USB memory stick disrupting Wi-Fi

**Dave2002** · 15-02-21, 22:44

Originally posted by Bryn View Post

Over the past few days, I have been having lots of problems with my Wi-Fi connection dropping out for no apparent reason. That is until I noticed that the drop-outs seemed to coincide with LED activity in PNY 128 GB USB 3.0 memory stick I was using (there was no file transfer activity between the laptop and the USB stick at the time). Let's try removing it, I thought, just in case. Sure enough, Wi-Fi stability was restored. I carried on working for several hours with the memory stick unplugged and no further disruption occurred. So, I plugged it back in and within seconds lost Wi-Fi connectivity. Can anyone here offer an explanation? Could it be increased power usage which is the cause? I will experiment with other USB sticks and report back. Very curious.

Oops! Can a Host please correct "disruptin" to "disruption" in the thread title, please.

We sometimes get wifi problems when our microwave oven is turned on.

Could you try running with the stick and screening it with something - not sure if that would work (aluminium foil?), but if possible it would confirm it as the culprit? I think your suggested correction for the hosts should actually be "disrupting".

**Bryn** · 15-02-21, 22:49

Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post

We sometimes get wifi problems when our microwave oven is turned on.

Could you try running with the stick and screening it with something - not sure if that would work (aluminium foil?), but if possible it would confirm it as the culprit? I think your suggest correction for the hosts should actually be "disrupting".

Oops again. Yes "disrupting", not "disruptin" or "disruption".

**Dave2002** · 15-02-21, 22:50

Oops indeed. My "suggest" should have been "suggested" - yet that is what I thought I had typed. Gremlins .... grrrr.....

**Bryn** · 15-02-21, 22:55

Curiouser and curiouser. It appears to only cause the disruption when plugged into the USB 3 socket, not the USB 2 socket.

Aha! Found this, which might hold relevance: https://uk.pcmag.com/networking/1317...i-interference

**jayne lee wilson** · 16-02-21, 01:34

No helpful view to offer here I'm afraid, but I rather like "disruptin..."

Its jus' disruptin' me workin' n' browsin', y'know...

**Bryn** · 16-02-21, 07:50

Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post

No helpful view to offer here I'm afraid, but I rather like "disruptin..."

Its jus' disruptin' me workin' n' browsin', y'know...

"Its"? Somewhat 'mote and beam', what?

**Dave2002** · 16-02-21, 08:58

Originally posted by Bryn View Post

Curiouser and curiouser. It appears to only cause the disruption when plugged into the USB 3 socket, not the USB 2 socket.

Aha! Found this, which might hold relevance: https://uk.pcmag.com/networking/1317...i-interference

Were you plugging your stick into a router, or some other device - such as your laptop? If you have other USB 3 memory sticks, do you get the same problem with them? If not, that would tend to indicate that your PNY memory isn't screened well enough.

**jayne lee wilson** · 16-02-21, 13:33

Originally posted by Bryn View Post

"Its"? Somewhat 'mote and beam', what?

I can't see much reason for using that apostrophe anymore....I think it should just GO..... so I gave it up a few weeks ago, with some habitual inconsistency, of course...

"Do I contradict myself? Very well I contradict myself...." etc...

In fact, "sjus" would have been better, really... but rahnd 'ere, usage of such varies wildly according to the emotional temperature of the user.....

**Bryn** · 16-02-21, 14:31

Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post

Were you plugging your stick into a router, or some other device - such as your laptop? If you have other USB 3 memory sticks, do you get the same problem with them? If not, that would tend to indicate that your PNY memory isn't screened well enough.

No USB 3.0 connectors on my router. The PNY stick was simply plugged into the USB 3 socket of the laptop use most (it has one USB 3, one USB 2, and one C type socket). I have tried a little SanDisk Ultra Fit 128 GB USB memory stub. That has presented no similar Wi-Fi problems. I will just have to remember only to use the PNY when I do not need access to Wi-Fi. Either that or restrict it to the USB 2 socket.

**Dave2002** · 16-02-21, 17:49

Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post

[/I]In fact, "sjus" would have been better, really... but rahnd 'ere, usage of such varies wildly according to the emotional temperature of the user.....

"sjus"?

**jayne lee wilson** · 16-02-21, 19:31

Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post

"sjus"?

"it is just" - sjus... "sjus not workin"....etc, with glottal-t if you want...

**Bryn** · 17-02-21, 11:15

Originally posted by Bryn View Post

Curiouser and curiouser. It appears to only cause the disruption when plugged into the USB 3 socket, not the USB 2 socket.

Aha! Found this, which might hold relevance: https://uk.pcmag.com/networking/1317...i-interference

Turns out there are quite a few reports on the problem to be found on the Internet e.g. https://www.zdnet.com/article/usb-3-...es-a-solution/

**Dave2002** · 17-02-21, 11:24

Originally posted by Bryn View Post

Turns out there are quite a few reports on the problem to be found on the Internet, e.g. https://www.zdnet.com/article/usb-3-...es-a-solution/

Some useful tips and solutions in that article.

I"m not sure if our newest router can be forced to the 5 GHz band. It probably can, but I've not checked. The previous BT one could operate in split mode, with two separate SSIDs.
The new EE one generally seems better, but we might still get dropouts when the microwave oven is on. Checking it seems that most microwaves operate at 2.45 GHz, but can they affect the 5GHz band as well?

If not, then it might make sense for us to only use the 5GHz band internally - if we can constrain it, though I think that effective distances for links might be reduced in the 5GHz range.

**Bryn** · 17-02-21, 11:30

Originally posted by Dave2002 View Post

Some useful tips and solutions in that article.

I"m not sure if our newest router can be forced to the 5 GHz band. It probably can, but I've not checked. The previous BT one could operate in split mode, with two separate SSIDs.
The new EE one generally seems better, but we might still get dropouts when the microwave oven is on. Checking it seems that most microwaves operate at 2.45 GHz, but can they affect the 5GHz band as well?

If not, then it might make sense for us to only use the 5GHz band internally - if we can constrain it, though I think that effective distances for links might be reduced in the 5GHz range.

I think I am entitled to a free upgrade from my current Virgin Media supplied router. I will investigate further.

USB memory stick disrupting Wi-Fi

USB memory stick disrupting Wi-Fi

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