topic Re: CB radio in Broadband & Landline

CB radio

LoopyLorna13x — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:32:26 GMT

My neighbour is a CB radio enthusiast who claims he gets constant interference and poor signal on his radio devise when my internet is on which to be fair is nearly always except when I’m on holiday . He has taken advice from his groups and they say it’s my router which is causing the problem . He has asked me to call EE tech team to help before he reports it to Offcom . Any advice ?

Re: CB radio

Mustrum — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:39:21 GMT

@LoopyLorna13x what evidence does he have, and how did a group come to that conclusion?

If anything, radio signals can interfere and slow down broadband signals.

If you have an old fashioned AM radio does it pick up noise or interferance when you move it close to the router or power supply?

Re: CB radio

LoopyLorna13x — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:00:46 GMT

Hi there, not sure how they got to the conclusion that it’s the router but he says other folk have had similar issues . He definitely doesn’t get interference when I have switched off as he has let me hear the difference and it was clear . Yes we have tried a wee radio in the past but didn’t notice any change . He has lots of radio equipment and is upstairs from us . Within the last 6 months I upgraded to new box and router but the problem has been going on much longer .

regards Lorna

Re: CB radio

Mustrum — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:13:44 GMT

@LoopyLorna13x I am not sure you can do any more, you already have changed router, tried the radio trick. EE routers comply with all the rules and regulations so not sure that Ofcom would do anything, although they do not normally get involved with individual complains..

I wonder if he has done anything to help himself, such as the use of shielding or moving the equipment?

Re: CB radio

XRaySpeX — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:17:18 GMT

@LoopyLorna13x wrote:

He definitely doesn’t get interference when I have switched off as he has let me hear the difference and it was clear .

Does he get interference when you leave the router on but switch off its WiFi?

Re: CB radio

LoopyLorna13x — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:31:04 GMT

Yes he’s tried everything. Strange thing is he has his own broadband/ internet from sky but says it’s not causing the issue !

Re: CB radio

Mustrum — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:52:08 GMT

@LoopyLorna13x I guess it comes down to how much you want to try and help him?

Things you could try if you are able to log into the router, go to the advanced Wi-Fi section where there will be a slider to switch off the 2.4 and 5Ghz Wi-Fi bands - ideally do this one at a time using an ethernet connected device - and ask if it has made a difference.

Depending on the results and router you may have options to turn Smart Wireless off and also to choose different Wi-Fi channels which may narrow down the source of interference .

HTH

Re: CB radio

bristolian — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 16:49:36 GMT

@LoopyLorna13x wrote:

Yes he’s tried everything. Strange thing is he has his own broadband/ internet from sky but says it’s not causing the issue !

The trouble with statements like this is, they're so vague! What is "everything" to someone of layman's understanding, is "nothing" to an engineer.

It's usually more useful to explain exactly what has been tried. On the point of your neighbour having their broadband/internet from Sky, that's irrelevant. Sky may provide the broadband connection and the freebie router, but the WiFi won't be branded as "Sky WiFi" any more than my WiFi is "Netgear WiFi"

Diagnosis of the wireless piece is the way to go here. I've no idea about how Sky's freebie router works, but my Netgear router allows the 2.4Ghz & 5Ghz wireless bands to be disabled individually or collectively, with Ethernet wired connections continuing to function. Testing with those options, together with a wireless analyser such as inSSIDer is the way to go here.

Re: CB radio

Chris_B — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 18:28:03 GMT

@LoopyLorna13x The problem here is it’s not your problem to fix. The router you have is approved to be used if it wasn’t you wouldn’t be allowed to you use.

You could try different using channels on the router but then again what has the neighbour tried to fix the issue that they have ? And you have said it was like this before you got a different router so it’s not the router. It’s their problem to resolve not yours. You are legally using the supplied router so Ofcom won’t to a thing to help your neighbour. It’s their problem to fix.

Re: CB radio

LoopyLorna13x — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 20:27:50 GMT

Thanks for that info although some of the advice sounds complicated and to be honest I’m not very tech minded but I’ll pass all the info onto him . He wants me to get the EE tech team onto it but I feel I could end up with a bill for that ! I’ll maybe give them a ring and see what they say

thanks again everyone

Re: CB radio

HenryTudor8 — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 07:26:52 GMT

IMHO let EE sort it out. Let your neighbour report EE to Offcom. It’s not a problem of your making.

