Reason why this came to me. I recently was using a digital audio board in a room with 300 people/cellphones, police/fire/emt with radios and multiple wifi networks. My ipad refused to connect to the audio board. So this got me thinking if it was possible to have too much wireless clutter in the air. Added bonus if anyone can explain how to avoid this problem but understanding if and how it happens is most important. Thanks!
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There are a number of things that could be happening here. The first is, yes, wireless interference. Wifi networks operate in certain distinct sets of frequencies, primarily in the 2.4 GHz range, the 5 GHz range, and more recently, the 6 GHz range. Within these ranges are a set number of “channels”, or blocks of frequency in which different networks can operate without interfering with each other. But if there are multiple networks operating on the same channel (or close to the same channel), which is particularly problematic on older networks that used only 2.4 GHz which only have a few channels that don’t overlap with each other, then yes, there can be interference. The 2.4 GHz problem is exacerbated by the fact that there are a ton of wireless devices that use that frequency range, and even something like a microwave oven can cause interference at that frequency. Thankfully, there are very few wifi devices these days that operate solely on 2.4 GHz.
Another possible problem is that you had too many devices connected to your particular wifi network, and either the wireless hotspot or the router was overwhelmed by all of the traffic trying to go through it, and you were dropping your connection as a result.
A third possible problem is just that there was just a configuration issue within the network, or some other hardware fault with the mixer or your iPad. There are some digital mixers, like the Behringer XR18, which have built-in wifi which is notoriously bad, you should always use an external wireless router with those.
In your particular scenario, the digital mixer should be on a dedicated, secured wireless network that nothing else (or very few other things) connect to, making sure that the wireless channel that it’s set to doesn’t overlap with any other permanent wireless networks in that area.
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Bluetooth technology uses the 2.4 GHz ISM spectrum band (2400 to 2483.5 MHz). This is an EXTREMELY crowded spectrum and you can easily have issues with competing signals.
Relevant to your case, LOTS of phones still use 2.4Ghz band for wifi, so they could absolutely cause issues
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There are a number of things that could be happening here. The first is, yes, wireless interference. Wifi networks operate in certain distinct sets of frequencies, primarily in the 2.4 GHz range, the 5 GHz range, and more recently, the 6 GHz range. Within these ranges are a set number of “channels”, or blocks of frequency in which different networks can operate without interfering with each other. But if there are multiple networks operating on the same channel (or close to the same channel), which is particularly problematic on older networks that used only 2.4 GHz which only have a few channels that don’t overlap with each other, then yes, there can be interference. The 2.4 GHz problem is exacerbated by the fact that there are a ton of wireless devices that use that frequency range, and even something like a microwave oven can cause interference at that frequency. Thankfully, there are very few wifi devices these days that operate solely on 2.4 GHz.
Another possible problem is that you had too many devices connected to your particular wifi network, and either the wireless hotspot or the router was overwhelmed by all of the traffic trying to go through it, and you were dropping your connection as a result.
A third possible problem is just that there was just a configuration issue within the network, or some other hardware fault with the mixer or your iPad. There are some digital mixers, like the Behringer XR18, which have built-in wifi which is notoriously bad, you should always use an external wireless router with those.
In your particular scenario, the digital mixer should be on a dedicated, secured wireless network that nothing else (or very few other things) connect to, making sure that the wireless channel that it’s set to doesn’t overlap with any other permanent wireless networks in that area.
Yes this is absolutely a thing. Think of it like a bar. When there are only a handful of people there talking, the noise level isn’t bad and you can have a conversation. The more people that fill in, the louder it becomes and the harder it is to have a conversation. At some point, it gets so loud that you don’t hear something and the speaker has to say it again (retransmit) filling the air with even more noise. If enough people are in the space all talking at the same time, it becomes impossible to distinguish your conversation from the background noise.
Some systems/protocols try to minimize this by scheduling who can talk and when, like people who hand microphones to people asking questions from an audience, but that requires compliant cooperation from all the other individuals (devices) in the room.
There is a mountain of complexity when it comes to RF, but this is as simple as I can make it.
Bluetooth technology uses the 2.4 GHz ISM spectrum band (2400 to 2483.5 MHz). This is an EXTREMELY crowded spectrum and you can easily have issues with competing signals.
Relevant to your case, LOTS of phones still use 2.4Ghz band for wifi, so they could absolutely cause issues
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As others have said – definitely. And if you’re setting up your own home system, checking what channels your neighbours are talking on, and how loudly, is a sensible part of configuring your wifi. There are scanner apps out there that will tell you what channels are in use locally, and how strong the signals are. Ideally, obviously, you want to be on something with as little competition as possible.
As others have said – definitely. And if you’re setting up your own home system, checking what channels your neighbours are talking on, and how loudly, is a sensible part of configuring your wifi. There are scanner apps out there that will tell you what channels are in use locally, and how strong the signals are. Ideally, obviously, you want to be on something with as little competition as possible.
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