New Paint Could Block Wi-Fi From Nosey Neighbours
Living in an apartment building, I can spot about twenty active Wi-Fi networks at a time. And the worst part is that they can all see me, too.
While we’ve had RF-blocking paint to mobile phone signals for some time, manufacturers have been thwarted when attempting to stop higher frequencies, like we have on home networks.
Now a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo has developed an aluminium-iron oxide that blocks radio frequencies up to four times beyond existing anti-RF technologies. The paint puts out a magnetic field that resonates at the same frequency as the electromagnetic wave (in this case, a radio frequency) you’re looking to block.
The good news is that the material shouldn’t be expensive to produce. Right now it’s estimated to run $1US4 per kilogram. That’s not super cheap, but neither is the lifetime of blackmail after your neighbour deciphers your network password and threatens to show the world your earnest, self-shot modelling portfolio. [PCWorld via Unplggd]
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Or perhaps save yourself a few hundred dollars and turn off SSID broadcasting.
SSID is still visible even if you turn off broadcasting because any packet transmission carries the SSID in it.
MAC Address filtering is the best bet.
Maybe even adjusting the power output might help but will obviously limit the area and bandwidth you use the wireless in.
This makes far more sense in commercial and public spaces than at home. Those who are paranoid enough at home either have the brains to secure their network properly(like bloomy) or they are content with their tinfoil hats.
I turn the visibility of my network into a positive- free advertising, with its name urging people to vote for the greens