Mesh radiation concerns. Should I have any?
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I have 2 standalone Alien units connected via an Ethernet backhaul. My home is 2700 so feet and the mesh unit works beautifully. I have 2 small children and not u til updating to WiFi 6 did I think about any possible health issues with having TOO much WiFi in the house. I have a ton of HomeKit enabled devices, WiFi required devices, and am currently working from home with this pandemic. Am I crazy to think I might be saturating my house with TOO many WiFi signals? Does anyone have any recommendations for placement of routers in the home? The internet is filled with reports from “reputable” sources for both pros and cons. Seriously considering returning 2nd unit or keeping Mesh “off”.
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@Ryan-Hewitt I wouldn’t worry about it. You and your kids will absorb more radiation outside from the sun in 10 minutes than you’ll ever get from Wi-Fi or cell phones.
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Hi @Ryan-Hewitt - if you consider the FCC 'reputable'...
https://www.fcc.gov/general/radio-frequency-safety-0Devices like routers use Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) and are safety certified at a distance of 20 cm or greater
(so hopefully your eyesight is good enough that you can read the Alien's fancy LCD display from more then 8 inches away)Devices that are meant to be close or right next to the body use Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for safety certification which considers the energy transmitted into tissue
If your WiFi devices are certified for your country of use then you don't need to be concerned, but some people take a more conservative approach
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@Derek-Saville Thanks for the info. Ultimately the reason I posted was for sane individuals like yourself to provide their opinion based on facts. I can’t decipher the BS from the truth online anymore. As for the FCC well...
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@Ryan-Hewitt this question is often asked. I hope this clarifies it. We follow all compliance guidelines from the FCC, the radiation emmited is within those guidelines. There are other regulations you can look at further at this link https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/wireless-devices-and-health-concerns
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@UI-AmpliFi I trust that you. My mind likes to wander with all this free time I have. Is there a recommended minimum distance away (8 inches?) recommended by FCC or Ubiquiti.
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@Ryan-Hewitt Here's a link to an article that may set you mind at ease. It contains, IMHO, a reasonable discussion of the issues. https://www.consumerreports.org/radiation/do-i-need-to-worry-about-radiation-from-wifi-and-bluetooth-devices/
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@Matthew-Leeds yeah I read that article which made me wonder if there is more to this. The option of putting a router far away from where family members are isn’t always possible and most companies say to put it in the middle of the home. While a solid article I wish it was more cut and dry. It seems like they play more towards the worrisome type instead of stating the data. So yes it was a good article but didn’t squash my concerns entirely.
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@Ryan-Hewitt I will research this further and follow up when I have an answer on this.
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@Ryan-Hewitt I'll second what Richard1864 said. I was a physicist in a previous life, the amount of radiation you get outside in ten minutes is about 200 times as much as you'd receive from one of these devices in the entire lifecycle of ownership.
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@Ryan-Hewitt I own a EMI meter and have tested various devices for their emission levels. Distance is your friend as measurable emissions fall off very quickly with either/both distance or walls. I would not keep my router on my nightstand, but generally as long as you're a foot or so away on any recurring basis (like sitting on top of the router 8 hours a day) you'll be fine.
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@Matthew-Leeds Thank you for sharing this information!
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@Matthew-Leeds my main Alien is more than 10 feet away from my main bedroom on the other side of the wall. I feel decent about that location as it’s central and I don’t have much option. My second Alien is in the exact location but on my first floor, behind a wall, but closer to bodies by about half (about 4ft). It’s connected via Ethernet backbone so no signals are being sent continuously back and forth wirelessly. That one is my most concerning.
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@Matthew-Leeds So where do you put your cell phone? Most people put it on their nightstand.
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@Ryan-Hewitt Cell phones and other wearable devices have to go through a different series of tests to measure their SAR (Specific Absorption Rate), since they are designed to be in contact with you directly more than stationary devices. The US has set an acceptable SAR level at 1.6 W/Kg for phones. You can find each of your devices SAR values by searching for them online.
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@UI-AmpliFi thanks. Routers use a different measurement though. I love the discussion though!
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@Ryan-Hewitt My nightstand is 2-3 ft away from my body. If a cell phone is safe to be in a holster on a belt at an inch or so away, the nightstand is fine. Look up SAR with respect to cell phones. For fun, you could read this: https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.10286 or this older reporting: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2006/12/8366/
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@Matthew-Leeds I was more curious than questioning.
