WiFi - Safe or Not?

[netdog]

Curious to know how people here feel about wireless technologies in their home. I adopted B, G and N as soon as I was able to get each. I also had several 2.4 GHz DECT phones in my house.

BBC's tv program Panorama recently ran a show on concerns about the health risks posed by wireless technology, and suggested that radio frequency radiation levels in some schools are up to three times the level found in the main beam of intensity from mobile phone masts.

Curious if anyone else here either has concerns or information one way or the other regarding this topic. Since seeing a compelling lecture here at school by an engineer, I have switched over to 200Mb ethernet-over-AC/power mains and corded phones.

Read the BBC News article and note that there is a link on the right that allows you to watch the original Panorama program.

 

[eji]

That exposé was later taken to task for being an example of Panorama's (or the BBC's) ratings-hungry scaremongering:

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40010

http://www.badscience.net/?p=414 and http://www.badscience.net/?p=415

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2084217,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2088633,00.html

... and the list goes on and on.

If I had the choice, I'd stick with a wired connection to simplify matters. But I honestly don't think that home Wi-Fi is any more harmful than the zillions of radio and TV and satellite and micro- and cordless phone and baby monitor and cell phone waves you're bombarded with every day. If anything, it makes sense that mobile phones would be more dangerous because they require constant transmissions and more powerful signals.

 

[mkrishnan]

If you have an Apple router (and probably for many other brands), if you're really concerned, you can certainly reduce your base station output power. You can go as low as 10%, at least on the 802.11g AEBS. I bumped mine up because I was having interference problems in my new apartment when I moved a year ago, but before that, I ran it at 25% and had good coverage of my (small) apartment. The interference seems to have gone down, and I just cranked my AEBS back down to 25% and can still use it at the other end of the house.

 

[netdog]

If I had the choice, I'd stick with a wired connection to simplify matters. But I honestly don't think that home Wi-Fi is any more harmful than the zillions of radio and TV and satellite and micro- and cordless phone and baby monitor and cell phone waves you're bombarded with every day. If anything, it makes sense that mobile phones would be more dangerous because they require constant transmissions and more powerful signals.

I guess the question is if our saturated airwaves are a form of pollution that our bodies have trouble with.

I look forward to reading the articles you linked to, but of course we must also be aware that, as with the global warming phenomenon, there are frequently scientists on two sides of an issue. Thanks for the links.