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Ipad doesn't like my microwave

T

thornguy

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 5, 2008
230
2
Fixing dinner and trying to run pandora.
I noticed weak wifi signal and pandora and safari couldn't pull content
as soon as the mw turned everything started working.
Fired up the mw again and it fails

standing in the same spot and my iPhone works great

also moved a wall away and the ipad is fine

anyone else notice this?
 
The iPhone is going to work because it's on a cell network.

You are experiencing interference from the microwave with the Wi-Fi. Changing the channel on your router usually fixes the issue
 
My microwave regularly interferes with G Wi-Fi, but N Wi-Fi is not impacted (which is why I'm glad iPad supports N, as well as because of the speed boost). I still need to keep a G WAP around for my iPhone.
 
The magnetron in a microwave is about 2.45 GHz in operating frequency, and magnetrons have a tendency to drift in frequency depending upon the power supply and in their design.

802.11g is between 2.401 GHz - 2.483 GHz which overlaps the microwave oven frequency. So, it explains why this is happening.

Ideally, microwave ovens are suppose to be a Faraday cage, where it shouldn't leak out any power, but 802.11g devices are sensitive to less than -60 dBm which probably exceeds the design specification for most consumer microwave ovens. There is no radiological hazard, provided your head isn't inside the Faraday cage, while the oven is in operation. In fact, I would be more concerned about a powerful wi-fi access point or router.
 
There's also a setting (at least on the Apple Airport Extreme basestation) something like "Reduce Network Interference" that is supposed to help with this. I think it hops channels or something like that to try to avoid it.
 
Conspiracy theory: It was dinner's way of telling you to stop playing with Pandora and pay attention to dinner. :D
 
Sorry should've mentioned iPhone is using wireless fine -not 3g connection
 
thornguy said:
Sorry should've mentioned iPhone is using witless fine -not 3g connection
Click to expand...
Lawd, I love the 'helpful' predictive spell checker when we don't have time to re-read every single word. :) Good thing most of us are used to this and know what was happening here...

Joe Blow would be scratching head, and saying WTF?!

And, that was my question: was the iPhone on cellular or WiFi?
 
luten said:
My microwave regularly interferes with G Wi-Fi, but N Wi-Fi is not impacted (which is why I'm glad iPad supports N, as well as because of the speed boost). I still need to keep a G WAP around for my iPhone.
Click to expand...

I am SO waiting for iPhone 4th Gen to support N so I can finally dump my G band on my AEBS.
 
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