The Effect of Non-Wi-Fi Interference on the Throughput of IEEE 802.11 Based Wireless Networks

IEEE 802.11 or Wi-Fi networks are one of today’s most prevalent networks. However, there is a wide array of potential sources of interference that can negatively affect the baseline expectation of every Wi-Fi network—throughput. One example is 2.4 GHz wireless sound transmitter. However, there has been a little discussion on its effect size on the throughput of Wi-Fi network despite that it is often being used in various Wi-Fi deployments. To begin to fill this gap, we have measured the effect of Line6 Relay G30 wireless sound transmitter on the throughput of IEEE 802.11 network. The measurement was performed in a laboratory environment before and during the coexistence of interferer and wireless network. The results suggest that average data rates may drop up to 89%. Our findings may be useful to network professionals and practitioners in managing issues in IEEE 802.11 wireless network by providing additional insights about the effect and magnitude of this type of non-Wi-Fi interference on its throughput.