New Router - Now AM Radio is ALL Static.

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Our old Netgear WIFI router was replaced with a new, faster Netgear router.

Now, I cannot listen to AM as it's ALL static ~50' from it's location in the house.
frown.gif


I LOVE my local AM channels, frequently listen in the garage & love picking up far away stations!

So, what can be done about it? Any filter in-line?

Thanks.
 
Do you have a smartphone? You may be able to just stream that particular station (and a ton of others) directly to your receiver in the garage, if you can't figure out the router interference issue.

Was the old router running on b/g? If the new router is b/g/n and you don't need the "n" (some of them run on 5 GHz), then you may be able to reconfigure it so that it uses the same frequency spectrum as your old router (2.4 GHz).

With that said, AM radio operates on a much different frequency, so I am not sure what causes the router to interfere with AM.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Do you have a smartphone? You may be able to just stream that particular station (and a ton of others) directly to your receiver in the garage, if you can't figure out the router interference issue.

Was the old router running on b/g? If the new router is b/g/n and you don't need the "n" (some of them run on 5 GHz), then you may be able to reconfigure it so that it uses the same frequency spectrum as your old router (2.4 GHz).


No, no smartphone. I have a laptop, but don't want to bring it & speakers in there. I have 2 radio's in the garage.

I wake up to Wall Street Journal on AM radio too.

Oh, when my Wife runs her Treadmill, it does the same thing.

What's b/g/n?

So frustrated.
 
Just to double check, if you disable the wireless portion of the router, your AM reception comes back? Is it only that one particular radio in the garage that is affected or all other AM radios in the house as well?

b/g/n are different Wi-Fi standards, with 'n' being the newest, operating on a different frequency in some routers. You should be able to find info how to disable 'n' in your router's owner manual. But again, I'm not sure if that would help since it's a totally different frequency from AM...
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Just to double check, if you disable the wireless portion of the router, your AM reception comes back? Is it only that one particular radio in the garage that is affected or all other AM radios in the house as well?

b/g/n are different Wi-Fi standards, with 'n' being the newest, operating on a different frequency in some routers. You should be able to find info how to disable 'n' in your router's owner manual.


Yes, all AM radios affected.

When I unplug it, AM radio comes back.
 
I would contact Netgear. If they say that is normal, return the router. If it is not normal, get the warranty replacement.

I don't know if the power supply or the main box is the problem, but that should not be happening. If the interference is being passed around on the powerline, there are filters that could cut down the interference.

For a filter, consider an EMI filter with inductors. Look for dB of suppression, although you cannot be sure that such claims are accurate. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tripp-Lite-Isobar-4-Outlet-120V-Surge-Suppressor-ISOBAR4ULTRA-/400296620131 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apc-Surgearrest-...j-/330648118970 http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-TRIPP-LITE-ISOBAR-2-6-Tripp-Lite-Isobar-2-Outlets-S-/380428235293 would seem to be appropriate.
 
Originally Posted By: Carbon
I would contact Netgear. If they say that is normal, return the router. If it is not normal, get the warranty replacement.

I don't know if the power supply or the main box is the problem, but that should not be happening. If the interference is being passed around on the powerline, there are filters that could cut down the interference.

For a filter, consider an EMI filter with inductors. Look for dB of suppression, although you cannot be sure that such claims are accurate. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tripp-Lite-Isobar-4-Outlet-120V-Surge-Suppressor-ISOBAR4ULTRA-/400296620131 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apc-Surgearrest-...j-/330648118970 http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-TRIPP-LITE-ISOBAR-2-6-Tripp-Lite-Isobar-2-Outlets-S-/380428235293 would seem to be appropriate.



Thanks...

If it isn't the power, but is the router, this won't help, correct?

The router is from the Cable/Internet service provider. I doubt they'll come out for free & replace it, but it may be worth a try for sure.
 
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
Our old Netgear WIFI router was replaced with a new, faster Netgear router.

Now, I cannot listen to AM as it's ALL static ~50' from it's location in the house. ...



That is the worst consumer equipment leakage/interference story I've heard in a long time. Jacked-up CB operators used to come over the TVs in the 70's, but they had modified their gear. This is stock, OEM.

