It just so happens that 2.4GHz is the frequency at which water boils. We humans are of course 70% water (though I know some folks who have affected this ratio by adding more hot air).
This is probably why many of us are curious about the effects of exposure to 802.11 networks at home and at work…
The thing is: WiFi Networking is very low wattage…
I just looked on the back of my microwave and it operates at 1100W inside the heating chamber. This means that 2 cups of water takes one minute to boil being blasted by a densely concentrated 2.4GHz signal at 1100 Watts. Most consumer WiFi gear operates at between 100mW and 300mW … in rarer circumstances antennae are added bringing the signal up to the federally-mandated limit of 1 Watt. Also, WiFi is pretty inefficient, if your goal was to cook yourself. Its signal spreads out in a big mushroom away from the antenna and is not focused anywhere, unless you use specialized antennae, which even then creates a solid beam. Microwaves work because they bounce RF around a focal point in a chamber.
Old military parabolic antennae running at 2.4GHz rated in at 1000W and even then the concern was long-term exposure.
So no… I don’t suspect there’s reason to be concerned about the long-term effects of 2.4GHz antennae and their proximity to us fragile humans..
-Ian.
On Friday, March 7, 2003, at 11:22 AM, Matthew Mccoll wrote:
>
>
> Hey, do you know what the *safe* distance is that you should install a
> AP from ones self? I can’t find any docs on the symbol website that
> would outline safety concerns.
>
> I thought you probably have been through all this stuff.
>
> Nortel Networks
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