Strange issue with the wireless devices in the house

[punkncat]

I posted this to the computer forums and haven't gotten squat. I know there are some super smart folks and some out of the box thinkers around here....


A couple of days ago the range on the WiFi in our house lessened significantly. For instance, normally have 2 bars in the bedroom, now have none. Phones are going to 5G when we step out of our living area where the (all in one service provided) modem is. This isn't super unusual in itself as it happens from time to time, but generally clears up in a day or so.

Within a day of that my wife's computer, my computer, and the computer in the living area started having issue with the 'fobs' receiving the signal from it's device. For instance, in the living room I keep having to turn off and turn on the wireless keyboard in order for it to react. My wife and I both had to install USB extension and have the 'fob' within inches of both our wireless mice. I had to go one step further last night and physically move my tower closer to the (other) mouse and keyboard that I use for them not to drop out. All of the fobs are within a few inches to perhaps a foot and a half of the device.
Both 'mice' are skipping, moving very strangely, keyboard drops letters and/or will stop for a moment then catch up.

All the batteries are good in the devices. This is happening across 3 different PC and still happening to the WiFi. Bluetooth (audio) devices do not seem to have any issue.

I tried a signal tester thingy you can DL for the phone and it shows good signal strength in the living area but it's dropping sharply off within just a few feet. I have no new appliances, or any changes to service, etc. within the same time frame. I actually had to completely disconnect my Alexa because it kept losing connection and was unable to reconnect. Edit to add, this is also happening with the Arlo camera that is farthest away, just on the other side of a wall from the living area.
I have 11 (10 without Alexa) devices connecting wirelessly including everything in the house, and have 25 available IP for them.

What manner of interference could cause such an issue?

[Cdn_Cuda]

Ghosts.

Could be a channel issue. I'm not skilled in the art of WiFi and networking/computers but there are a pretty good number of devices you're running. What type of WiFi are you using and how old are the units? After a while they will slow down. I have a smart home with a bunch of stuff, but recently upgraded to mech wifi that runs on the dual bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and it helps keep things working well. You can also go into your wifi router and change the channel it's on if there is too much on a single channel and it's causing your issues.

[punkncat]

Ghosts.

Could be a channel issue. I'm not skilled in the art of WiFi and networking/computers but there are a pretty good number of devices you're running. What type of WiFi are you using and how old are the units? After a while they will slow down. I have a smart home with a bunch of stuff, but recently upgraded to mech wifi that runs on the dual bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and it helps keep things working well. You can also go into your wifi router and change the channel it's on if there is too much on a single channel and it's causing your issues.

The issue is with items aside from just WiFi. It's inexplicable, and totally beyond sense.
The router/modem is fairly new. I am with Comcast and you are best NOT dealing with them at all, particularly here as they know they are the only (fast) game in town. As mentioned I have superb WiFi in the room the router is in, but walk a few feet away and it sucks. The other devices are items like keyboards and mice. I am not even sure what manner of communication they use.
Strange enough...the FireStick in the bedroom where we have basically no WiFi....their remotes actually ride WiFi to work. The remote sees the FireStick just fine, but the stick can hardly connect enough to show a video. The aforementioned Alexa is across that same room and cannot find internet. It sits on the same table the FireStick remote does.

Crazy stuff. I have my wireless mouse and keyboard fob on a USB extension literally 6" away so that they will quit skipping.

[RuleOfSines]

Got any other equipment that can function wireless? Remote controlled ceiling fan/lights/fireplace/etc? We've got a remote operated ceiling fan, and things got really weird once that started failing.

[punkncat]

Got any other equipment that can function wireless? Remote controlled ceiling fan/lights/fireplace/etc? We've got a remote operated ceiling fan, and things got really weird once that started failing.

Nothing that I am aware of, nothing new.

I was just doing some Google "hunt and read" and find that Bluetooth and WiFi run a very similar radio band and both can be affected via electromagnetic interference, like for instance an appliance.

