WHY do I get WIFI reception inside my microwave? - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

stugray · 01-03-2015, 11:42 PM

So I have a gopro Hero4 with WiFi.

I can see the video on my tablet, and first thing we did was to see if the fridge light really DOES go off when you close the door (It Does)

Next we were just curious so we put it in the microwave (NO we didnt turn it on), but we could see ourselves through the front window even though the door was closed.

I thought that microwave ovens were supposed to block all of the RF......

Hydaral · 01-04-2015, 12:00 AM

Microwave ovens use around 2.45 Ghz, which can be the same as some Wi-Fi, but there are other higher frequencies that Wi-Fi uses. Maybe the Hero4 is using one of those higher frequencies?

Tcoat · 01-04-2015, 03:18 AM

Wow, parties around the Stug house must be a blast!
(I joke but would probably have the damn camera in the weirdest conceivable places)

Kaotic Lazagna · 01-04-2015, 03:20 AM

My WiFi signal gets disrupted when I turn on my microwave. Quite annoying.

stugray · 01-04-2015, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Wow, parties around the Stug house must be a blast!
(I joke but would probably have the damn camera in the weirdest conceivable places)

Well the GoPro is for either the quadcopter, track days with the BRZ, or the Vintage racecar...So there IS fun to be had.

As for the Microwave: It is supposed to block all microwave frequencies.
Microwave oven freq is at 2.4 GHz, which is a wavelength of about 12 cm (4.75 In).

In theory, the microwave RF shielding should block frequencies on and to either side of the Microwave primary frequency, but seems it isnt.

The freq of wifi is 2.401 to 2.473 GHz.
So the only explanation is (as @Hydaral says) that the WiFi is using some of the higher bands.

Ultramaroon · 01-04-2015, 02:24 PM

The microwave is not a perfect Faraday cage. It's meant to shield the signal enough to keep the field strength below some level determined to cause interference with other devices.

There's a lot of gain at the front end of the receiver.

edit: Wait, aren't you an electrical engineer?

bee-jay · 01-04-2015, 05:02 PM

most devices are wireless n nowadays. operate at 5gz frequency.
Older bg protocol is 2.4gz

chrisl · 01-05-2015, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bee-jay

most devices are wireless n nowadays. operate at 5gz frequency.
Older bg protocol is 2.4gz

N works on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands actually - 2.4 tends to have slightly better range, but 5 has less interference typically (since there are a lot more older routers on 2.4 than new ones on 5). 802.11a is 5GHz only, as is 802.11ac, while as you said, 802.11b and 802.11g are 2.4.

53Driver · 01-06-2015, 09:00 AM

Warning: NERD ALERT.

Dimman · 01-06-2015, 07:44 PM

Sorcery.

01-03-2015, 11:42 PM	#1
stugray Banned Join Date: Sep 2013 Drives: 2013 GBS BRZ Limited Location: Colorado Posts: 1,925 Thanks: 627 Thanked 1,445 Times in 711 Posts Mentioned: 41 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	WHY do I get WIFI reception inside my microwave? So I have a gopro Hero4 with WiFi. I can see the video on my tablet, and first thing we did was to see if the fridge light really DOES go off when you close the door (It Does) Next we were just curious so we put it in the microwave (NO we didnt turn it on), but we could see ourselves through the front window even though the door was closed. I thought that microwave ovens were supposed to block all of the RF......

01-04-2015, 03:18 AM	#3
Tcoat Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Drives: 2020 Hakone Location: London, Ont Posts: 69,845 Thanks: 61,656 Thanked 108,283 Times in 46,456 Posts Mentioned: 2495 Post(s) Tagged: 50 Thread(s)	Wow, parties around the Stug house must be a blast! (I joke but would probably have the damn camera in the weirdest conceivable places) __________________ Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar, because Racecar.

01-04-2015, 02:24 PM	#6
Ultramaroon 義理チョコ Join Date: Sep 2014 Drives: a 13 e8h frs Location: vantucky, wa Posts: 31,868 Thanks: 52,130 Thanked 36,519 Times in 18,920 Posts Mentioned: 1106 Post(s) Tagged: 9 Thread(s)	The microwave is not a perfect Faraday cage. It's meant to shield the signal enough to keep the field strength below some level determined to cause interference with other devices. There's a lot of gain at the front end of the receiver. edit: Wait, aren't you an electrical engineer? __________________ service manuals Last edited by Ultramaroon; 01-04-2015 at 02:41 PM.

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01-04-2015, 12:00 AM	#2
Hydaral Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Drives: 2014 Toyota GT86 Pearl White Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 45 Thanks: 7 Thanked 24 Times in 14 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Microwave ovens use around 2.45 Ghz, which can be the same as some Wi-Fi, but there are other higher frequencies that Wi-Fi uses. Maybe the Hero4 is using one of those higher frequencies?

01-04-2015, 03:20 AM	#4
Kaotic Lazagna Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Drives: GR Corolla Location: Lathrop, CA Posts: 4,926 Thanks: 3,087 Thanked 3,017 Times in 1,859 Posts Mentioned: 40 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	My WiFi signal gets disrupted when I turn on my microwave. Quite annoying.

01-04-2015, 05:02 PM	#7
bee-jay Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Drives: 2014 BRZ LTD WR Blue Pearl Location: Eastern, PA Posts: 128 Thanks: 4 Thanked 71 Times in 41 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	most devices are wireless n nowadays. operate at 5gz frequency. Older bg protocol is 2.4gz

01-06-2015, 09:00 AM	#9
53Driver T64-416Ax3=13,140shp Join Date: Feb 2012 Drives: 2002 AP1 and 2015 F-150 EB (DD) Location: NWA Posts: 878 Thanks: 783 Thanked 372 Times in 221 Posts Mentioned: 21 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Warning: NERD ALERT.

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