After learning about the hazards of wireless radiation our family has transitioned from a wireless to a wired home environment. It was a painful process but well worth the effort!
The wireless revolution has come upon us quickly. We now have more mobile-connected devices than people! (See Cisco Visual Networking Index.)
However, this level of unnatural radiation comes with a price. Dr. Paul J. Rosch, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at New York Medical College believes the cost may take years to manifest.
All communication in the body eventually takes place via very subtle electromagnetic signaling between cells that is now being disrupted by artificial electropollution we have not had time to adapt to.
As Alvin Toffler emphasized in Future Shock, too much change in too short a time produces severe stress due to adaptational failure. The adverse effects of electrosmog may take decades to be appreciated, although some, like carcinogenicity, are already starting to surface. This gigantic experiment on our children and grandchildren could result in massive damage to mind and body with the potential to produce a disaster of unprecedented proportions, unless proper precautions are immediately implemented.
(There are a number of expert opinions on the wireless revolution at Electromagnetic Health’s Quotes from Experts.)
The more I have studied, the more convinced I am that cutting back on wireless devices in the home is critical. Since these fields are invisible one of the best ways to “see” them is with a meter. I like the Cornet Electrosmog meter. (Find it here.)
Note the dramatic decrease in radio frequency (RF) after turning off our Wi-Fi.
The video below offers an even more compelling contrast between wireless and wired. Note the pulsing of the Wi-Fi in the high school library vs. my son’s wired computer at home.
Our plan of attack has included removing our DECT cordless phones, switching our light bulbs from compact fluorescent (CFL) to incandescent, replacing ionizing smoke alarms with photoelectric, and reducing or eliminating Wi-Fi. See these previous posts:
- Is Your Smoke Alarm a Biohazard?
- The Health Effects of Cordless Phones
- Sleep, Melatonin and Electronic Devices
From Wireless to Wired
We have been turning off the Wi-Fi and all computer connectivity at night for several years. (An immediate and straightforward change.) But our home and devices were geared to wireless. The task was daunting. I began by purchasing USB Ethernet adapters for each MacBook. (Find the adaptor here. )
We contacted our Internet Service Provider about disconnecting the wireless feature from the router. We wanted to be “wired,” or connected via Ethernet cable, with all our devices. The initial response from the tech crew at the ISP was, “No, you can’t shut the modem down like that. It has to be on all the time. You don’t have the device to accommodate that.”
We looked at purchasing a different device that had an on-off switch to the wireless, but another friend suggested we call again. This time, the tech said, “You can do that, but you have to do it manually with your computer.”
There are about four simple steps that allow us to disable the wireless feature. We have lots of cords running around the house, but I’ll take the inconvenience.
(Note. If you cannot find a wired-only router and must use a hybrid router, be sure to disable the wireless signal on the hybrid router. Otherwise, the radiation will still be emitted even when the computer is wired. Also, you must disable the Wi-Fi function and Bluetooth function on a device you connect to the Ethernet.)
Our remaining obstacle concerned a lack of Ethernet jacks. We had a total of four jacks in the house with six users, and a smart box where the phone and internet lines came together. These were not near the room where the internet connection entered the house. So we ran a long Ethernet cable to one jack upstairs and connected the other jacks through a series of switches. Through trial and error, we found multiple jacks we could use.
Our teens resisted the changes initially. “My life depends on Wi-Fi,” one daughter lamented. I empathized. We’ve made so many lifestyle changes over the last seven years -another change felt overwhelming.
What about our beloved devices like the iPad and iPod? This presented more of a challenge. With a little online research, we figured out this trick for connecting each to the Ethernet.
See more about connecting these devices in the previous post “How to Connect an iPad or iPod to the Ethernet.”
The family has adjusted well to the changes. I have noticed a difference in my ability to focus, and we seem far less dependent on technology. The kids still have access to their friends, and I have peace of mind knowing we’re doing our best to minimize our exposure to potentially harmful levels of wireless radiation.
Thank you so much Andrea. Your hard work and tenacity in research and then implementation of that research encourages me. I appreciate all you do to help us stay healthy.
