One kitchen appliance that's slowing down your broadband speed

We live in an age of performing multiple online tasks at once - like watching Netflix while ordering groceries or trying to stream, surf and download simultaneously. And all that means a Wi-Fi outage can prove a real nuisance. However, one unsuspecting culprit in your kitchen might actually be slowing your broadband down.

According to tech experts, it's not uncommon for your Wi-Fi to slow down when you use the microwave, but luckily, there are a few ways to prevent it. Microwaves and Wi-Fi routers work at very similar frequencies, which means microwaves could interfere with your broadband.

Microwaves work at a frequency of 2.45 GHz, while most Wi-Fi routers use 2.4 GHz, so if radiation leaks from the microwave, it can interfere with the waves from the router.

While microwave ovens are designed to prevent leakage, international standards allow a tiny amount to be emitted, which is safe for human exposure.

If the leakage is near the upper limit, it can flood the frequency range with noise that disrupts Wi-Fi signals, and make it more difficult and slower for the receiving device to decode, according to appliance company, Whybuy.

On a Reddit forum dedicated to the issue, one user commented: "I used to get this call all the time when I worked in internet tech support. As others have said, basically microwaves interfere heavily with the wireless band."

Another added: "Replace the microwave. Not sure why people consider this normal. My router and microwave are 8ft separated by a wall."

If you've ever noticed your Wi-Fi slows down or even cuts out when you use your microwave, there are a few things you can try.

Firstly, you can try moving your router away from the microwave to reduce the likelihood of interference. If this doesn't work, you could replace your Wi-Fi with a 5GHz band.

If you have a particularly old microwave, ageing hinges and doors could lead to more leaks, so you could also try replacing the microwave with a newer version.