Why Internet Connection Drops During Rain? – Know More

It is a pleasant rainy day, and your delicious cup of hot chocolate is ready. You are all tucked in the sheets and prepared to binge-watch your favourite show online, but what if the internet bails on you now? You can blame the weather for this one. Internet connection often gets affected due to weather changes such as rains and thunderstorms. This article focuses on why and how internet connection drops due to rain. It’ll also include some ways you can fix this issue.

Internet connection gets interrupted during rains due to physical damages to the networking devices and cables and a reduction in the strength of wireless signals. Networks with old infrastructure are more vulnerable. Water leakage into the network and flooding at underground connection sites can also affect the signal’s bandwidth and block them. ADSL-type networks are also severely impacted by rainfall. Wireless connections such as Wi-Fi and satellite services also get affected. They can also get interrupted by rain as the water droplets absorb the signals leading to a drop in signal strength. Increased humidity after the rainfall can also affect wireless connection leading to similar issues.

How does weather affect internet connectivity?

1. Wi-Fi signals and wired internet services get affected by heavy rainfall and cloudy weather due to the absorption of radio signals. This reduces the speed of your internet and disturbs the frequency.
2. Extreme weather conditions can disrupt signals for a longer duration due to damage to physical parts of the internet network. The Wi-Fi routers are not able to pick incoming electromagnetic signals.
3. An essential aspect apart from the weather is the high traffic. During heavy rains, everyone is restricted to their homes and resorts to watching movies or tv shows to pass their time. This increases the traffic and transmits less download speed.

What to do when rains affect your internet connection?

1. Reset the Wi-Fi router. All you have to do is unplug and then plug back the router.
2. The internet connection might also affect only one device due to device-related issues. Make sure that you check this.
3. Try to move closer to your router. This will decrease the distance between them and may improve the signal strength.
4. If the rains increase and the weather worsens, wait for it to clear. It might just be a temporary outage due to the weather change that will resolve soon after.
5. If you cannot resolve the issue yourself, call a technician to know the cause and solution. They will help in case of any damage to your network setup or clearing debris along the line.

How can you fix it?

1. Use the hard reset button on the Wi-Fi router to reset the system. This is done by pressing the button for a short number of seconds and then releasing it.
2. The connection problem may be unique to a device. The internet might be working on your laptop but not on your mobile. To solve this issue, try clearing the cache of the device. You can use this solution not only in case of rain but also otherwise.
3. In case of severe damage, you must contact your service provider to send a technician for any repair work that might be needed.
4. Use a good quality Wi-Fi router and move it away from microwaves, washing machines, and other appliances. Please place the router in the centre of the house. Ensure that there are no obstacles and that the distance between the devices and the router is less.
5. If you use a wired internet connection, try moving the wires. This may involve disconnecting and then reconnecting the cables attached to the router.
6. If the issue persists for multiple days and there is no response from your internet provider, consider changing to a more reliable service provider.

Conclusion

Drop in Wi-Fi and cell signals during rains is a common complaint. We often blame our service providers for this poor internet connectivity, but the weather can also be a factor that cannot be overlooked. This article focused on why and how the rains affect internet connection and what you can do to fix it. The next time you notice the weather worsens, complete all your important work that requires a proper internet connection and download your favourite movie. In case of some urgent work, use the steps above to rectify the issue. I hope you found this article beneficial. 

FAQs

• Can the rains affect my cell signals?

Mobile phone signals do weaken due to terrible weather conditions sometimes. The water droplets reduce the strength of the radio waves through which the cell phone signals travel. However, the effect on cell signals is much less than on satellite signals.

• What happens in case of more severe rains and thunderstorms?

Extreme weather conditions such as thunderstorms and floods can cause severe damage to the infrastructure of the network, such as the satellite kit installed outside your homes and offices. Your internet may get cut for multiple days. These conditions can even disrupt the incoming signals during the weather change.

• Can the temperature outside also affect my internet connection?

No. The cables used in internet networks are unsusceptible to low temperatures, but extreme winters can damage wires. Excessive heat can lead to overheating of the router, affecting your internet connection.