Does the Weather Affect Your Internet Connection?

There is almost nothing more aggravating than technology that doesn’t work when you need it the most. On a rainy day, when you just want to curl up inside and catch a movie online, but your Internet connection may be as affected by bad weather as you are. Could it be the mist is clogging the Internet? Or is the storm making your connection erratic?

You’re not imagining it. Wind, rain and even heat can all impact your home broadband connectivity and the type of connection you have can play a significant role in any disruption. The technology used in your connection, which can range from different types of fixed line connections to wireless and satellite offerings, can also dictate the extent of interruptions you can experience in all kinds of weather.

If you are concerned that bad weather is interfering with your Internet, check out this article before contacting your service provider. We have broken down some common issues experienced in different types of weather.

1. Heat Waves and Hot Weather

You are probably used to hot weather no matter where you live in Australia. Unfortunately, your Internet provider may not have adapted as well to the hot summers as you have, with heat waves causing particular problems for those with satellite connections. 

The remote areas where satellite Internet is frequently used also have some of the hottest weather in Australia. Heatwaves can cause problems with a customer’s rooftop satellite dish, with the potential for warping or flexing under severe heat, affecting how satellite waves are sent or received. 

Because of the long distances the satellite waves need to travel, they can also be affected by extreme weather. High temperatures can also cause your equipment, like the router and modem, to overheat. Because it is more difficult to cool a hot device, an overheated Wi-Fi system may perform slightly slower than usual. Makes sense! Challenges with hardware during hot temperatures are less common in fixed line connections, although copper wiring and other cabling can be damaged during extreme heat.

2. Rain and Storms

Heavy rain or thunderstorms can disrupt broadband Internet stability and connectivity, whether you have a fixed-line connection or a wireless connection. 

Most cabling connecting you to the NBN network or other provider networks will be underground, making you vulnerable to flooding – if you have a fixed line connection. 

Heavy rain can cause moisture to seep into connections causing problems like short-circuiting or signal interference. Rain and storms can also cause interference with wireless signals. Raindrops absorb and partially block the radio waves that your Wi-Fi transmits. Using devices close to your router reduces the likelihood of interruption because the radio waves travel a shorter distance. Also makes sense! If you attempt to connect to Wi-Fi outside your home, such as from a neighbour or a public Wi-Fi connection, you are more likely to encounter interference.

If you use Wi-Fi inside your home on a fixed line connection, you are less likely to experience interruptions than someone who uses a fixed-wireless connection or a satellite. In the latter case, the waves sent to your home to connect your Internet may be disrupted. 

Lightning’s electrostatic energy discharge can also disrupt your Wi-Fi connection, especially if you are connecting from outside of your home. Being in close proximity to the router is most likely to lessen any impact in this case, other than any major outages due to lightning strikes. 

There is also a behavioural component at play here. When it rains, more people may opt to stay inside or work from home. This invariably leads to increased network usage! When a large number of people are online, the available bandwidth is quickly depleted, resulting in noticeable slowdowns. 

This occurs not only within your home but also further up the network as your traffic is combined with that of other homes and, eventually, most cities and countries. 

Finally

Most of the time, it isn’t a hardware or signal issue causing slow speed but rather a clogged network. If resetting or unplugging your router and waiting a few seconds before plugging it back in does not solve the issue, maybe its time to compare your Broadband provider and find a better one.