What’s Up with the Wi-Fi?

Do you ever notice that your home’s wireless internet connection lags no matter what internet provider you use?

If you live in an older home, that could be the reason.

Since we’re based in San Francisco, we know all about this dilemma. As much as we love the classic Victorian and Edwardian homes that decorate our city, the fact that they’ve been around for 100+ years makes maintaining modern connectivity behind those beautiful bay windows a bit of a challenge.

I discovered this firsthand when I was on my third internet provider but still not having any luck. I talked to a friend of mine, Alex Menendez, who happens to be partner of Internet service provider Monkey Brains, and he uncovered a surprising reason many old homes in the Bay Area have trouble with internet connections: chicken wire.

Chicken wire?

Check out my Alex’s recent quote in The Wall Street Journal:

"San Francisco resident Alex Menendez, a partner in boutique Internet service provider MonkeyBrains.net, discovered the difference chicken wire can make when he recently gutted a 130-year-old house in the Mission. He removed one-inch metal mesh behind plaster walls and replaced it with drywall. However, the co-owner of the property left his original walls intact.

The result: Wi-Fi networks flow smoothly through Mr. Menendez's part of the property. But according to their tests, his neighbor's walls lose as much as 75% of the signal and 33% of the throughput."

The moral of the story? You just never know what’s running behind the walls of your home - especially an older home. If you’ve just bought a home for renovation or are encountering troubles in your vintage abode, do some research about what the homes in your area were built with during the time your home was built. That may just uncover the real issue you’ve been having or help you discover issues you can take care of during the renovation process.

You never know, you just may find some chicken wire.

Image Credit: Markus Spiske