External HDD connecting via USB disconnects wireless LAN connection

Posted by Kensai on Super User See other posts from Super User or by Kensai
Published on 2011-10-11T17:24:42Z Indexed on 2011/11/23 9:56 UTC
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Strange problem. I have this MEDION Akoya PC that has a dedicated bay to slide an external HDD sold separately.

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It's very handy indeed cause the slot is providing a fast USB 3 connection and power to the HDD unit, without extra cables. All works fine except this show-stopper behavior to disconnect me from the router once I slide in the unit and it powers up.

The moment I connect the unit the (normally) three-four WiFi connections I see in my neighborhood disappear and my own to the router loses its signal strength (no Internet traffic is possible). After a while it throws me off that one as well, never to connect me again as long as the unit is powered. Once I disconnect the HDD the various signals come back and it automatically reconnects to my own. What takes?

Are we in front of a serious design fault by MEDION here? Does the spinning of the HDD on top of the PC cause electromagnetic interference strong enough to throw off my WiFi connectivity? Is it a simple USB problem? Some kind of strange hardware conflict? Where should I look?

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