[Mr. Hick]

Sounds like a hell of an EMR issue. Any chance you live by a radar station? Have you noticed heavy static shock in the recent days?

Edit: Any chance you or a friend own a magnetometer?

[Paintslinger16]

Someone stealing some WiFi from you? Change the PW

[flyweightnate]

Arc fault on your A/C or a bad contactor? Arcing current can create a really serious interference field.

So can the space lasers the lizard people point at your house.

[Shaftski]

Verify no one is on your network besides you. Try new security key on your wifi with a strong key, add a device or two back, and see what happens. There may be a single device someone found a way into. Also, verify if using comcast you aren't allowing public access to your network, someone could be playing games with you.

Comcast (at least around here) has always had bad grounding issues for me. Audible hum in my theater system unless I isolate either the comcast line or the theater's power conditioner. I've complained, they won't fix. Grounding so poor here at one point throughput would drop a ton every now and then. Better now that I've done some line filtering and don't use them for TV anymore, on satellite for that.

Over congested wifi can have these effects on devices. Double check that no one installed a new router nearby or changed their channel and now they are stepping on you.

Spectrum pollution wise...could be anything. 2.4Ghz is pretty easy to pollute with anything microwave based (ovens or comms). Small engines will pollute that band heavily with tons of noise. Don't drones use 2.4Ghz also? A nearby ham station being run either illegally or by someone highly inexperienced, list can go on for quite a while.

[ghilliesuit]

Hmm... check power. Verify not in brownout.

Turn off other electronics in the house - retest connection. New transformer on pole?

Take router to a totally different area ( work) and see if range changes.

Install faraday cage siding on house?

[Siress]

Definitely EM interference. I'd start by shutting off the main breaker and seeing if your cell coverage returns to normal, and that your laptop 'fob' devices return to normal function. That will verify that the source(s) is on your circuit somewhere. Then just narrow it down until you can identify the offending device(s).

I've seen EMI knock out a wired HDMI connection - and can readily replicate it using a piezo lighter and any metal object as an antenna. It's crazy.

[Falcon16]

Agreed these sounds like definite EM and I'd bet it's a powerful source somewhere fairly close

[Siress]

fyi - if the source is external, immediately contact the FCC. While it may not seem like it, these things can be a serious health and safety hazard.

https://www.fcc.gov/public-safety-and-homeland-security

[punkncat]

fyi - if the source is external, immediately contact the FCC. While it may not seem like it, these things can be a serious health and safety hazard.
https://www.fcc.gov/public-safety-and-homeland-security

:O

I haven't found the issue yet. As a matter of fact it's gotten bad enough that today it's interfering with (XBox) controller. Up to this point it's only been WiFi and things like mouse and keyboard. I haven't attempted to use my own wireless headphones, but the wife's headset is working fine.

[Seajay]

Are you close to any neighbors? It's possible someone setup an amplifier and it's just smashing your frequency. You can try a difference channel, 1, 6, or 11 for 2.4.
I like the idea of turning off everything and seeing if you can isolate the cause... if it is from your own home.

Otherwise you may need some sort of device to monitor frequencies to locate the cause.

Things that can cause major interference... microwaves, amplifiers, AC adapters (chargers), an electrical short, IP cameras, window AC units, electric heaters.
The AC chargers one is fairly new to me, but people tend to collect them, and many are cheap, which generate terrible interference.

[Shaftski]

Try contacting your power company. They will usually have a truck setup to sniff around for noise and like to know about wide spectrum noise sources like that. It would be easier to convince them to take a look if you could see signal harmonics on their lines though.

That kind of intensity is just bizarre. Not to mention a lot of devices like keyboards/mice will channel hop to avoid interference. So if they can't find a clean channel you have a very wide spectrum polluter nearby, a source of high intensity un-notched/unfiltered signal in your frequency band.

Talk to your neighbors and compare notes. Might triangulate that way.