Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

I use a Belkin F5D8236 router and want, from time-to-time, to turn off the wireless function completely, so that no RF power is radiated. Does anyone know whether going into the setup screens – Wireless> Channel and SSID> Wireless Mode> OFF will completely power off the wireless signal?
TIA

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

yup

http://en-us-support.belkin.com/app/...on-your-router

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

Thanks for your response.
The reference you point to says it "disables wireless functionality", but does that mean it switches off the wireless transmitter or just disables the modulation?

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

you only have the function of disabling the broadcast of the ssid which I suppose would disable the radio function all in one. the router itself may turn that apart of the router off or just code it not broadcast.. not sure whether it can take DD WRT, if it does you'll have more options than those Belkins gives you on their basic interface.

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

Disabling wireless will turn off the RF.. Disabling SSID only will not as that just turns off the broadcast ID.

Why though do you want the RF turned off?

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

I want to _occasionally_ turn off the RF because I friend of mine is worried about long-term exposure of his kids to RF fields. Now there's no point trying to work out whether he's right or wrong as the "experts" don't agree about it, I'm just trying to see if I can humour him by temporarily killing the RF if and when I want to -- without also killing the ethernet connection.
In the case of my Belkin the only control I have is "Wireless Mode OFF" and it's not clear to me what exactly this does.
Sorry to labour the point.

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

Is he also turning off his DECT phone and mobile as well ;)

If you turn off the wireless then the RF will also turn off. I've never yet seen a router where you can disable the wifi and it still transmits..

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

>Is he also turning off his DECT phone and mobile as well
Yes - at least he did away with his DECT phone and doesn't let the kids use mobiles. Who knows - time might prove him right, I've no idea.
>If you turn off the wireless then the RF will also turn off.
That's what I'm hoping but it doesn't say that in the manual.

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

You could make a Faraday cage and stick your router in that:

http://www.ehow.com/how_8796313_make-faraday-cage.html

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

he could make little faraday cages for his kids heads :P

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

Like this?

---------- Post added at 10:43 ---------- Previous post was at 10:40 ----------

Poor kids though, never being able to play a Nintendo Wii (bluetooth controllers), All family holidays have to be within 20 miles of the house (so they don't go underneath a power line due to radiated power or go in an aeroplane due to increased cosmic radiation)

Does he also tutor them at home due to other kids in the class having mobiles that are irradiating them???

Sorry but some parents seem to think that bubble wrap will help but will probably realise that they're harming their children more than helping :rolleyes:

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

Mains power radiates at 50Hz, light bulbs radiate in the EM spectrum, remember also that though he may have disabled wifi / bluetooth / DECT his neighbours probably haven't, then there's other sources of RF emissions etc etc...

Seems stupid, here's the thing.. Even if these RF transmissions are cancer causing.. Turning off the wireless on a router is not going to make the problem go away.

1) neighbours wireless
2) mobile phone mast transmissions
3) television and radio transmissions
4) hospital machinery such as X-ray, MRI, CAT scanners and like.. Because here's the irony, hospitals say don't use mobile phones because they interfere with computer equipment.. But an X-ray machine emits the radiation equivalent of 100 mobile phones.
5) microwave ovens
6) satellite transmissions? Such as gps? Sky tv? Satellite broadband? Satellite Comms? Yes they are low level strength transmissions but there's no escaping them.

So it's a fact of living in an ever evolving technological society that these transmissions exist in some form or another and it's only going to get worse, so turning off the rf on 1 wireless router relatively speaking will make 0 difference to somebody's health in terms of cancer risks from rf transmissions.

You would have to live in a house with lead lined walls lol which would then risk lead poisoning.. Or wear a faraday cage everywhere lol

As said above light bulbs and even the electrical supply emit rf radiation there really is no escaping it, also as above airplane travel also gives you a high dose, most aircraft crew need radiation checks every now and again just as somebody in a nuclear power station would as they fly at altitudes where the radiation exposure is higher.

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

Actually, you'd find that in most hospitals, the x-ray equipment is usually in a very well shielded room, so no irony at all..

And this is a general request:


People, the OP asked simply whether he could turn off the RF transceiver on a router. Can everyone stop sneering at him because he's dared to suggest that not doing so might be dangerous?

The OP is not a frequent visitor, so please be polite. Frankly, some of the responses in this thread have been, IMO, horrendous.

The machine itself maybe but what about the particle accelerator that drives the machine sitting around the back. As well shielded as that is it stil emits enough radiation that radiology staff need regular radiation checks

I'm not intentionally sneering just trying to say that even if you turn off the rf you will be dosed up one way or another from just walking outside

If I come
Accross that way I apologise

In regards to turning off the rf it depends on the router, but if in doubt just remove the aerials and that will limit it

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

You are confusing "reduction of risk" (which is achievable, we all do it every day) with "zero risk" (which is a theoretical concept).

You are confusing very different types of radiation.

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

they are different types of radiation yes, but still have harmfull effects just the same in high exposure.

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

And "high exposure" is the point.....

One assesses risks, and mitigates appropriately (hopefully) - you don't / shouldn't apply the same mitigation effort for very unlikely/very low impact risks (on the likelyhood/impact matrix) as you would for very high likelyhood and/or very high impact risks.

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

I have a nice lady friend who refuses to have WiFi anywhere near her and she's "read" (probably in some chat magazine) that it can drive you mad. She is on the mobile all day.
I think it's already started.

I nearly started a fight at a party by suggesting the best place to put a GSM base station is very close to, or maybe within the school grounds.

If you understand the science, then it makes sense. If you don't then you hit out at the suggester (and miss).

Happy to explain how this works here or via PM.

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

The science is simple... The Antennas used only transmit from the side (note: The Antennas I refer to are inside the protective casings we see mounted on the Mobile base stations). As such, they are oriented so that they transmit out of the side of the base station, where the signal will reach the most users, rather than downward, where the only thing receiving the signal will be the earth and a couple of people standing by the base station.

To ensure that the signal reaches the maximum amount of people possible, the base station is normally mounted quite high, as gravity does (slowly) affect the path taken by radio signals.

As such, by putting the mobile mast next to the school, the signals it generates will be flying several metres over everyone's head.

TV and radio transmitters also suffer the same limitations, but they have to transmit over a wider area, hence they can be hundreds of feet tall (600 odd in the case of Crystal Palace).

That's a gross simplification, but I believe I've explained the basics quite well.

Re: Switch Off Router's RF Power
 

Gravity?????
It's down to the horizontal polarisation of the base station aerials which is by design. Known as Beamwidth or lobes. They are designed for location and channels they can handle.

There are normally three aerials/operator/base station to give you 120 degree segments.

Rural base stations are high for reasons you state, but you get micro/pico cells to cover a very small specific areas. I live close to a microcell and the mast is about 50 feet high and probably can only handle about 16 simultaneous calls. The aerials will be designed to have short range but large bubbly lobes that extend down to about 10 feet at close range. The high base stations hand signals down to these. Known as Umberellas.

You cannot have large lobes that travel a long way (like TV transmitters) without maxing the output power. Crystal Palace in is the order of 5Megawatts IRRC as it covers out as far as Hampshire.

A school base station (picocell) could easily be the size of small cabinet in a school room.

However with kids these days and the amount of phone use at schools, you may need a full power base station/desk ;)

Normally Wikipedia can contain trash explanations, but I believe as an engineer is a pretty good simple explanation in para 1.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picocell