Interference factors in WiFi networks

General Information:
The range of WiFi networks is significantly influenced by external interference factors. The strongest interference factors are objects or conditions that contain water (e.g., trees, rain, snow), metals (e.g., reinforced concrete, corrugated metal roofs), or large amounts of mass (e.g., house walls). In general, the more objects that obstruct the wireless LAN signal, the weaker the signal becomes.


Interference Factor: Water
A WiFi network operates using microwaves. Anyone with a microwave oven in their kitchen knows that when you place a glass of water in the microwave, the water heats up by absorbing the microwaves.

A similar phenomenon occurs when you try to transmit your WiFi signal through one or more trees. Trees and their foliage contain a relatively high amount of water, which absorbs the microwaves of your WiFi signal. This weakens the signal. The more water a tree contains (whether leafy or bare) or the more trees are in the way of your signal, the weaker the signal becomes. As a result, the range of your WiFi network decreases, and the quality of the transmission is reduced.



Interference Factor: Metal
Metals have the property of reflecting microwaves. A typical example of metal interference in everyday life is reinforced concrete. Reinforced concrete is often used in larger buildings to provide greater stability. If you want to set up a WiFi network within such a building, difficulties can arise.

The denser the reinforced concrete structure or the more reinforced concrete walls obstruct your WiFi signal, the weaker the signal becomes. As a result, the range of your WiFi network decreases, and the quality of the transmission is reduced.