Wifi - Harmful Effects?

[qdinthailand]

My neighbor has asked me to turn off my wi-fi at night. He claims that the radio signal from wi-fi - especially the 5ghz band on my airport extreme - has known harmful effects that are affecting him. He loses sleep - really - it causes him to lose sleep. Not the worry from the harmful affects, but the actual radio signal does not allow him to sleep properly.

My airport extreme device is on the left side of my house. His house is about 4 meters from the right-side of my house. His bedroom is on the left side his house. So yes, they aren't that far apart. He has to sleep in the living room of his house to get as far as possible from my wi-fi signal.

His problem - his bedroom has air-con. His living room doesn't. So because my wi-fi keeps him from sleeping in his bed - he has to sleep as far away as possible - he can't sleep well in his living room with a fan.

Sounds like a personal problem to me.

but anyway, he has asked that I turn my wi-fi off at night, so that we all can get a good night's sleep.

I did for a time - turn it off - but this is inconvenient. My wife and I each have iPads. We often use them in bed at night - no, not for porn - but for reading, before turning out the light. You know, reading in bed.

The last thing I want to do before falling asleep is turn the iPad off and setting it on the nightstand.

The last thing I don't want to do is get up and go into the living room and get on my hands and knees and pull the wi-fi plug out of the power-strip located underneath the table where the computer rests. And then go back into the bedroom and get back into bed.

So, what do you think. Should I make my neighbor happy and turn off my wi-fi every night? Or should I ignore his request? Or, worse, am I doing harm to myself having a 5Ghz wi-fi so close to my computer where I may sit for hours? Or where the child may sit?

Am I going to die from wi-fi caused cancer?

[Dork]

Just turn off SSID broadcasting then he should sleep better.

[Familyonthemove]

His bedroom must have radio signals from all directions and not just your WIFI? Mobile phones, TV signals etc. I guess he's only aware of your WIFI because he has his own computer and can see you signal ID?

I have heard of cases where people believe that radio waves are making them sick (and they were not all tin-foil hat wearing, dog on string, alien abductees) so it may be possible to be impacted by WIFI and other signals - but these people needed to live miles out in the countryside to avoid radio waves.

WIFI is a low energy radio source and a mobile phone, TV, microwave oven, passing car and even an electric motor on a fan would produce more radio energy but it's not so easy to see this as most devices that use radio for communication are designed to screen out these frequencies to avoid interference.

So changing your settings or WIFI user name may help - or just put your router on a plug-in timer to keep the peace?

As for WIFI causing cancer - the energy is less than a mobile phone so if it does .... we're all doomed!

[TimTang]

Just tell him to double up on the aluminium foil. The aliens are really out to get him; for what ever reason.

Edited May 20, 2013 by TimTang

[BB1950]

Got any tinfoil hats?

As far as I'm aware, there's no evidence that any kind of radio frequency radiation (such as cellphone towers, cellphones themselves, or Wi-Fi devices) cause any negative health effects. It's difficult to disprove the unproven. That explains why scientists worldwide continue to roll their eyes when asked about the matter.

In 2009, British DJ Steve Miller gained notoriety for his claims of Wi-Fi allergies, saying he got severe headaches and dizziness whenever he came close to a wireless signal. Miller later admitted his claims were a publicity stunt.

But why believe me???

Why don't you just Google "wifi harmful effects" and decide for yourself? You'll find it amusing reading.

Lots of psychos and scam artists out there.

Edited May 20, 2013 by BB1950

[Mrjlh]

As was suggested go into your modem and "turn off" the "SSID broadcast". Problem solved. His computer won't see it on the "wireless" list either. He might see something but not yours. Yo could also change the name and don't tell him but you will need to change and re-enter the new id in your system. And that's simple to do.

[thaimite]

I recently stayed with at a friends house and had the best bights sleep for a very long time. In the morning when I mentioned it to my friend, he claimed it was because there is no Wi-Fi in his house. Living in a rural area the other signals would also be minimum. I tried to repeat
the experiment later but as I am currently staying in an apartment block surrounded by signals from neighbours devices it was a poor experiment and the results inconclusive. .

I can think of 3 solutions to the problem.

1. Buy a simple timer power adapter and install it at the router power socket. Set it to turn off the power to your wi-fi every night and turn it back on in the morning. This is probably the best and simplest
   solution and also has the potential of maybe saving you 5 Baht a month in electricity bills
2. Put an aluminium foil shield behind your Wi-Fi device to shield your friends house from your Wi-Fi and focus the signal more where you need it. Use of an app like Wi-Fi analyser (Android) or similar will help
   you tune it to give the best results. Of course if the Wi-Fi is harmful it will also ensure you get a double dose of our own medicine!
3. As suggested above make your SSID hidden. If this solves the problem then it will prove your neighbours problem is more imaginary than real, and if not maybe there is some truth in the research which shows that Wi-Fi signals can have harmful side effects. If you go for this option please let us all know the results of the experiment.

Edited May 20, 2013 by thaimite

[qdinthailand]

OK, thanks for the replies.

First: there is no SSID broadcast on my modem. I do have an apple airport extreme connected to my modem. The airport extreme has no SSID setting either. But thanks to your suggestions, and my dinking around with airport settings, I did figure out to turn off the 5Ghz band (reducing the strength), and I did see that I could "hide" my wi-fi network. Perhaps that is what you refer to as SSID?

Everything seems to be working ok (our two desktop computers, iPads, iPod touch, iPhone and Android phone). So far so good.

Edited May 20, 2013 by qdinthailand

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Change your SSID to 3BB_GOLD or something like that.

He won't know about your router then.

Placate nuts, but don't inconvenience yourself to do it.

If you don't have a Wireless Network Name (SSID), you can't use wireless access.

