Why The Frequency Matters
Radio Frequency: Any of the electromagnetic wave frequencies that lie in a range extending from below 3 kilohertz to about 300 gigahertz and that include the frequencies used in radio and television transmission. Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Recently, a buddy of mine was having trouble with interference on his wireless camera. From the way it looked on the screen, my first thought was that it was a loose or poor connection to the receiver. After fiddling with it, it was obvious that that wasn't the issue. Since it is a pretty simple rig, it had to be a problem with the wireless signal. There were a few walls between the transmitter and the receiver, so it didn't seem inconceivable that the signal was weak by the time it hit the reciever. Only problem was that the glitches on the screen didn't seem to match with a weak signal problem. Finally, it dawned on me. The camera worked at a frequency of 2.4GHz.
I knew he also owned a wireless network router for his home PCs. WiFi, or 802.11, networks also transmit data on the 2.4GHz band. What we were seeing was interference due to the router. That's easy to diagnose, so we just unplugged the router. Funnily enough, that didn't fix it. Convinced that it was radio interference, I tried to think of anything else that would interfere. Turns out, he has a cordless phone too, also working at 2.4GHz. So, we unplugged the phone, and BINGO! No more interference.
The thing I want you to realize, is that there are only a few frequency ranges used in most commercial products. Typically 900MHz, 2.4GHz, and less often, 5.8GHz. You will always see WiFi in the 2.4GHz range, and with a lot of phones using the same frequencies, you can have some problems.
The best way to avoid this problem is to plan ahead if possible. For example, buy cordless phones that work in the 900MHz or 5.8GHz bands. Units in different bands rarely ever interfere with each other.
If you don't have a choice, as in my friend's case, you will need to try setting different channels. WiFi routers can be configured to only work on certain channels numbered 1 through 11 (in the US). Your best hope is to try changing the channel on the router and see if that clears up the interference on the other device. If not, you will need to change the channel on the other device, if it has the option. It can take a bit of screwing around, but with luck, you will get it.
Posted by PH on 08-18-2007 05:51:39 CST
Recently, a buddy of mine was having trouble with interference on his wireless camera. From the way it looked on the screen, my first thought was that it was a loose or poor connection to the receiver. After fiddling with it, it was obvious that that wasn't the issue. Since it is a pretty simple rig, it had to be a problem with the wireless signal. There were a few walls between the transmitter and the receiver, so it didn't seem inconceivable that the signal was weak by the time it hit the reciever. Only problem was that the glitches on the screen didn't seem to match with a weak signal problem. Finally, it dawned on me. The camera worked at a frequency of 2.4GHz.
I knew he also owned a wireless network router for his home PCs. WiFi, or 802.11, networks also transmit data on the 2.4GHz band. What we were seeing was interference due to the router. That's easy to diagnose, so we just unplugged the router. Funnily enough, that didn't fix it. Convinced that it was radio interference, I tried to think of anything else that would interfere. Turns out, he has a cordless phone too, also working at 2.4GHz. So, we unplugged the phone, and BINGO! No more interference.
The thing I want you to realize, is that there are only a few frequency ranges used in most commercial products. Typically 900MHz, 2.4GHz, and less often, 5.8GHz. You will always see WiFi in the 2.4GHz range, and with a lot of phones using the same frequencies, you can have some problems.
The best way to avoid this problem is to plan ahead if possible. For example, buy cordless phones that work in the 900MHz or 5.8GHz bands. Units in different bands rarely ever interfere with each other.
If you don't have a choice, as in my friend's case, you will need to try setting different channels. WiFi routers can be configured to only work on certain channels numbered 1 through 11 (in the US). Your best hope is to try changing the channel on the router and see if that clears up the interference on the other device. If not, you will need to change the channel on the other device, if it has the option. It can take a bit of screwing around, but with luck, you will get it.