If it happens with a battery-operated AM radio, it is clear excessive RF leakage. That a local Ghz device is interfering at public access Khz frequencies is patently outrageous. It is probably in violation of FCC interference standards. THAT is your avenue of complaint.

If it happens with AC powered devices, then it could be PSU leakage backfeeding into your home's grid. That can sometimes be remedied with local filtering and grounding, but you shouldn't have to go to all that trouble.

I'd yell long and loud to the Cable Co. that their equipment is broadcasting out of band and is afoul of FCC interference standards. "FCC" is a term that sometimes gets their attention.
 
Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
Our old Netgear WIFI router was replaced with a new, faster Netgear router.

Now, I cannot listen to AM as it's ALL static ~50' from it's location in the house. ...



That is the worst consumer equipment leakage/interference story I've heard in a long time. Jacked-up CB operators used to come over the TVs in the 70's, but they had modified their gear. This is stock, OEM.

If it happens with a battery-operated AM radio, it is clear excessive RF leakage. That a local Ghz device is interfering at public access Khz frequencies is patently outrageous. It is probably in violation of FCC interference standards. THAT is your avenue of complaint.

If it happens with AC powered devices, then it could be PSU leakage backfeeding into your home's grid. That can sometimes be remedied with local filtering and grounding, but you shouldn't have to go to all that trouble.

I'd yell long and loud to the Cable Co. that their equipment is broadcasting out of band and is afoul of FCC interference standards. "FCC" is a term that sometimes gets their attention.


Yes. It absolutely creates ALL static in ALL AC powered & DC powered battery operated AM radios. This includes the AM radio in the car!!
mad.gif
 
to check whether it is the power supply or the router log into the router and shut off the wireless function

then reboot the router and turn on the radio, interference means a bad power supply, no interference means a bad router
 
Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
Our old Netgear WIFI router was replaced with a new, faster Netgear router.

Now, I cannot listen to AM as it's ALL static ~50' from it's location in the house. ...



That is the worst consumer equipment leakage/interference story I've heard in a long time. Jacked-up CB operators used to come over the TVs in the 70's, but they had modified their gear. This is stock, OEM.


100% agree, in this day & age, this ought not happen.

As was suggested earlier, some other device to listen via the internet (ipod touch, samsung player, etc). Sound quality is excellent, hard to listen to AM radio after hearing it in crystal-clear quality. All that said, it doesn't fix your problem.

I'd ask them to take back the equipment, then get yourself a better router.
 
Definitely a bad power supply. I had the same thing happen in my car with a defective cell phone charger -- instant the phone started charging my AM/FM reception went to [censored].

Company replaced it and problem solved.

It has something to do with the injection and poor shielding.
 
Years ago, one of the unspoken reasons for the FCC interference standards was of the era . . . CD (not the music ones). Civil Defense. If there was a natural disaster (or a nuclear attack), assuring relatively clear emergency alert channels to the public was desired. The older radios even had the designated triangles posted on the dial for emergency information. The remnants today are the occasional EBS tests that run on TV. But it was much more profound 45-55 years ago.

While the cold war is long gone, you would still want to have a good operating OTA RF receiver even in 2012, as social networking and the internet may not be as robust in a real emergency.

Just food for thought why there is one other good reason for the FCC standards even today than mere inconvenience.
 
Originally Posted By: tpitcher


I unplugged the router at the back of the router and the static was still there.

Did you mean to say that you unplugged the power cable at the back of the router and the static was still there? If so, then yes, it's the router's power supply that's causing the problems, not the router's wireless antenna itself.
 
Caught that when it was too late to edit.
smile.gif


When I unplugged the power cable at the back of the router, the static went away. When I plugged it back in, the static came back in a few seconds when the "WIFI" light came on.
 
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
Caught that when it was too late to edit.
smile.gif


When I unplugged the power cable at the back of the router, the static went away. When I plugged it back in, the static came back in a few seconds when the "WIFI" light came on.




Yeah its the channel the router is broadcasting wireless on. Just change it from whatever the default is, will go away.
 
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