Wi-Fi-blocking wallpaper a boon to security buffs and health advocates alike
A new type of wallpaper can block Wi-Fi signals from entering or leaving a building.
Wireless networks have their obvious advantages: setting up new devices is simple; there are no cables to trip over; peripherals, such as printers and external hard drives, can easily be shared; and, of course, Wi-Fi enables people to be mobile, not needing to be tethered to the modem or router in order to have Internet access.
But with these advantages also come several concerns:
At school
Some people believe that having Wi-Fi in schools is making our children sick. As I pointed out back in 2010 – Should Wi-Fi be outlawed in schools? – the most accepted evidence suggests that wireless equipment is safe. But as I mentioned in that post, “our kids are being exposed to more sources of electromagnetic fields than ever before – cell and cordless phones, cell phone base stations, wireless routers, printers and video game controllers, etc., etc. – and that these devices haven’t been around for long enough for their effects to be known for sure.”
Last year, the World Health Organization classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields as “Possibly carcinogenic to humans.” Other agents found in this group (2B) include engine exhaust, lead, coffee and pickled vegetables … so don’t send your kids to school with a morning java or pickles in their sandwiches. All joking aside, some schools are taking this very seriously. A school in Ontario has removed and replaced their Wi-Fi with hard-wired Internet connections and just this past weekend at the annual meeting of the B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, parents have insisted that schools stop installing new Wi-Fi systems and that each school district within the province have at least one school free of Wi-Fi.
In public
Accessing public Wi-Fi can also have its risks, as Marc Saltzman highlights in his article, Watch out for ‘rogue’ Wi-Fi networks (if you’re looking for tips and simple steps on how to protect yourself, this is a must-read). Andrew Kameka’s post, How to protect your computer on an open wireless network: the dangerous lesson of Firesheep, is also worth checking out.
At home
Having an unsecured wireless network at home is definitely not a good idea. If you’re like me and your ISP only offers a limited amount of bandwidth as part of your monthly plan, going over those limitations can be extremely costly. If you haven’t secured your network, anyone within range of your Wi-Fi (neighbours, people walking past your house, etc.) can access your network.
Should someone gain access to your wireless network, a large Internet bill could be the least of your problems. Take, for example, the case of the man who was accused of downloading child pornography after his neighbour stole his Wi-Fi. As Jeremy Phan points out in his article, Password-protect your WiFi network NOW!, “leaving your wireless network unsecured is the digital equivalent of walking around with your social insurance number, date of birth, address and mother’s maiden name tattooed on your forehead for the world to see.”
Another solution?
Aside from ripping out Wi-Fi in schools, installing hard-wired Internet connections, and password-protecting your Wi-Fi network (which you should do anyway!), there may be another way to block Wi-Fi signals from leaving your home, or prevent them from entering the building: Wi-Fi-blocking wallpaper. Because it’s coated in conductive silver ink, the new wallpaper, developed by Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble (INP), can block electromagnetic wave frequencies used by wireless networks, but still permit other signals through, such as those used by mobile phones. According to Springwise.com:
The ING researchers have granted Finnish company Ahlstrom exclusive rights to manufacture the wallpaper, and it is expected to go on sale in 2013. They explain that it should cost the same as a mid-range traditional wallpaper.
If the patterned wallpaper doesn’t fit in with your décor, the product is apparently still effective should you want to cover it. One question that immediately comes to my mind is: what about rooms with windows? Couldn’t Wi-Fi signals enter and exit from there? Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an answer by deadline, so I guess it’s back to wearing a tinfoil hat for me.
What do you think about this Wi-Fi-blocking wallpaper? Would you use it in your home or business? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
[Source and image credit: Springwise]
Very important article with regard to personal security.
but will it stop all the government radio waves that are reading my brain right now….
For windows it is possible to use aluminum screen (moustiquaire). I didn’t test for Wi-Fi but it cut or reduce most of electromagnetic radiation.
I think they should probably go a step further and introduce this in paint. Not a lot of people use wallpaper anymore. Just my 2 cents…
There is a German company who produce such a paint: look for HSF54
Windows can be covered. check out Magda Havas website she is the phd expert on this stuff
What about smart meters?
Most smart meters are on the out side of the house.
KEWL!!! I need to start Googling this and find where to buy it.
Good info on security. We are bombbarded by hundredss of nearfield radio freqs so do not worry about wifi radiowaves.
Guys, we are bombarded every second with radio waves, gamma rays, xrays, all kind of rays that come traveling from the space and form our star: the sun.
SO, a few more waves won’t kill us like the taxes of the goverment and all this nonsense rule like banning the garage sales and ticketing drivers for drinking cofee while driving.etc, etc
Besides that the spendig of the 1.83 billions on new war planes, and another 8 millions on the Queens jubilee.
Who pays for it?
How about CFL bulbs? Are they make our kids sick. My child had been getting unexplained fevers every month for a year. After visiting Children’s Hospital numerous times, poking her with a needle for blood tests numerous times and other intrusive tests, nothing was found to cause these fevers. I then heard that CFL bulbs may be hazardous and replaced every light bulb in our house with incandescent bulbs. She hasn’t had a fever since.
As far as know Dino, the only thing hazardous about CFL bulbs is the mercury they contain, but unless you smashed one and then subsequently ingested some of the mercury, I don’t know how a CFL could impact health. Did you ever get a scientific explanation for how they might have caused your child’s fever? Based on what little you’ve shared with us, I’m inclined to believe that removing them from your home was a coincidence, not a cause, for the end of your child’s fevers. BTW, not sure how old your child is, but if they are young enough to still be teething, that often causes abrupt and temporary fevers in children and the timing (monthly) would seem to fit.
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I have been using my neighbor’s [unsecured wireless network] for years before the
days of ADSL (at 26.8/56k modem speed). Now I am very sad to close my own wireless network to all outsiders. I do hope I can allow a unsecured 28.8k speed wireless connections for my neighbors to use, if there is any. Technology should be upgraded to the point that this can be done safety… Then internet can be opened up all to use… including those who cannot afford it. Any at 28.8k speed, how much damage it can do anyway.
The speed of the internet connection has nothing to do with the level of power of the wi-fi signal.
[...] to mountains in West Virginia to avoid WiFi radiation. A less extreme measure would be to install WiFi-blocking wallpaper. Closer to home, several schools – both public and private – have banned Wi-Fi over [...]
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