Friday, September 22, 2017

WiFi danger demystified - scientific truth and practical solution


 Is WiFi dangerous?
 You can find so much information about how cancerous it is, but on my opinion, it's far to be logical and structurally substantiated and, almost no one proposes a practical solution.
In this article I'll try to simply explain the nature of radio-telecommunication using science and propose simple, but effective solutions.

First of all, what is WiFi? Many of you know that it's radio waves, thus electromagnetic emissions, which are caused by the induction phenomenon, transforming electronic current (electrons flow) into radio waves (electricity is tightly linked to magnetism) and vice-versa. Some of you might even know one of the most common frequencies of such radiation - 2.4 GHz (two billion four hundred million cycles per second), however, fewer knows about the frequency of the microwaves ovens, which is almost the same - 2.45 GHz.

 Let's deal with the microwave at first, why exactly this frequency? You see, the point of the microwave is to make food hot, especially water, and the frequency of its optimal dielectrical heat is exactly 2.45 GHz. Water molecules are polar matters, this means that they have an electrical charge (+ and -) from which depends their position in space, thus, producing a particular electromagnetic radiation will change their charge, molecules will move (change orientation) and from frequency (and wavelength) will depend their speed, and a fast molecule is a hot molecule. In brief, and omitting chemistry and physics details, that's how a microwave oven works.


Now about the WiFi. Why routers, designed for communication, use almost the same frequency that the microwave in the kitchen? Unfortunately, the science won't help much here, except maybe psychology because, the reason lies in legislation (and not conspiracy theory). The thing is that all the radio spectrum, as well as the ground, belongs to the state (government), and nobody has right for any radio emission without an authorization, this is one of the reasons for a quit height cost of mobile communication because, operators rent certain spectrum from the state. Nevertheless, there are frequencies (ISM band) that do not require an authorization and their usage isn't heavily restricted, besides, the antenna can be a simple wire (omnidirectional) with the length of 12.5 cm or 6.25 or even 3.125 (factor of the wavelength). Unfortunately, as history shows, legislation is more pointed towards business, rather than technology and health, especially in the USA, where many standards are adopted.

Turns out that we are all radiated by the microwave, and for the health this is not good since, we are practically boiling out brains ... For that reason, the WiFi signal is less strong while raining or in the forest (vegetation), because water absorbs a part of it. Nonetheless, the reality isn't so terrifying. The signal's power is limited and very far from the microwave's, without even counting the obstacles, the harm is pretty insignificant, but still is (like if there are 50 hot-spots and you're sensitive to EMF).

So, what to do? Change the standard? Wear foil hat? Disable WiFi? Once again, I'll try to propose a realistic solution. Everything is simple: switch the wireless router to 5 GHz frequency, this will not only reduce the harm greatly, but improve the speed as well, even if the distance will be at cost. And please, don't buy any kind of "100% EMF-proof protection talisman", at least if it's not a Faraday cage, as I have already proved, it's a scam. I mean there were some phone shielding, but modern smartphones aren't so radiating at all (by them self, see below for the network).



PC is, however, much more dangerous than a phone, but at a certain distance, waves lose their power and, well, such distance if fully provided by a chair, according to my measurements it's just few tens of centimeters, especially if you use ergonomics to your advance.
But even if you managed somehow to completely shield a PC, you should also do something with cables, like headphones because, they are quite powerful actually and since very close to the head, aren't completely safe, though it isn't still enough for a meaningfull damage.
Ethernet cable (aka RJ45) on the other hand is already shielded in many cases because, network engineers have figured out that by twisting pairs and putting foil will reduce the EMF and so the transmission corruption.



Anyway, don't forget that WiFi isn't the only one working in 2.4 GHz spectrum, Bluetooth for instance, also use it, and a microwave under the ear won't do any good (wireless headset), if of course isn't worn all day long, besides the strength (power) of Bluetooth (especially 4LE) is very weak, thus less harmful.
GSM/GPRS/3G/4G/5G work in different spectrum, although not so far from the microwave, the power is much more higher, as well as the potential harm (while speaking long time), so I'll advice to switch to 5G (12-60 GHz), after it will have at least some security and the operators will implement SDR.

Hope that this article was usefull to you and everyone else in the radius of several tens of meters.
Unless, you already have a "Faraday suit" :)


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