Re: CB radio

bristolian — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 08:35:07 GMT

Very hard to argue with any other poster suggesting you wash your hands of this issue.

You're legally using equipment that's approved for use. If anyone is reporting a wireless issue that they allege is caused by you, let them prove it via the appropriate channels - which means Ofcom.

Much depends whether you feel that assisting to a certain point will only fuel the issue, or may help resolve.

Re: CB radio

LoopyLorna13x — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:27:00 GMT

Thanks for that advice , I’m sure you’re right 👍

Re: CB radio

LoopyLorna13x — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 09:29:17 GMT

Trouble is we get on well and it’s his hobby so don’t want to appear unhelpful so might just call EE tech team to inform them about the issue then I’ll have done my bit

Re: CB radio

HenryTudor8 — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 10:18:44 GMT

Yes, it's worth mentioning that you are absolutely right. I've been around the block a good few times and one thing that is extremely important throughout your life is to get on with your neighbours. It makes every day life infinitely better. Well done.

Re: CB radio

DanBD1 — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 10:21:08 GMT

What do you propose, the neighbour moves his equipment further away or moves out completely?

Chances are his equipment is picking up EMI or DOCSIS is running on 27mhz which is the same frequency as CB radio

Re: CB radio

LoopyLorna13x — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:23:59 GMT

Thanks for your comment . I’ll maybe suggest that to him . I’ve had no luck speaking to EE tech ream - gave up after an hour trying - nightmare

Re: CB radio

Nidge_G0NIG — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 08:39:14 GMT

I'm a little late to this topic and found it by accident while doing some research on a tenuously related topic.

All electronic equipment has the potential to cause radio interference, including various types of routers. As your neighbour is a CB user he has little in the way of any legal recourse. CB radio was deregulated in the 90's, meaning users were no longer required to purchase a license to use the service, and as a result were no longer considered a protected service. I doubt OFCOM will be interested in following up his complaint and will likely close the case without any investigation.

A common source of interference to the CB bands that is internet related is the emissions from HomePlug devices, the devices that some use to increase the range of their network by passing ethernet over the mains wiring. These are essentially radio transceivers operating on the Shortwave and VHF frequencies. Because house wiring is unshielded and unbalanced the energy from these devices is free to radiate, and can radiate quite a distance. All devices sold today have to be prevented from radiating in the primary amateur radio allocations and those used by essential services, CB radio is not classed as either and therefore no restrictions on emissions on those frequencies are in place. It's also worth noting that a very large amount of digital electronic equipment use oscillators running at 13.560MHz, the second harmonic of which is 27.120MHz, which is withing the CEPT CB allocation.

As others have stated the onus is not on you to fix the problem as you are using the equipment supplied by your ISP as intended. One thing your neighbour needs to do is determine by which method the interference is getting into his equipment. This means is it coming via his antenna? Is it being picked up by the shield of the coax he is using (known as common mode interference)? If it's coming via his antenna then repositioning his antenna may reduce the effect. If it's coming in via his coax shielding then a common mode filter or line isolator may reduce the interference. It could even be mains borne and therefore mains filters may help.

I do have sympathy with your neighbour but to make accusations from the start is not the way to go about things and often leads to unwanted tensions between neighbours. I'm a licensed radio amateur and I live in a typical suburban environment. Consequently I am surrounded by a multitude of unwanted sources of interference. These range from cheap phone chargers, battery chargers, inverters used in Solar installations, VDSL leakage from overhead telephone cables, switch mode power supplies used in set top boxes (Sky, Virgin Media, EE, etc), in fact anything electronic can cause unwanted interference. Rather than waste my time knocking on everyone's door insisting they turn everything off I have tried my best to adapt to the environment. This has included carefully choosing the type of antennas I use and their locations on my property. I have also built some heavy duty mains filtering to ensure there is no noise from other properties getting into my property.

Have all my preventative measures ensured that I'm free from locally generated radio interference? No, but it's a compromise. I have a license to do what I do and I'm fully entitled to do what I do. But by the same token my neighbours have bought their electronic gadgets in good faith and are using them as intended and are free to do so. If anyone is to blame it is the manufacturers for not applying the appropriate filtering, and the regulatory bodies for not enforcing their own requirements.