Sarah
Thank you, Sarah. I really appreciate your encouragement.
Andrea,
I have learned a lot from your series of posts on EMFs. It’s good to have this information to refer to as we make gradual changes in our household.
Thanks again for sharing!
Angela
Thanks for all your research! I hear what you say about “one more change.” You’d think it would be easier – BECAUSE if all you’ve been through. But it’s tougher – for just that reason. We had always chosen to be wired at past places. Boy! Do they make it tough for you to do. Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll figure it out.. .right after I get this dentist thingy figured out.
Hah…I hear you, Ruth. 🙂
this is something I keep coming back to wanting to do. thank you for the information
Andrea, Thank you so much for sharing your research! It was very timely. I had an appt. scheduled on 06/10/15 with our carrier to change our land line and internet services to fiber optic. After listening to your 06/09/15 “Toxic Tues.” with Chris and reading your blog I called the carrier to cancel the order. The Cust Serv Rep suggested rescheduling the appt. for several weeks out to give time to research. Of course the fiber optic is less expensive and even a better price was quoted when I called to cancel. Again, Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback, Shirley! Fiber optic is such a better option. Glad you stuck with it.
Hi,
Emitted frequency matters. Generally, the higher the frequency, the more damaging the radiation. I’m particularly cautious about 5.6 GHz equipment of any kind as exposure of even low power radiation (miliwatts as in cordless phones, etc.) at close proximity to the body has health effects that have been documented in one form or another for decades. (occupational guidelines for communications, broadcast, radar, etc.). Cell phones emit a considerable amount of microwave energy at a frequency that the human body is quite sensitive to (body contains mostly water, 2.5 GHz energy is easily absorbed by water – microwave oven frequency range). Best to keep them away from your head, eyes, sensitive body organs.
Maybe I am “beating the horse” here. It is good that you are switching to wired network equipment. It’s faster, safer (health and security both) and much more reliable. Fiber optic is even better as it is light contained within a glass filament as the name suggests.
Thanks again for this thread.
Cheers,
Frederick
I appreciate the added information, Frederick!
Over the past 2 years I have steadily gone through my house and hard wired everything, including removal of any smart(dumb) meters. It took quite a lot of time to transition this in our house. We are hard wired, using area rugs to conceal the ethernet cords. ; )
p.s. the only time we turn on the WiFi is to load a book on my husband’s Kindle. On the dumb meter issue, I have been told my many that they are particularly hazardous to health.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Diane. You would love the movie Take Back Your Power – it goes into depth about smart meters and wireless radiation in general. You’re a smart woman!
You are amazing. And so dedicated. Great information!
Wow that is a huge difference on the reading with the Wi-Fi turned off! For now I have some EMF protectors on our cell phones and computer but want to get more for other electronics in our home. My daughter has a salt lamp in her room to help with EMFs too. Thanks for sharing this insightful post.
I bought a few Hedron Shields which are supposed to harmonize the radiation. Which EMF protectors do you use on the phones and computer?
I will definitely be looking into this once I own a house. In the meantime we do everything we can to limit our exposure in the apartment complex we live in. I definitely have noticed a difference in sleep quality that’s for sure!
Thanks for this information! I have been wanting to do this for years, but do not have the support of my family yet 🙁 Your post is encouraging.
We turn our Wi-Fi off at night for now, but we would like to switch to wired if possible. Do the four simple steps you mentioned apply to all Wi-Fi enabled modems? When I did a little research a few months ago about our modem, it seemed impossible to turn off the Wi-Fi when the modem is on. Just curious if you could share what those steps are. I have a MacBook Pro. Thanks Andrea! Great info.
Tracy,
The company told us we couldn’t change since the modem is WiFi only. We thought about buying a new router but someone in the company explained how to do this manually while online. You can email me directly and I can explain more. All this to say – anything is possible it seems to me. It seemed impossible to get wired at first. andrea@it-takes-time.com
Wow, the difference in radiation is amazing- with and without the internet. Like you said, so much effort but so worth it. I like that you feel less dependent on technology too.
When we built our house we insisted on wired connections for all of the computer. Unfortunately, the kids wanted wifi for their mobile devices so we have both.
