10 Things In Your Home That Might Be Interfering With Your Wi-Fi

Figuring out what exactly is wrong with your home Wi-Fi is frustrating because the symptoms all look the same. Buffering videos, sluggish downloads, random disconnections — they could point to a dozen different issues. Your internet service provider might be having an outage, your router could be outdated, or you simply have too many devices fighting for bandwidth.

If you’ve already ruled out the usual suspects and your Wi-Fi is still acting up, the problem is likely sitting right in front of you. Certain household items interfere with wireless signals in ways most people don’t expect. Some are obvious once you know what to look for. Others are genuinely surprising.

We’re going to walk through the top 10 household items that mess with your Wi-Fi, starting with the most common offenders and working down to the ones you’d never suspect. By the end, you’ll have a clear picture of what’s actually causing you connection issues and what you can do about it.

Microwave ovens often contain a magnetron — an electron tube that generates the electromagnetic waves responsible for heating up food. A magnetron typically requires a significant amount of power to function effectively, which is supplied by a high-voltage transformer in older microwave models or an inverter/electronic power converter in more recent models.

Thanks to the combined functions of these components, microwaves can generate a 2.45 GHz electromagnetic frequency, which is generally not harmful to the human body (just in case you’re wondering). Sadly, the same cannot be said for your home Wi-Fi. Both microwave ovens and Wi-Fi routers operate in the same frequency range, which can cause a signal overlap capable of temporarily disrupting Wi-Fi connections.

So, if you notice your internet lagging or even cutting out completely whenever your microwave is on, this can be easily fixed by moving your router further away from your microwave. You can also try upgrading your Wi-Fi to a 5 GHz band if it’s an older 2.4 GHz model. This will reduce or completely eliminate signal interference from your microwave and other devices operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency range.

Wi-Fi speed can be cut in half when exposed to external signals from Bluetooth devices, such as video cameras, game controllers, headphones, speakers, and more. Just like microwave ovens, most Bluetooth devices operate in the same crowded 2.4GHz band, forcing your Wi-Fi to compete for space on the same channel.

However, it’s important to note that Bluetooth devices generally have a limited impact on routers because they use very low power and hop rapidly between different frequencies within the 2.4GHz band, switching hundreds of times per second. This rapid hopping makes them highly unlikely to remain on any single channel long enough to cause heavy interference.

Considering this point, noticeable Wi-Fi slowdowns typically only occur when multiple Bluetooth devices are active at the same time. So, if you’re noticing Wi-Fi interference, reduce the number of active Bluetooth devices around your router.

Smart home gadgets like smart light bulbs, voice assistant hubs, security cameras, and smart plugs can interfere with your Wi-Fi. When too many of these devices are connected to a single router, they compete for bandwidth, radio channels, and even CPU usage. One typical example is day-to-day data transmission from a security camera, automatically uploading video feeds to cloud storage. Plus, most home routers have a limited number of simultaneous connections and IP addresses for devices.

If your smartphones, personal computers, or tablets are struggling to connect to your Wi-Fi, check that smart home gadgets have not exhausted all available resources. The issue gets more complicated when multiple smart devices are clustered close to your router. Even without direct connections, they can cause signal interference since they operate on the same 2.4 GHz frequency that routers use.

To prevent this issue, place your router in a central location away from smart device clusters. You can also switch compatible devices to the 5 GHz band to improve Wi-Fi speeds, limit the number of simultaneously active devices, or use a Wi-Fi mesh system to ensure consistent coverage throughout your home.

Cordless phones can wreak havoc on your Wi-Fi, but the severity depends on what kind you have. Devices operating in the 2.4 GHz band can completely stop Wi-Fi networks because they transmit at higher power levels within the same frequency range. When your phone and router are competing for the same airspace, your Wi-Fi usually loses.

The good news? If you’re still using an old analog cordless phone, you probably don’t need to be. These relics are nearly obsolete, and most people have moved on to digital models. Digital cordless phones cause significantly less interference because they use collision avoidance algorithms to ensure they don’t compete with Wi-Fi networks.

The best option is a phone using the DECT 6.0 standard. Despite the 6.0 in its name (which was purely a marketing decision to make it sound more advanced), DECT 6.0 actually operates at 1.9 GHz, completely avoiding the crowded 2.4 GHz band where most Wi-Fi routers live. Think of it as giving your phone its own private lane on the highway while all the other devices fight for space on the main road.

Baby monitors have gotten a lot more sophisticated since the basic audio-only models of years past. Modern versions stream video, work over Wi-Fi, and let you check in from anywhere using your phone. However, that convenience means many digital baby monitors operate on the same 2.4 GHz frequency band most Wi-Fi routers use, creating congestion that slows internet speeds.

The problem gets worse if you’re streaming high-quality video continuously. Every frame the monitor sends competes with your laptop, phone, and every other device trying to use the same wireless network. In apartment buildings with dozens of neighbors sharing the airwaves, interference can turn a smooth video feed into a choppy, delayed stream.

If you suspect your baby monitor is causing Wi-Fi problems, turn it off and see if your internet performance improves. If it does, keep the monitor far away from your router. You can also lower the video quality setting on the monitor if continuous high-definition streaming isn’t necessary. And if you have a dual-band router, move as many devices as possible to the 5 GHz band to free up space on the crowded 2.4 GHz frequency.

