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Christmas Lights Degrade Wi-Fi Signals

Posted by BoxersFracture On 2006-12-07 1 comments

A wireless network assurance company (AirMagnet Inc) concluded that light-up holiday decorations actually degrade your signal strength by 25%, and increase signal deterioration over distance by one-third (http://www.airmagnet.com/news/press/news.20061205.htm). So in the name of productivity, if you see any electronic Christmas cheer in your workplace, unplug it immediately and your boss will love you forever. On your way home, think about an excuse you will give your kids: "I'm sorry children we can't have Christmas lights this year as daddy will lose 25% signal on his wireless network". When you get home and notice that your neighbour decorated his house with Christmas lights, knock at his door and give him schitt for stealing your bandwidth. And unless you hate somebody, don't give them any of the following: 2.4 GHz phone, low quality baby monitor, metal shelve, or microwave oven. Those things also degrade Wi-Fi signals.

To all of you wireless junkies out there: This does not give you a valid excuse to dislike Christmas season. Look at the bright side, you can spend 25% more of your time talking to your co-workers (aka: people). And if your neighbour has one of those blinking lights, they will degrade your signal by 12.5%. Hang in there, it is probably too late for this season, but next year look for "Wi-Fi Friendly" Christmas decorations and Wi-Fi antenna that hooks to you Christmas tree to become instant Wi-Fi extenders.

1 comment:

Toad008 said...

I'm actually in the clear of this. Since we rent, and are cheaep / scrooges, we don't put lights up, and the other half of our duplex (our landlords) doesn't either. And the neighbours on the side closer to our half are moving, and as a result, they don't have any Christmas decorations either! nothing hurting our Wifi!

Phew. For a moment there I was worried I'd have to spend my christmas seeing my family and friends. Dodged that bullet.