I wish I could put the modem on a timer so it would go off at night.
I found a solution on Amazon…a device from Etekcity called ZAP L-Series. I got 5 outlet plugs and 2 remote controls for about $30. You plug the device into your wall outlet and then your appliance. The first one went to the router! In addition to reducing the EMFs at night, I needed to keep my 18 year old Autism Spectrum disorder daughter OFF the internet at night. She also has a sleep disorder and she is awake very early in the morning. (She has an old cell phone that is not connected to cell service, but certain aspects of it work with WiFi.). So it’s off at 10 pm and on at 6 am. You can use the remote, or a little button on the side. There is a light to let you know whether the device is on or off. I also have the entire TV /DVD/Roku box stuff plugged into a surge protector, which is plugged into the ZAP device. Same thing in my sewing area, and in the kitchen various appliances are also plugged plugged in and turned off at night. This is helpful to avoid that “vampire” electricity draining. Baby steps, but it’s a start. I would have a terrible time going back to wired. (I was so happy when we finally got WiFi and I didn’t have to deal with the wires anymore!). And now I wonder if my memory issues, or my high blood pressure are related to sleeping in the same room with the router for years? We’ve made a lot of changes, but it seems like every time you turn around there’s something else that’s hazardous to your health! Sigh.
Can you explain more about this ZAP-L series for $30? How does this cut down on radiation and how do you use it?
Thanks.
So, I have simply been unplugging our router at night since I had a hard time figuring out how to turn it off completely. I am assuming now after reading this that that is not good enough??
It’s certainly a huge step. It depends on existing health issues and the extent to which you want to curtail exposures at night. We embarked on this journey by taking steps. The first step was the router for us too. Unplugging it is optimal.
Yes, I agree about baby steps! And, we are still trying to figure out what all we need to do! I appreciate all the information you pass on to us! But, I guess I was also wondering if somehow unplugging the router for the internet was not as good as turning it off through the computer. Forgive me because I’m not tech savvy, but I thought if I simply unplugged the router, then the internet wasn’t being transmitted through our house. But, something I read made me think I needed to do something else to ensure the internet was completely off.
Unplugging the router at night will do what you are wanting it to do. It doesn’t eliminate any wireless coming in from neighbors, but unplugging your own router will definitely lower your exposure. Once you wire your computers you will want to be sure to disable Wi-Fi on the computer and disable the wireless via the company. You’re on a good path, Angie.
Thank you so much for this site!
I recently moved, and the phone technician wanted to put a wireless router in my bedroom, the easiest way to connect to the internet. I said I had some concerns about Wi-Fi and the migraines I’d gotten at my old workplace (a Wi-Fi “hot spot”). He laughed and said that WiFi was everywhere, whether I used it or not. Thankfully, he had to set up a wired connection because my older computer isn’t Wi-Fi equipped.
Afterward, my EMF meter showed a high level of radio/microwave radiation coming from the router, and I wondered whether it was transmitting a Wi-Fi signal. I didn’t know much about it, and my research led me to your site.
After reading your tip to “be sure to disable the wireless signal on the hybrid router,” I figured out how to do so, and voila! No more radiation!
I really appreciate your getting this information out there. The technician was caring & competent, but he obviously thought worries about health effects were unwarranted.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Lynn!! I would like to use your story in an upcoming post “How and Why to Measure Your Home for EMFS”….I would just use your story straight from here. It’s sad to see the technicians so unaware of this.
Absolutely! For once, I was glad I haven’t upgraded my computer (due to economics). And that I happened to have an EMF meter, which I bought when I was pregnant.
The more I read about Wi-Fi, the more I think it could have been the cause of my migraines. My boss also had serious migraines, but when I brought up Wi-Fi, she seemed amused and didn’t take me seriously. You’re right; it’s too bad that people seem to think if you can’t see or smell something, it can’t harm you.
That’s too bad about your employer. One day people will know this. You are wise to have a meter. It does wonders for making this “visible”.
I really admire everything that you do for your family Andrea. We do the best we can at home to reduce EMF exposure. Thanks for sharing this with us at Savoring Saturdays linky party!