Refrigerators, ovens, metal furniture, water heaters, and just about any other metal household items reflect and absorb Wi-Fi signals rather than letting them pass through. The metal surface essentially bounces your Wi-Fi around, creating dead zones and weak spots throughout your home. Using the best Wi-Fi routers with 5 GHz bands won’t save you here, since the faster speeds often result in decreased penetration power.

One of the ways to speed up your router is moving it to a different location. Keep it away from large kitchen appliances, metal cabinets, and metal TV stands. Putting your router on a high shelf or in an open area instead of tucking it behind metal furniture can dramatically improve Wi-Fi speeds. If moving your router doesn’t solve the problem, use a mesh system or Wi-Fi extenders to eliminate dead zones and create alternate paths for your signal to reach devices even when metal objects are in the way.

Mirrors technically fall under large metal objects because even though they’re mostly made of glass, they behave very similarly to metal when it comes to Wi-Fi interference. They have a thin layer of silver or aluminum on the back that reflects light and Wi-Fi signals. The metallic backing often maintains the signal’s structure relatively well, but the reflection then destructively interferes with your router’s transmitted signal. This creates what’s called multipath interference, where colliding signals cancel each other out, creating dead spots.

Mirrors can cut signal strength by up to 50%, but the impact depends on size and placement. A small decorative mirror on your wall won’t do much, but older mirrors with heavy silver or lead backing can block signals significantly more than modern mirrors that use aluminum-based paint. When you have multiple large mirrors in the same room as your router, their combined reflections create complex interference patterns that might explain your sluggish connection. Bathrooms are notorious Wi-Fi dead zones, partly because of mirrors and partly because they’re packed with metal pipes and tile backing that further block signals.

Fish tanks might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Wi-Fi interference, but they can have a surprisingly noticeable effect on wireless signals. Large aquariums are filled with water, which is highly effective at absorbing radio waves near 2.4 GHz. This is the same frequency your microwave uses to heat food. When your Wi-Fi signal passes through a fish tank, a significant portion of its energy is absorbed or scattered by the water, weakening the signal and reducing its coverage.

Saltwater aquariums are even more troublesome because saltwater has much higher electrical conductivity than freshwater. Studies have shown that Wi-Fi absorption losses are two to three times higher in salt water than in fresh water. Tank equipment like pups, filters, and LED lights can also add electromagnetic interference on top of the absorption problem. If your router is near an aquarium, moving it to another room or at least several feet away can make a difference.

Concrete — the world’s most used material — is one of the toughest barriers for Wi-Fi, with 8-inch reinforced concrete walls causing up to 55 decibels of signal loss. Brick walls aren’t much better, typically reducing signal strength by 10 to 15 dB at 2.4 GHz, with even greater loss at 5 GHz. Compare that to drywall or wood, which barely make a dent in your signal. When the concrete contains steel rebar, the problem gets even worse due to multipath interference.

Most people don’t realize that the 5 GHz band suffers more from thick walls than 2.4 GHz. A heavy concrete wall might cause 23 dB of signal loss at 2.4 GHz, but that jumps to 45 dB at 5 GHz. The shorter wavelength of 5 GHz makes it less capable of penetrating dense materials, even though it offers faster speeds in open spaces.

If thick walls are killing your Wi-Fi, the most reliable fix is to run Ethernet cables to problem areas. This bypasses the walls entirely, delivering stable, high-speed internet to every room. Mesh Wi-Fi systems can also help by placing multiple access points throughout your home.

Now, this isn’t exactly a household item, but it definitely deserves to make the list. In densely populated areas like apartment buildings, neighboring Wi-Fi networks can interfere with each other, especially when they’re on the same or overlapping channels. The 2.4 GHz band has three non-overlapping channels (1, 6, and 11), so when multiple routers in close proximity use these same channels, they create congestion that slows down everyone’s network.

The easiest way to spot neighbor interference is to pay attention to whether your connection slows down during evenings and weekends when more people are online. You might also notice that devices closest to shared walls struggle more than those in interior rooms, or that you have full signal bars but pages still load slowly. If you scan for nearby networks and see dozens of network names, there’s a good chance interference isn’t coming from inside your home.

Switching to 5 GHz Wi-Fi helps significantly because it offers 24 non-overlapping channels instead of just three. You can also use a Wi-Fi analyzer app to see which channels your neighbors are using and pick the least crowded one for your router.

Once you understand what’s interfering with your Wi-Fi, fixing it becomes straightforward. Start by optimizing your frequency band selection. Invest in dual-band or tri-band routers, manually select less crowded channels, and deploy technologies like beamforming to improve signal quality. Use Wi-Fi analyzer apps to identify sources of interference and determine which channels your neighbors are using so you can pick the least crowded one. Simple changes, like moving your router away from metal objects, mirrors, and fish tanks, can make a noticeable difference.

If basic adjustments don’t solve the problem, consider more robust solutions. Mesh Wi-Fi systems create seamless whole-home coverage using interconnected nodes, ideal for larger homes with mobile devices. Powerline adapters use your existing electrical wiring to deliver stable, wired connections with lower latency, making them perfect for stationary devices like gaming consoles. For the best of both worlds, some modern powerline adapters combine wired connectivity with built-in mesh Wi-Fi capabilities. Running Ethernet cables to problem areas remains the most reliable solution when interference is severe. If problems persist after trying these fixes, contact your ISP or a network professional to check for deeper configuration issues.