Wireless networks and heart pacemakers

A customer asked me an interesting question and I'm not sure of the answer.

It always used to be advised that people with heart pacemakers didn't go
near microwave ovens when they were switched on. Given that wireless
networks use the same frequencies, how does the signal strength of a
wireless network (especially close to a router or a laptop's wireless
adaptor) compare with the signal strength from a microwave oven?

I know that microwaves generate far more power - typically 900W as opposed
to 100mW - but they are well shielded.

Should people with pacemakers stay away from wireless networks?

Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Sun, 30 Oct
2005 11:27:08 -0000, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
uk.comp.home-networking, yawatina tan reek esk "Martin Underwood"
<(E-Mail Removed)> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:

>Should people with pacemakers stay away from wireless networks?

I'd like to see them *try*.

deKay
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Martin Underwood wrote:
> A customer asked me an interesting question and I'm not sure of the answer.
>
> It always used to be advised that people with heart pacemakers didn't go
> near microwave ovens when they were switched on. Given that wireless
> networks use the same frequencies, how does the signal strength of a
> wireless network (especially close to a router or a laptop's wireless
> adaptor) compare with the signal strength from a microwave oven?
>
> I know that microwaves generate far more power - typically 900W as opposed
> to 100mW - but they are well shielded.
>
> Should people with pacemakers stay away from wireless networks?
>
>

Depends how much damage they are likely to do to the network ;-)

But seriously, there does not appear to be any cause for concern:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2004-rst/2543.html



--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

In message <4364ae17$0$73605$(E-Mail Removed)>,
Martin Underwood <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>A customer asked me an interesting question and I'm not sure of the answer.
>
>It always used to be advised that people with heart pacemakers didn't go
>near microwave ovens when they were switched on. Given that wireless
>networks use the same frequencies, how does the signal strength of a
>wireless network (especially close to a router or a laptop's wireless
>adaptor) compare with the signal strength from a microwave oven?
>
>I know that microwaves generate far more power - typically 900W as opposed
>to 100mW - but they are well shielded.
I *think* the reason for this was actually because of the massive
magnetic fields a microwave generates from its transformer when it's
under load, not the RF radiation.
>
>Should people with pacemakers stay away from wireless networks?
Only if they're in a microwave oven.
>
>

--
Clint Sharp

Clint Sharp wrote:
> In message <4364ae17$0$73605$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> Martin Underwood <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>
>> A customer asked me an interesting question and I'm not sure of the
>> answer.
>>
>> It always used to be advised that people with heart pacemakers didn't go
>> near microwave ovens when they were switched on. Given that wireless
>> networks use the same frequencies, how does the signal strength of a
>> wireless network (especially close to a router or a laptop's wireless
>> adaptor) compare with the signal strength from a microwave oven?
>>
>> I know that microwaves generate far more power - typically 900W as
>> opposed
>> to 100mW - but they are well shielded.
>
> I *think* the reason for this was actually because of the massive
> magnetic fields a microwave generates from its transformer when it's
> under load, not the RF radiation.
>
>>
>> Should people with pacemakers stay away from wireless networks?
>
> Only if they're in a microwave oven.

Good advice...I once got stuck inside a microwave, got a nasty skin burn
all over

>>
>>
>