Thank you, Emily. That means a lot.
Hi Andrea! Love your website and all your information! Have you heard of Earth Calm products? I am very interested in giving their products a try but was curious if you have heard of them or tried their products. Their theory is based on the Schumann Resonance. This is the information I received from them that explains their products:
“All of EarthCalms products work the same way. They all have Geometrically shaped circuits in them that act as antenna to increase your ability to ground to the Earths Natural occurring EMF field. This field is called the Schumann Resonance and we resonate at the same frequency that it does.
Man made EMF’s and Wireless Microwave Radiation resonate at a slightly different frequency and so interfere with our internal electrical system causing great stress on our Immune System and general health.
Our products do ground you but not to the Earth, they ground you to the EMF field around the Earth”
Thanks!
I’m familiar with the products, but have not tried them. I’d like to ask around on this, Lynn. Mimicking the Schumann Resonances makes sense, I’m always wary of “covering” up rather than dealing with the source of the problem. I’m very glad you raised this question. If I learn anything I will let you know.
Have you tested electro smog reduction techniques? I would be interested to see a “safe” wifi.
Since my meter shows such a decrease with Wi-Fi we cord everything. One way to improve the exposure is to purchase a router guard. Your service won’t be as good, but the levels will definitely go down. The best first step is to get into the habit of turning off the Wi-Fi when not in use (especially at night).
We are building a house and I would love to be wired! However, we are in the country and I don’t think we will have a wired option. AT&T doesn’t reach our house and I’m afraid the only option is wireless. How do I go about being wired when I can’t get wires to my house? Thank you for your post!!
It’s amazing how wireless our society is becoming, even in the car!
I don’t think the only option will be wireless, Lindsay. If there is a router in the home, there is a way to cord the connection. If there is no internet and only a “hot spot” in the air, that would be a different matter as I understand it.
Hi, Andrea. Thank you so much for your post. We live in an apartment with one family above and one family below us. I wanted to make some changes, but was wondering if it would make a difference since people live above and below us. Would turning off the wi-fi at night help us? Paying extra for a landline and putting my cell phone on airplane mode when I am at home? Would it make a difference if I paid the electric company more money to stop using the smart meter? Not sure if these extra costs would make a difference since we live in a multi-family building. What do you think?
Hello! Can you please give my some insight here…
I did the same, I called my AT&T provider back a while ago and had also gone in to Staples. They told me completely conflicting stories of what I can and can’t do to go wifi free.
I have a modem&rouder from AT&T that emits Wifi. We want NO wifi in our home. We have just 1 computer to plug into. I had our electrician install 4 ports all over the house. Are these ports for phone and internet I am wondering?
So what do I need to do? Buy just a rouder? Just buy an ethernet cable and connect to the wall? Continue to use the modem and router but discontinue the wifi capabilities on the internet? I am so terrible confused. Thanks!
I’m not sure either since I’m not sure what type of port the electrician installed. If you don’t have an ethernet cable, that would be your first step. You’ll need that no matter what. I wish I could help more, but it’s going to be worth pushing through this to get WiFi out of the house.
I can’t figure out how to disable wifi on our router? I know it is on because my Kindle Fire picks it up when searching for WiFi.
I can’t figure out how to disable wifi on our router? I know it is on because my Kindle Fire picks it up when searching for WiFi.
I’m not sure what to say, Connie – as I’m not sure on this. You can always disable WiFi with your provider. They should be able to walk you through that.
We turned off our WiFi a month ago, and the mysterious and very painful headache that I’d had for SIX MONTHS went away. (And I NEVER get headaches.) (And I had tried EVERYTHING leading up to this–new pillows, more water, chiropractic, massage therapy, all manner of nutritional handlings and various diets and elimination diets–I even got MRIs done!) It was the WiFi. And what had happened was it compromised the blood-brain barrier and let stuff in there that shouldn’t be in there, causing the headache. For example, if I eat something high in tyramine/tyrosine, I will get that headache for a day. But I had that headache 24/7 for 6 months until we turned off the WiFi. I am now working on repairing the blood-brain barrier.
I really appreciate that you took the time to share this. Others will benefit from your experience.