Forum Discussion

t2newark's avatar
t2newark
Roaming Rookie
Hace 8 meses

Frequent internet connection drops or interruptions due to low-flying aircraft

When aircraft fly low over residential areas, their presence interferes with wireless signals, including those used for internet connections. This interference disrupts the stability of Wi-Fi connections, leading to dropped connections or slow speeds.

I have an excellent connection and have re positioned my Wi-Fi router to a higher location in my home, away from windows or exterior walls facing the direction of the aircraft.

However, relying solely on Wi-Fi router signal strength as a guide to a solid connection can be misleading. Despite showing excellent strength, my router often crashes the browser in the middle of inputting important data, resulting in data loss-a real issue.

I have experimented with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies to see if one experiences less interference from aircraft than the other, but I have encountered issues with both.

Question: I'm curious if anyone has had success by adding shielding materials around their Wi-Fi router to minimize interference? If so what worked for you?

 

  • Sounds like multipath interference. Same thing used to happen when aircraft flew overhead the TV signal would reflect off the bottom of the wings causing the TV signal to "beat", due to alternating constructive and destructive interference.

  • I've had similar issues. Everytime a plane flies over my apartment my T-Mobile internet looses signal  and my calls often drop. Not usually an issue unless I'm trying to upload a homework assignment to our school's online portal and the signal drops right in the middle of the upload.
    I’m curious if this is just an issue with Tmoblie or all mobile carriers.

  • I have not had the experience you describe, but I'm curious why you think the aircraft are interfering with your WiFi and not the cellular signal itself?  Aircraft altimeters work on the 5G band, so there might be the possibility of interference there.