If you have been frequently experiencing a slow internet connection during the rainy season, then you may be compelled to think that the weather may have something to do with it. But can weather really affect your internet connection? Read on to find out.
Damage to Infrastructure
One of the primary ways that the weather can impact your internet connection is when it causes physical damage to the infrastructure behind your network. This is particularly true in the event of inclement weather conditions wherein flooding is likely to occur. Keep in mind that the cables are often installed underground. This means that in the event of flooding, moisture can get into these cables or their connectors. As a result, the bandwidth may be reduced or worse an electrical short circuit may take place.
In the same manner, the satellite services which are meant to service rural areas can also be prone to hardware damage. In this case, the satellite dishes may be swayed or moved by strong winds, affecting the radio signals they emit.
Signal Interference
Another way that the weather can impact your internet connection is when it interferes with the broadcast signal, particularly for wireless connections. In this case, your home wireless broadband for streaming may prove to be unreliable because of this. Even the slightest occurrence of rain can cause signal interference because the water droplets may absorb the signal, yielding a lower level of coverage. As a result, you may encounter a slower connection speed.
You may also suffer from the effects of network congestion. This can be attributed to the fact that when it rains, people tend to stay indoors and connect to the internet instead. As a result, the network utilisation is increased significantly which means that the limited available bandwidth will be quickly consumed. In this case, it is no longer only the weather that had a significant impact on your internet connection, but also the behaviour of the other users connecting to the internet.
Power Outage
It is also during extreme weather conditions that power is cut off. This means that you won’t be able to leverage the router you have installed because there is no electricity. The reason why power is cut during inclement weather conditions is to protect residents from the effects of short circuits. In this case, even if your network structure is not damaged by the weather, the power may be cut for the safety of everyone in the area.
The Bottomline
Indeed, the weather can affect your internet connection in a variety of ways. Inclement weather can cause physical damage to the infrastructure of fixed-line connections while the interference brought about by strong wind and heavy rains can render your wireless connection unreliable. Rest assured that if you are aware of how the weather can affect your internet connection, you will be in a better position to make a more informed decision when it comes to backups to ensure that you will always be connected online, regardless of the weather condition in your area.
