Don't use the microwave

Don't use the microwave, and other tips for faster internet while everyone’s at home.

A quarter of the world’s population is under some form of lockdown because of coronavirus. Confined to their homes, most people have turned to the internet to work remotely, keep in touch with family and friends, or just to watch movies. As demand mounts on global broadband networks, people are starting to notice that web speeds are slowing down. But it’s not just our computers that use up valuable bandwidth. Some domestic devices are also slowing us down online.

Some solutions are relatively simple, like downloading movies in advance instead of streaming them. But some are more surprising, like avoiding using your microwave and even turning off the TV. According to the UK’s media regulator Ofcom, microwave ovens reduce Wi-Fi signals. So you shouldn’t use your microwave if you are making video calls, watching HD movies, or when someone else in your home needs an uninterrupted connection.

Microwave ovens use the same 2.4 Ghz frequency as Wi-Fi routers and can disrupt or even shut down your internet connection. Some routers offer the option to switch to 5Ghz, which is what Microsoft suggests doing if your Wi-Fi signal is interrupted.

每個人都在家時，請勿使用微波爐和其他技巧來加快上網速度。

由于冠狀病毒，全球四分之一的人口處於某種形式的封鎖之下。由於局限在自己的家中，大多數人都轉向互聯網進行遠程工作，與家人和朋友保持聯繫或只是看電影。隨著全球寬帶網絡需求的增長，人們開始注意到Web速度正在放緩。但是，消耗寶貴帶寬的不僅是我們的計算機。一些家用設備也使我們在網上放慢腳步。

一些解決方案相對簡單，例如預先下載電影而不是流式傳輸電影。但是有些更令人驚訝，例如避免使用微波爐，甚至關閉電視。根據英國媒體監管機構Ofcom的說法，微波爐可以減少Wi-Fi信號。因此，如果您在進行視頻通話，觀看高清電影或家裡的其他人需要不間斷的連接，則不要使用微波爐。

微波爐使用與Wi-Fi路由器相同的2.4 GHz頻率，並且可能會中斷甚至關閉您的互聯網連接。某些路由器提供了切換到5Ghz的選項，這是Microsoft建議在Wi-Fi信號中斷的情況下執行的操作。

Source: weforum.org