Modem Interfering with AM radio in house

[goldenseal22]

I have a new DSL service with a Westell A90 modem. I already know my PC interferes with AM radio in the house, but I mostly keep that turned off as I got the DSL connection with WiFi, which I'm using with a laptop. However, when the PC is off, the modem still interferes with AM radio reception in the house, making a whine and a blip/blip sound. I know this because the reception clears up when I turn off the modem. So... what can be done to rectify this? And is it okay to keep the modem turned off during the day when I'm not home? I have an invalid parent living in the house who likes to listen to the radio all day so it's definitely an issue. I read in the instructions that the modem is supposed to stay on all the time.

[smith6612]

Is the AM radio on the same circuit as your PC and modem? It's worth isolating the radio to other electrical circuits of your home. The AM Radio should never be affected by a PC or a DSL modem

[goldenseal22]

Thanks,. I do not know enough about home electricity to know if the radio is on different circuits. Actually the particular station being listened to always gets interfered with, even if you have it on in the car and you drive past certain buildings. When I park in front of my business and I have the station on, you can hear the blip-blip-blip and static of the modem from inside, over the radio. I was just wondering if there was some filter or method of reducing the interference at home. What is your opinion on turning the modem off during the day while I'm at work (my invalid mother lives in the house and she listens to radio all day)? I've been reading that you're supposed to leave it on all the time or it shortens the life of a modem.

[Bixbyte]

TRY to change the channel on your radio monitor pair or move it away from the modem or move one or both of the antennas in a different directions.

Your "AM" monitor is probably broadcasting in the 900 MegaHertz bandwidth and creating half waves or quarter waves that are similar to the frequency of your modem. The monitor is probably Generating RFI Radio Frequency Interference. 

Good Luck! 

[smith6612]

Ideally, the modem should be left on as you're paying for an "Always On" connection. I suppose it never hurts to switch the modem off, but it's best if it remains on.

Since it's interfered with when you drive around as well, would you happen to know how far away the station's transmitter is relative to your location along with it's terrain? Would you also happen to know how many watts they output? If not, perhaps asking the station or looking up the station's tower information on-line via a database may help provide some answers. In my area, a few AM radio stations tend to have trouble when near certain devices simply due to the station having a low power license, inteference from another station/pirate radio/science kit radios, whacky events going on in the atmosphere, or simply too much electrical noise for the signal to come in properly. I'm no expert in how radio signals work and travel, but if someone around here knows how they work over longer distances, this may help yield the solid answer we need.