What do you wish of doing on a gloomy, snowy morning? Take off from work, retreat to the couch, bust out your favorite device and stream away. But, hold on a second! Harsh weather conditions can often act as kryptonite for certain types of internet connections. Do you want to know if your newly bought internet connection is robust enough to withstand rains and snowstorms? If yes, then you’ve come to the right place.
First of all, allow us to confirm something. Your internet service interrupting due to extreme weather conditions is no myth. While getting a new connection, this is one of the most important factors to be mindful of. Especially, if you reside where torrential rainfall, blizzards, and dense clouds occur frequently.
Satellite internet relies heavily on wireless signals. These wireless signals have to travel more than 22,000 miles from space to reach your home. Obstructions on the way, such as clouds or rainfall, can disrupt the flow of data transmission. But, they aren’t the actual problem. The actual problem is snowfall. Snow build-up on satellite dishes can be a hassle to clean, especially when they are placed on hard-to-reach surfaces.
You can make your job easy by investing in a satellite dish heater or a cover. Not quite sure if this fancy paraphernalia works, but investing in one wouldn’t hurt. A new satellite provider in the market offers a built-in heater with its device. However, if you’re a HughesNet user, then you would have to buy a separate dish heater. It generally costs somewhere around a couple of hundred bucks, and your electricity bill may also visibly spike. But hey, you can’t put a price on the convenience.
Isn’t there a cheaper alternative? Well, there is. If you think satellite dish heaters are way over the top, then satellite dish covers can be cheaper and a considerable bet. They are cost-effective because they’re less efficient in keeping your satellite dish protected against snowfall. Plus, satellite dish covers accumulate dust over time. So, even with this on, you won’t be able to prevent your satellite dish from the snow.
Another popular choice after satellite is Fixed Wireless. Just like satellite, this one is another widely opted internet connection in rural areas. However, its minimal resistance to harsh weather conditions never fails to keep its users on their tiptoes. In case you’re new to this, fixed wireless works by beaming the internet signals from a fixed position – hence, its name – to your home. Because fixed wireless also has to rely heftily on signals to get the job done, disruptions like downpour or snow can hinder stable internet connectivity.
Since the fixed wireless device requires a receiver that ends up accumulating snow. You wouldn’t normally find heaters and covers to keep your wireless equipment spick and span. The only way to keep your device clean from snow build-ups is by manually cleaning your device every now and then.
You can’t really do anything about living in a place where the weather conditions are always intense. But there’s one thing that you can do – check if your area has access to wired internet connections. Because such types of connections perform without losing consistency even during harsh weather conditions. The top types of wired connections you can choose from are these:
Cable, DSL, and Fiber run directly to your homes. So there is very little chance for it to experience disruptions due to downpour, heavy winds, snowfall, etc. Even if you do have to worry about something, then it’s power outage, which doesn’t normally happen too often. But when it does, it adds to agitation and FOMO. All you can do in such a situation is wait for the service to be restored, no matter how long it takes.
Providers | Connection Types |
---|---|
Internet Protocol Broadband (Copper) |
|
Fiber-Optic |
|
Cable |
|
Cable |
|
DSL & Fiber-Optic |
|
DSL & Fiber-Optic |
|
Cable |
|
Cable |
|
DSL & Fiber-Optic |
|
Cable |
|
Cable |
|
Cable |
|
Cable |
|
Cable |
|
>Suddenlink |
Cable |
Fiber-Optic |
|
Cable, DSL, Fiber & Copper Broadband |
|
DSL & Fiber Optic |
|
Cable |
The aforementioned providers offer wired connections. If you and your family members are frequent to bandwidth-intensive activities and you can’t afford connection drops during rough weather conditions, then investing in a wired connection will take you a long way.
Don’t let the weather’s unpredictability get in the way of your online activities. That’s why, while shopping for a new internet service, you must acquaint yourself with the type of connection you’re getting and its ability to withstand harsh weather conditions. If you need our help on the way, then feel free to dial 1-855-349-9328 and our experts would love to assist you.
Is it necessary to clean the satellite dish frequently?
Satellite dishes often experience dust and snow build-ups that affect their performance. Once a month or however you like, clean your satellite dish with warm water and a soft sponge. Don’t add detergents or dishwashing liquid since chemicals might damage the surface of your satellite dish.
Does bad weather affect the internet?
Yes, bad weather does affect the internet in the worst possible way. You may experience physical damage in the network or in case of wireless broadband, you may experience severe interference with the signal.
Does bad weather affect fiber internet?
Bad weather conditions do not affect wired connections. such as cable, DSL, and of course, fiber internet.
Why does my internet connection slow down when it rains?
When it rains, your connection experiences poor electrical conduction. The water hinders the electrical signal and weakens the electrical current. Thus, the speeds slow down and what you experience is a poorly performing internet connection.