Does Weather Mess with Your Internet Connection?

You’re in the middle of a crucial work-from-home meeting or watching a streaming show, and suddenly your internet connection slows down—or worse, drops entirely. Frustrating, right? But have you ever wondered: Does weather mess with your internet connection? It turns out that different types of weather can significantly impact your internet and phone service. This article will explain how various weather conditions affect internet connections and what steps you can take to maintain stable service, even in extreme weather.

How Does Weather Mess with Your Internet Connection?

When bad weather strikes, it can lead to outages, slower connection speeds, and interruptions in internet service. The impact of the weather on your internet connection depends on the type of internet you use—whether it’s satellite, fibre, or wireless—and the intensity of the weather event.

1. Rain and Moisture: Disrupting Wireless and Satellite Signals

Rain and high humidity can severely affect your internet connection, particularly if you’re using satellite internet. Water droplets in the atmosphere can weaken satellite signals, leading to slower speeds and possible service interruptions. Wireless internet connections can also experience interference from moisture in the air, which causes disruption to the signals between your device and the router.

2. Strong Winds: Physical Damage to Cables and Towers

High winds and storms can cause physical damage to internet infrastructure like telephone poles, fibre optic cables, and satellite dishes. Tree branches can fall on phone lines, leading to disconnections or degraded service. Older aerial leading cables, often dating back to the Postmaster General (PMG) days, may also suffer from deterioration over time. These older copper lines can develop hairline fractures that worsen when the wind blows, causing intermittent signal loss due to the cables arcing.

3. Extreme Heat: Weakening Wireless Signals

Extreme heat can also affect your internet experience, particularly for wireless and satellite connections. Overheating infrastructure, such as routers and modems, can cause slower speeds and outages. For satellite internet users, high temperatures can interfere with signal transmission, causing connection instability.

The NBN: How Water Can Affect Fibre to the Node (FTTN)

One of the major issues with the National Broadband Network (NBN), particularly for Fibre to the Node (FTTN) services, is that many of the cables used are old and can be highly susceptible to water damage. A lot of the cabling infrastructure still in use today was originally laid decades ago by Telstra or even the Postmaster General’s department, using copper technology.

A common issue is with cable joints inside pits. In some cases, contractors working for the NBN or previously for Telstra would bypass proper sealing techniques. A practice known as a “cut under joint” involved cutting underneath the cable, where one side (the exchange side) connects back to the network, and the other side connects to the premises. Technicians would connect these two sections using Scotch locks, but instead of properly sealing these joints, they often placed them in shopping bags and taped them up. Unfortunately, these bags are porous, meaning water can easily seep through, especially when pits flood with rainwater.

This water would eventually fill the joints, causing high resistance, low resistance, open circuits, and foreign battery faults, among other issues. These problems would cause severe disruption to internet services, and despite the advancements in broadband technology, these “bag joints” still exist in many parts of the NBN network today.

Poor Drainage in Pits: A Long-Term Issue

When installing pits for internet cabling, the original plan was for the pits to be self-draining. They were meant to be layered with river sand, blue metal, and dirt, allowing water to drain naturally. However, over the years, silt buildup has caused significant problems. Fine particles of dirt carried by rainwater clog the drainage system, preventing water from escaping. As a result, pits often fill with water, leading to significant problems with the cabling inside. The water can carry through conduits linking pits together, effectively creating a network of waterlogged cables.

These water-soaked pits and bagged joints create a wet network, which is a nightmare for maintaining reliable internet connections. Water in the joints can cause a range of faults, leading to degraded internet speeds and frequent dropouts.

Other Weather-Related Internet Issues

Lightning: A Dangerous Disruptor

Lightning can cause severe damage to internet infrastructure. In the past, lightning arresters were installed at customer premises to protect cables from strikes. These arresters would disengage the connection between the network and the premises during a strike, protecting the household wiring. Nowadays, HFC NBN installations have a similar device known as an isolation device, which acts like a circuit breaker when voltage spikes occur due to a lightning strike.

In the days of ADSL and POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), lightning arresters were located in the telephone exchange on the connection frames. Each service had its own arrester to prevent lightning from damaging the entire network. While this helped protect the network in the past, many homes today lack these protections, making them more vulnerable to outages caused by lightning.

Older Aerial Cables: A Hidden Hazard

Many homes, especially those with older infrastructure, still use aerial leading cables to connect to the internet. These cables, often remnants from the old Telstra or PMG days, are made of copper and can degrade over time. If these cables develop hairline fractures, windy conditions can cause them to arc as the cables shift, leading to intermittent service disruptions. This type of damage can result in your internet cutting in and out, especially during storms or high winds.

FAQs: Does Weather Mess with Your Internet Connection?

Does extreme weather impact all types of internet?

Yes, but to varying degrees. Satellite and wireless connections are more susceptible to interference from rain, wind, and heat. Fibre optic connections are generally more stable, but infrastructure damage can still cause outages.

How can I protect my internet from bad weather?

Regularly check your external wiring for damage, consider backup mobile data plans, and ensure your devices are fully charged. If you experience repeated issues, consult your provider to assess whether older cables or faulty infrastructure may be causing the problem.

Is satellite internet more vulnerable to weather conditions?

Yes, satellite internet is highly affected by bad weather, especially rain and snow. The signal has to travel long distances through the atmosphere, making it more prone to disruption.

Conclusion: Stay Connected, Even in Bad Weather

Does weather mess with your internet connection? Absolutely. Different weather types—whether it’s rain, high winds, or extreme heat—can impact your internet service. By understanding how weather affects different connection types like satellite, fibre, and wireless, you can take proactive steps to protect your internet connection during extreme weather events.

For ongoing issues, don’t hesitate to contact your internet service provider or a professional like SECURE A COM at (02 9188 1577). They can help you troubleshoot your internet service and offer advice on the best solutions for staying connected during poor weather conditions.

Stay resilient, stay dry, and stay connected!

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