Yes, a lake cooling at night can influence radio wave propagation.
Yes, a lake cooling at night can influence radio wave propagation.
Currently I have an over-the-air ISP, but speeds drop significantly at night—from about 50mbps to just 5-10mbps during downloads. Upload stays steady at 50. They claim lake cooling can cause interference, but that seems unlikely since your antenna has a strong signal and direct line of sight. During the day it works well. It’s not due to peak usage because they use fiber optic. It might be something on their side if you’re consistently getting 5-10mbps down while 50mbps upload is normal. Also, around 1:30 AM speeds return to normal at 50 download and 50 upload.
I suggest taking a bold approach toward them and asking for a better rate on those inconsistent speeds. If you pay for a specific velocity, you should be able to maintain it consistently. Are you using their equipment? Of course, I get it—there are environmental factors like temperature shifts causing signal interference that can slow you down significantly. The natural balance here is tricky because your antenna handles both receiving and sending at the same power while the tower operates at a lower level. Still, Karen... let your confidence shine.
I understand that humidity in the air can influence WiFi performance. Therefore, it seems feasible. Wireless connections often deliver inconsistent results. Even with fiber infrastructure, network overload can occur. Many cell towers rely on fiber connections and may experience heavy traffic. Coaxial internet uses fiber to the node, which can also face congestion. Fiber speed isn't infinite; it depends on the equipment's capabilities. You can't gauge how many devices are using the same tower. My suggestion is to consult neighbors who use similar services to see if they encounter similar problems. Beyond that, there aren't many options unless you switch to a different internet provider.
This device operates at a 5GHz frequency here’s the antenna photo: I’m not in Karen mode. They’ve made it possible for us to get fast internet into our neighborhood. For many years we’ve struggled with CenturyLink connections offering only 1-12 Mbps, and another local provider serves just a handful of users. That’s why I respect them. Their website mentions “up to” speeds, which limits my options. I don’t have a better ISP. During the day the connection works well; at night it becomes problematic. Plus, I noticed it’s a shared wireless setup, which can cause slower downloads and faster uploads due to bandwidth constraints. During summer nights when the lake cools down, it makes sense. They recently updated the firmware, which helped somewhat. Also, extreme heat outside—temperatures reaching 90-100°F—might be throttling the antenna. With the black shingles on my roof nearby, I’m probably just waiting it out! Thanks!
Man, sorry to hear you're going through this... It's strange with the pandemic; all those delays and awkward Zoom calls. It really shows just how unreliable the internet connections are these days. I used to believe most connections were super stable, but now it's clear we're seeing lots of slow or interrupted service every day.