Wireless Safety

[toby99]

Hi - what are your thoughts on wireless safety. I have read lots of conflicting documents recently and i really cannot decide what is best. I have wireless now for laptop use, but am considering switching it off, especially as I have a young daughter. However, if I can pick up neighbouring connections am I not subjected to any 'harm' anyway? thanks for any advice.

[ACtheTROLL]

I'm not entirely certain where you are coming from
Is WiFi more vulnerable to intrusion. - Of course it is! - the whole idea is to broadcast - and few people have lead lined walls
a piece of wire is difficult to intercept undetected.

Is your daughter at risk ... of course she is - esp if she surfs in her room with the door closed ... but that's the internet - there isn't an added threat from WiFi ..... unless she banks online ....

are you more vulnerable .... of course you are.
anyone with a little knowledge can break wep wap wup wibble or whatever key you decide to use ...
my personal record is 42 seconds - average is 20 mins on a wap protected network (setup at work ... it's that or bubble bobble at break!)

(the spotty little oiks are called road warriors.... they tour the streets in their mums' fiesta armed with ... a laptop (and often a GPS) easy signals are mapped and logged onto online databases so others can visit.
(see netstumbler http://netstumbler.com/)

is it likely to happen? .... actually probably not very ... if you take reasonable precautions .... you are probably more likely to get your fence "tagged".

[Iolanthe]

Up to now, we had a broadband wireless connection (Netgear) as we didn't have a nearby phone link to the computer but, having had to buy and reset a brand new computer, my computer guru from my local shop (whom I trust!) who came here, suggested I link up to make it wired as it is now more convenient.

His opinion was that it is probably 99% safe as it was, but you always have that 1% of vulnerability to being zapped from outside, so we have now gone back to the wired system for security and I switch it all off completely when I am not here.

Hope this helps.

[toby99]

Thank you so much for your detailed answers, but I am afraid I didn't make myself very clear. I was actually talking about the health aspect, not the security of wireless connectivity - sorry for the confusion!

[peanut]

Thats no more harmful than a cell phone. As for using a neighbors connection, It's illegal without thier knowledge AND concent. Also, WI-FI transmits both ways, from router to laptop and laptop to router theres no more or less harm whether you have your own connection or your neighbors if you ask me. Anyway, with or without a wireless connection to worry about, there are still plenty of wireless signals around you like cell phones, radio, television and whatever else has a transmitted signal. Bottom line, I wouldn't worry about it.

[toby99]

Thanks Peanut - I don't use my neighbours, but it would be possible as they (3) show up in my connection menu and I meant that even if I got rid of wireless in my home that I would probably still be subjected to it as I recieve their clear signals.

I believe a school is getting sued for installing wireless as children are apparently more vulnerable to the 'harm' There is also a recommendation that laptops are not placed on your knee. I just wonder whether I should revert back to plug in connectivity especially while my daugher is so young.

[peanut]

That may be true. Also, I was not accusing you of using your neighbors connection. It does happen all the time and it's stealing if you ask me. About the laptop; I would consult a doctor or at least Google "the affects of wireless signals in small children" or something like that. Have a look here http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/0 80117164130.htm

[webdude]

To be brutally frank with you toby99, in today�s 'wired world' our airwaves are so jammed full of RF signals, what with mobile phones, WiFi, telecoms links, baby alarms, radio and TV transmitters, and everything else that works by radio, I really would stop worrying about it all.

The power of the signals produced by your WiFi router are insignificant when compared to the power of mobile phones for example. The amount of power required to penetrate the walls of buildings, cars, vehicles etc in order our mobiles work, is far higher than the tiny amount of RF developed by a WiFi router which typically has a range of maybe 100yds or so at best..

[Prof]

The power of a wireless connection is considerably less than that of a mobile phone.

Unlike a mobile phone you are not holding it up to your head.

Hospitals have deemed it safe to use wirless LANs whereas they still do not like mobile phones.

And it is a lot qiter than a mobile phone.

[webdude]

Hey prof - I think that has more to do with the fact they want patients to pay for their high priced internal phone services :>)