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CHRISTMAS REAL LIFE NEWS: BEWARE OF DECORATIONS

by Hazed

If you intend to put up Christmas decorations in your office or your home, you might want to think again if you've got a wireless network, or use a wireless router to connect to the net. A new study shows that Wi-Fi signal strength can drop by up to 25% when seasonal decorations are up.

Shiny baubles reflect wireless networking signals, according to AirMagnet, who conducted the study. Flashing lights can generate all kinds of interference. Sparkly tinsel can scatter the signals, and even Christmas trees could cause a problem because plants apparently block the 2.4GHz signal that Wi-Fi uses.

AirMagnet recommends that signal degradation can often be mitigated by moving the decorations away from the access points. Remember that every barrier between access point and user will lead to a weaker signal. So if you were planning on putting a giant inflatable snowman in the middle of your office, you might want to think again!

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