Cordless phone interference?

[Czechman01]

Here's a good one.

I just got a new Uniden 2.4GHz cordless phone and was talking on it while sitting at my iMac which is hooked to the Internet via AirPort Extreme and a Linksys 2.4GHz router 2 feet away.

I first started noticing odd behavior when my Network connection to my G5 failed, then I noticed the AirPort signal strength in the menu bar had diminished so I opened Internet Connect Control Panel and saw that the signal strength had dropped to half, and then soon dropped off all together and "linksys" had disappeared from my list of networks. I had no connection on the wireless iMac or my laptop but I did have a hard wire connection on my G5.

I assumed that my router had failed and went to get an ethernet cable to get hard wired, but decided to look at the manuals first and right in the iMac manual it says that cordless phones could interfere with AirPort connections.

So, I reset the router, turned the modem off and on and sure enough... the wireless connection was re-established and I've not had any trouble since.

Just thought I'd share for general information.

 

[darrell]

Hey Woody,

I have also intermittently experienced RF interference from my cell phone being too close causing noise on my land-line/DSL circuit. So now I use the cell phone with caution when near the circuitry.

Get yourself one of the later model super-duper 5.8GHz phones and it will most likely eliminate the problem.

 

[ozarkshome]

Unless you will be getting/using the new AE which can also use the 5Ghz range.

 

[sonuj2]

Hi Woody - I have experienced similar occurrences in my study in the basement. When I use a 2.4GHz cordless phone I get all kinds of problems but I am fine with a 5.8GHz cordless. I finally decided to place a 900MHz phone with a speaker phone base in my study so I would talk and work at the same time. I also noticed that a microwave will also cause a lot of interference with your 2.4GHz phone and the wireless internet signal. When I am at my dining table in the kitchen my wireless signal just freezes when the microwave is on.

 

[Lowolf]

change the channel on your router plus what range is your cordless phone using. might use network robustnesses on the mac for its wireless
my cordless is using 900 Mhz no issues with my wireless at all since it is using the 2.4 Ghz range

 

[Czechman01]

change the channel on your router plus what range is your cordless phone using. might use network robustnesses on the mac for its wireless
my cordless is using 900 Mhz no issues with my wireless at all since it is using the 2.4 Ghz range

What is Interference Robustness anyway? All it tells you in Mac Help is that you can turn it on if you're experiencing interference.

There has to be some downside to it or it would just be on by default.

 

[TOLady]

Yes, I learned this the hard way, can't use 2.4 phones in a wireless setup. Every time I answered the phone, it cut out my connection. I've now switched to the 5G phones, and have a wonderful set of four 2.4G phones gathering dust.
Since talking/negotiating/buying/dealing is my business, I can chew up cordless phone batteries all day. Need four live phones!

 

[gbenic]

I don't own a Mac. Apples are for eatin'! Anyway, I had a problem with my Dell and one particular model of cordless phone. I have a slew of 2.4 GHz phones and no issues since I dumped the bad one. Buy a new one. I mention this because throwing money at a problem can make it go away. :biggrin:

Good luck!

 

[gbenic]

Oh...I wanted to add...my problem wasn't really wireless interference. It was some kind of weird interference with my DSL. I had a client who had the same exact phone and a different DSL provider. She used a wired connection. Same problem. A different phone solved her issues as well. I don't remember the model number of the phone we had, but avoid white Panasonics! My gray Panasonics are fine!

 

[TOLady]

Funny thing, Greg, I had two different brands of 2.4G in the house, and they all did the same thing - cut my wireless connection. Didn't bother the wired PC at all. I changed to the beefier phones and problem gone. Go figure!

 

[wbeem]

Welcome to the wonderful world of known interference issues. WiFi using 802.11b or g and 2.4GHz phones operate in the same spectrum.

802.11n has a new channel bonding in the 5GHz range to avoid the problem with 2.4GHz phones...but of course, new phones are also operating in that range.

 

[W.Ray]

Woody, try going into the Airport Admin utility and changing the channel to a higher one (above 6). This should take it out of the range of your phone.