Learn about household items that interfere with Wi-Fi signals and how they can impact your internet performance.
Your internet might feel fine one moment and then slow to a crawl the next—even when you’re sitting just a few meters from your router. It is easy to assume your plan isn’t good enough, but in many homes the real problem comes from something far closer to home: ordinary household items quietly interfering with your Wi-Fi.
Before you rush out to upgrade equipment or compare internet providers in my area, it’s worth taking a look around your home. Everyday objects and appliances can weaken or distort your signal without you realizing it.
Why Interference Happens
Wi-Fi works by sending signals through radio frequencies. Those signals are strong enough to travel through walls and furniture, but certain materials and devices can absorb, block, or disrupt them. Over time, as you add more gadgets or rearrange your space, your once-reliable signal can start to struggle.
Understanding what to look for is the first step to improving your connection without spending a cent.
Items That Commonly Disrupt Wi-Fi
Here are some of the most frequent culprits you might find around your home:
1. Microwaves
When a microwave is running, it emits signals in the same 2.4 GHz range that many routers use. If your router is nearby, you might notice your connection dip every time you heat up leftovers.
Tip: Keep your router out of the kitchen if you can. Or, if your router supports dual bands, connect your devices to the 5 GHz network instead, which isn’t affected by microwaves.
2. Cordless Phones and Baby Monitors
Older cordless phones and many baby monitors also use 2.4 GHz frequencies. When in use, they can create interference that slows down your network or causes brief dropouts.
Tip: Look for devices that use DECT 6.0 or other modern frequencies. Or, position your router in a separate area of the house away from those devices.
3. Large Metal Appliances
Fridges, ovens, and even metal filing cabinets can reflect or block Wi-Fi signals. If your router sits right next to one, part of your home may get poor coverage.
Tip: Move your router to a higher, more open location. Ideally, keep it away from any large metallic surfaces or enclosed spaces.
4. Fish Tanks and Aquariums
Water absorbs Wi-Fi signals. A large aquarium placed between your router and your devices can significantly reduce strength.
Tip: Avoid placing your router behind or next to a large body of water. Even a decorative water wall or large vase can create issues if it’s in the signal path.
5. Mirrors and Glass
It might surprise you, but mirrors and some glass surfaces can reflect Wi-Fi signals in unpredictable ways, creating weak spots in your home.
Tip: Try to avoid placing your router directly opposite or surrounded by mirrors, and don’t mount it behind a glass cabinet just because it looks “sleek.”
6. Bluetooth Devices
While Bluetooth is technically designed to avoid interfering with Wi-Fi, it still operates on the 2.4 GHz band and can create congestion—especially when you’ve got a lot of smart speakers, fitness trackers, or wireless headphones active at once.
Tip: If you’re dealing with a slow signal while blasting music over Bluetooth, try switching to the 5 GHz band or pausing some devices.
How to Test for Interference
Once you know the potential sources, try these steps to see if they’re affecting your connection:
- Walk around your home with a phone or laptop and note where the signal weakens.
- Temporarily move your router away from the suspected items and check if the speed improves.
- Switch your router to the 5 GHz band, which is less prone to interference from household devices.
- Use a Wi-Fi analyzer app to visualize signal strength and interference in different areas of your home.
These quick checks can help you pinpoint problems without special tools.
When to Consider Other Upgrades
If you’ve moved your router and reduced interference but still have weak coverage, it might be time to look at other solutions:
- Mesh Wi-Fi systems: These are perfect for larger homes or layouts with lots of walls, as they extend coverage in hard-to-reach areas.
- A new router: If your router is more than five years old, it might not support newer Wi-Fi standards like Wi-Fi 6, which are more efficient and faster.
- A better internet plan: Sometimes, the issue really is your plan—especially if your household has grown, added more devices, or now works remotely more often.
Sometimes a simple change is enough, but in homes with many connected devices, an upgraded setup can make all the difference.
A Few Tweaks Can Go a Long Way
You don’t always need to spend more money to enjoy faster, more stable Wi-Fi. By identifying and managing the everyday items that interfere with your signal, you can restore speed and reliability in the spaces where you need it most. Take a look around, make a few adjustments, and you might be surprised at how much better your connection makes your streaming, gaming, or remote work feel—no tech support call required.
