Does wind affect internet connection?
Whether the weather goes bad, it hurts you in so many ways, one of which is a poor internet connection.
The internet has become indispensable because of the way it has opened up new ways of living and working.
Although internet connections have become much more stable, they are still vulnerable to external forces like wind.
But, does strong wind affect internet connection? And if it does, what underlying factors play a major role here?
The wind itself does not affect your internet connection but can affect the hardware responsible for delivering data, causing poor signals and low internet speed.
Does Wind Affect Internet Connection or Not?
Yes, wind can have an impact on the performance of your internet connection.
And though the impact is not directly by the wind itself, it can indirectly play a significant role in determining the speed you get.
Here is a bit more about that:
Damage to Infrastructure
Physical damage to the infrastructure is the major reason wind can disrupt an internet connection.
And it can affect both wired and wireless internet connections.
Wired connections (using copper or fiber-optic cables) and wireless connections (using Wi-Fi, satellite, or cellular data) are the most common types of Internet access.
Both types of connections are vulnerable to wind, but in different ways.
Wired Internet Connections
Wired connections are vulnerable to wind damage since the wires needed to make the connection are typically hung from utility poles.
Tree branches can break off in high winds and fall on these wires, causing damage, especially during storms.
In suburban and rural locations, this is a common reason for connectivity problems.
Wireless Connectivity
The wind has an indirect but important effect on wireless connectivity. Wind damage to satellites or antennas might cause communication problems.
For instance, a powerful windstorm in the UK in January 2021 caused extensive Sky Broadband interruptions due to misaligned satellite dishes.
Fact: In 2020, a windstorm in Spokane, Washington, took down trees and branches that cut internet access for thousands of individuals.
Effect on Radio Frequency
Wi-Fi, cellular Internet, and satellite all rely on radio frequency (RF) waves to transmit data, and strong winds can have an impact here.
There is no direct influence of wind on these signals, but the movement it creates can stir up dust and other airborne particles that can, in some conditions, interfere with them.
When these airborne particles scatter the RF signals, interference results, especially in areas where there is a lot of dust or salt in the air.
Because of this dispersal, internet connections may become intermittently slow or even stop working entirely.
An Important Consideration
Severe winds can have a major effect on the quality of wireless internet in desert areas where dust storms are common.
Similarly, in coastal places, strong sea breezes can disperse radio frequency transmissions because they carry with them salt particles.
Impact on Power Lines
As an electronic service, the internet requires constant access to electricity, and it can get affected due to strong winds.
Internet connection facilitation infrastructure like servers, routers, and switches all need power to work.
Therefore, anything that affects the electrical supply might have a major influence on internet connectivity.
Power lines are vulnerable to damage from high winds, especially during storms and other extreme weather events.
Strong winds can knock out power by bringing down trees, breaking power lines, or damaging transformers.
When the power goes out, so does the functionality of the equipment that makes online connections possible.
The internet can still be inaccessible if the power goes out, even if the actual wires providing it are fine.
Fact: In the year 2020, Hurricane Laura brought severe winds in Louisiana, USA, causing thousands of people to lose electricity and hence internet connection.
Building Vibrations
Strong winds can have a significant effect on wireless internet connections.
This is especially true for those that rely on line-of-sight communication, such as satellite or fixed wireless connections, and cause building vibrations.
This is because aligning the receiving antenna or dish with the transmitting source (whether a satellite or a terrestrial wireless tower) is critical for these kinds of connections.
Strong winds can cause buildings to wobble or vibrate noticeably.
While today’s structures can resist relatively large earthquakes, the shaking nonetheless may cause rooftop antennas or satellite dishes to go out of whack.
Even a slight deviation in orientation can reduce the strength of the received signal, which might result in sluggish download times, intermittent connections, or even a full loss of service.
An Important Consideration
The BT Tower in the United Kingdom is a famous example of such a tall structure because of its many communication antennas.
TV signals reportedly experienced disruptions due to the tower’s movements during periods of high winds.
Signal Loss Due to Rain Caused by Storms
Storms bring strong winds and precipitation, both of which might disrupt an internet connection.
Precipitation (fog, rain, snow, etc.) is what raises the main concern.
All wireless signals suffer some degree of “Path Loss” as they travel from one antenna system to another.
Systems with optimal design use the optimal combination of frequencies, antennas, and transmit power (“Tx”) to overcome Path Loss and achieve the required Receive Signal Level (“RSL” in dBm).
There is a suggested “Fade Margin” of 20–25 dB for most systems when using radios, which ensures that the system will function reliably and predictably.
If the receiver threshold is -72 dBm and the RSL is -50 dBm, then the fade margin, or the number of dB by which the signal intensity can drop before errors or loss of connectivity occur, is 22 dB.
And all this can happen due to severe precipitation.
Challenges to Repairs
Repairing and maintaining internet infrastructure in stormy weather can be extremely difficult and result in poor internet service.
This is because technicians who need to physically reach and fix the damaged infrastructure face increased peril and difficulty in doing so in the face of high winds.
Climbing utility poles or rooftops is often necessary to fix things like broken cables or correct a misaligned satellite dish.
Strong winds can make these jobs dangerous, putting the technicians at risk.
Fact: To guarantee the safety of their employees, service providers may have to postpone repair work until the wind dies down, which leads to extensive service failure.
Some Steps to Take to Correct Weak Signals in High Wind
No doubt, strong winds can impact your internet connection in many different ways, but there are things you can do to lower the risk of having bad internet service.
For instance:
Get a New Router
If you notice a poor performance the moment the weather goes slightly bad, it may mean you need a stronger router.
Some routers can help improve Wi-Fi speeds and installing them can help you stay connected even during bad weather conditions.
Position the router close to the area where you intend to use WiFi.
Fact: Your router's performance may improve if you place it in a clean, open area with the antennas pointing upward.
Invest in a Wi-Fi Extender
You may want to invest in a WiFi range extender if the signal has problems penetrating your entire home or large business.
While this may not increase your WiFi’s speed, it will greatly expand the area that can use the Internet without interruption.
Update Router Firmware Updates
Driver updates from router manufacturers are not as frequent as software updates, but they can help with stability issues.
To get the latest fixes and upgrades, check the manufacturer’s website.
Try out Your Speed
If you have tried most of these solutions without success, head over to Speedtest.net to determine how fast your connection really is.
Talk to your cable company if the connection speed is noticeably slower than what you are paying for.
If your cable company wants to charge you more money for using the Internet, they may slow it down to a crawl.
Find out whether your Internet service provider slows down your connection and consider switching.
Takeaway
Does wind affect internet connection? Not directly, but it still can play a role in lowering the overall speed of your internet.
For instance, strong winds can damage infrastructure and affect power lines, which in turn can reduce the speed of your internet.
Sometimes, you may have no connectivity at all depending on how serious the damage is.
But, you may want to take some steps and even consider changing your internet provider if you notice speed issues when the weather is not all that bad.