Wireless Network Access Point (WNAP) Set Up Guide

or: How To Set Up a TWCN Node

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Appendix B : Health & Safety

The range of frequencies for 802.11b is located within the Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band. The frequencies we'll be using start at 2.4Ghz and increase from there in marginal increments. These frequencies are called microwaves; although sometimes they are said to be radiowaves, but technically the radio spectrum has lower frequencies. The ISM band is not known to be part of the ionization range, which means they are not known to break down the bonds that keep your biological make up together. In short, you won't grow a third arm, or become sterile, because these devices and their respective radiating bands do not have enough power, nor is it of the right frequency, to disrupt your DNA. Only ionizing frequencies can disrupt such things.

When any two frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum match, they will act upon each other with a potential for energy transferral. Imagine a person swinging on a swing is representative of one frequency, or cycle. Now introduce another person (or frequency), who begins to push the person on the swing. If the two frequencies are similar, the "pusher" will transfer the most amount of power possible to the swinger at each available opportunity. The more dissimilar the frequencies, the more wasted energy in the transfers; the push is weak, or at the wrong time.

ISM band frequencies do have physical effects. The 2.4Ghz frequency, for example, is really close to the frequency of the natural resonance of water. Technically speaking, this means that such frequencies can, in effect, warm you up (probably because you're made mostly of water). Don't be alarmed -- many studies have determined what Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) are safe and not damaging to human tissue. This explains the shielding built into every microwave oven -- without it, the SAR you'd receive from it would be dangerous.

In Canada we have something called Safety Code 6 (SC6) which limits output power on any device to well within safe limits -- such that the SAR is within safe levels no matter how close, or how far, you are from an antenna or power source. SC6 is similar to America's FCC rules in its intentions. Because of SC6, your pet poodle "Fifi" will not be unusually warm if she sits by (or even on) your base station, and the same goes for you. Please, don't sit on your base station, you'll only end up breaking it.

Always read the safety instructions that come with ANY electronic device, or peripheral. There are many dangers associated with misuse of electronic equipment, and as a result, it is possible to fry little Fifi if you overpower your device, or do something foolish like tinkering with its amplification. Play safe, and if you do not know what you are doing, don't start messing around.

In conclusion, these frequencies and their associated energy levels are not of the right type to disrupt things like your DNA; hence they are considered safe and non-ionizing. Torontonians who doubt this should probably be living in a Faraday cage, because that little building called the CN Tower is constantly spewing out frequencies really close to what we are using, only at powers of magnitude up to 1000 times in factor!

DISCLAIMER: TWCN does not employ any physicists, scientists, or health care practitioners.

Wireless Network Access Point (WNAP) Set Up Guide

Appendix B : Health & Safety

Further Reading