Edited May 20, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[JetsetBkk]

I can't believe some posters are actually considering that this is a real problem!

I suppose telling your neighbour he/she is a complete <deleted> is out of the question?

[thaimite]

Clarification

SSID (Service Set identifier) is the broadcast of your Wi-Fi network name. making your Wi-Fi hidden which you say is an option is turning off the SSID)

A hiddne SSID is not the same as not having a wireless netork name so it will not effect your access, it just means your Wi-Fi will not show up if somebody is scanning for a network to connect to. If your settings are already configured, or if you know the name and password of the hidden network you can still connect.

To those who are so sure there is no harmful effects of high frequency electronic radiation, I suggest you do a little more research on the matter.

Edited May 20, 2013 by thaimite

[candypants]

this may be the only way forward

[Payboy]

I'm guessing he's downloading porn and your AirPort Extreme is reducing the bandwidth in the area.

[Morakot]

Here's what you can do:

Permanently reduce the strength of your wifi signal to for example 50%. Unless you live in a mansion it will still be sufficient. It will not only increase security (as the access radius decreases), but also reduce the amount of electromagnetic waves emitted.

Inform your neighbour about this. If he's happy about this that's good! If still troubled kindly point him to self-help literature such as this: http://www.psychologicalselfhelp.org/ especially here.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Morakot

[qdinthailand]

So I've "hidden" my wi-fi network - same as turning off the SSID.

I've reduced the strength of the signal by disabling the 5Ghz band.

Hopefully I'll get a good night's sleep, not worrying about my neighbor losing sleep 'listening' to my wi-fi signal all night long.

RIP I say!

[rubberduck]

I would test him first by just before bedtime setting your signal as 'invisible' then telling him you switched it off for him, and the next morning ask him if he slept better now If he did sleep better you know it's just between his ears, if he did not sleep better tell him it can't be your wifi then... (but perhaps a ghost)

But solved anyway.

[lomatopo]

How did the neighbor know it was your WiFi AP? Especially if you are not broadcasting an SSID.

I agree that I would merely stop broadcasting the SSID, which is a good idea as there really is no reason to do this anyway.

Note that on some routers/APs, the menu pick might be "Hide SSID", or "Broadcast SSID Y_ N_"

He'd be hosed if he lived near me, I can 'see' ~ 16 WiFI APs nearby.

I sleep through the night.

Edited May 20, 2013 by lomatopo

[Morakot]

How did the neighbor know it was your WiFi AP?

Edited May 20, 2013 by Morakot

[triffid]

One assumes your neighbour is not reading, or even contributing, on this thread.

[Pib]

As other posters recommend just turn of the SSID broadcasting...then the neighbor can't see your are broadcasting. Then the neighbor only has to worry about the hundreds of other RF signals from cell towers, people using cell phones close by, radars, FM/AM radio, and just a whole array of signals passing through his body day and night. And I expect there are probably some signals being beamed at us from outer space also (but the aliens have their SSID turned off)....I've seen too many Star Trek movies not to believe in space aliens...sounds like maybe your neighbor has too but has taken it to the paranoid level.

[manarak]

I'd love to see the OP following up on this topic and post the results of the changes

[JetsetBkk]

One assumes your neighbour is not reading, or even contributing, on this thread.

I think his name is thaimite.

[JetsetBkk]

I would test him first by just before bedtime setting your signal as 'invisible' then telling him you switched it off for him, and the next morning ask him if he slept better now If he did sleep better you know it's just between his ears, if he did not sleep better tell him it can't be your wifi then... (but perhaps a ghost)

But solved anyway.

Totally agree. This will answer a lot of questions about your neighbour and one or two posters here.

[thaimite]

One assumes your neighbour is not reading, or even contributing, on this thread.

I think his name is thaimite.

You may well be right, but I'm not saying

However High frequency radio waves have been introduced by engineers with little or know studies of the effects on people

Now people are starting to wonder and tests are staring to examine the issue. so it should be approached with an open mind/

Some tests seem to show there can be adverse effects but it is by no means acepted as conclusive by the establishment.

Therefore I keep an open mind

[ETatBKK]

turn off your SSID every night, then explicitly tell him/her and wish for a sweet dream. if his/her problem persists, good luck then - one out of million x million people could response to the effect of electro-magnetic wave. call cisco, dlink, belkin . . . and they will treat him/her very well :-)

[EveryDayTheSame]

Are you going to die from WiFi caused cancer?.....No but you may die from terminal stupidity!!.......Ignore him. (just tell him you turned it off)

[wooloomooloo]

My wife and I each have iPads. We often use them in bed at night - no, not for porn...

No one suggested otherwise, qd. Guilty conscience?

We're all adults and understand if you turn off the wifi at night there'll be no more Frankie Vaughan for you. Is it the noise from the adult videos that is keeping your neighbour up at night?

[lomatopo]

I guess I didn't even think about it, but even if you hide or stop broadcasting your SSID, and AP/signal, albeit without a 'name' or SSID will still show up in any scan. So if yours is the only WiFi AP in the locale then even hiding your SSID may not placate the neighbor, unless he's not particularly intelligent, or doesn't have any WiFi-capable devices.

[qdinthailand]

I'm not certain, but I don't believe my neighbor is on TV. French is his native tongue. His English is poor; Thai is his 2nd language. He's here in Thailand several years now doing what he believes is God's work (I'm not sure why God needs help doing his own work - he freaking made the earth in 7 days....but I digress.)

My signal is now hidden. There are plenty of other signals around he can pick up on his iPad (via his cell data package), so he can't pin them side-effects on me. I'll try to find out in the next couple weeks if he's sleeping better - or at least, sleeping in his air-conditioned bedroom.

Stay tuned....