain (and lots of it). Great for the garden but will likely mean your internet and WiFi will start to feel slow and a bit wonky!
But why? The most likely reason is damaged power and phone lines and less than idea connections for the miles of overhead phone lines running from Wareham to Swanage.
Speed test site Bandwidth Place says, “Does weather affect Internet speed? Absolutely. Damage to power, phone, or cable lines can impact your connection, while a high number of concurrent users — perhaps trying to check the weather report — may slow it to a crawl.” Not to mention all those folks who cuddle up in bed downloading new ebooks or queuing up a good ol’ Netflix binge to pass the time during a nasty thunderstorm.
bandwidthplace.com (US)
Can rain and Wifi signal? Yes, there’s some evidence to suggest rain can effect WiFi — especially if your Router/WiFi is setup to use the 2.4-GHz frequency (most modern routers offer 2.4 and 5 GHz options).
The weather condition that has the greatest effect on a Wi-Fi signal is rainfall, particularly for wireless setups using the 2.4-GHz radio frequency. Water droplets absorb this radio frequency and partially block the signal. Anecdotal evidence from communities with light-pole-based public Wi-Fi suggest that rainy days had an impact on signal strength. Even so, Wi-Fi signals are short range and usually deployed indoors. While rainfall can create interference — in much the same way that it limits visibility for human eyes — attenuation due to distance from the router is a much likelier culprit for low signal strength.
techwalla.com/articles/can-weather-affect-wi-fi
If you’re experiencing Internet and/or WiFi issues, first try the turning your devices off and on again (even turn off your router or WiFi hub). If the problem persists contact your Internet Service Supplier and report the problem. It may help to report the current weather so the engineers can quickly pinpoint the problem.
We are also interested to know When and Where there’s issues in the Isle of Purbeck — you can easily report any issues to use via our Contact Page.
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