{
  "id": "emitters:wifi-router",
  "collection": "emitters",
  "slug": "wifi-router",
  "name": "Wi-Fi router (2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz)",
  "summary": "A consumer access point radiating roughly 100 mW EIRP per band, giving about 8,000 µW/m² at 1 m and 80 µW/m² at 10 m in free space.",
  "status": "verified",
  "lastVerified": "2026-08-12",
  "data": {
    "aliases": [
      "wireless access point",
      "WLAN router",
      "modem router"
    ],
    "category": "radiofrequency",
    "environment": [
      "home",
      "workplace",
      "school"
    ],
    "bands": [
      {
        "label": "2.4 GHz ISM",
        "minHz": 2400000000,
        "maxHz": 2483500000
      },
      {
        "label": "5 GHz U-NII",
        "minHz": 5150000000,
        "maxHz": 5895000000
      },
      {
        "label": "6 GHz U-NII (Wi-Fi 6E/7)",
        "minHz": 5925000000,
        "maxHz": 7125000000
      }
    ],
    "transmitPower": {
      "quantity": "power",
      "unit": "W EIRP",
      "value": 0.1,
      "basis": "regulatory",
      "note": "100 mW is typical for consumer access points. 47 CFR Part 15 permits up to 1 W conducted power in the 2.4 GHz band for some configurations, so high-power or multi-radio units can be an order of magnitude higher.",
      "sourceIds": [
        "fcc-part15"
      ]
    },
    "dutyCycle": "Beacon frames transmit continuously at low duty cycle even with no clients; duty cycle rises with traffic. Peak-hold readings therefore exceed time-averaged readings substantially.",
    "distanceProfile": [
      {
        "meters": 0.3,
        "value": {
          "quantity": "power-density",
          "unit": "µW/m²",
          "value": 88400,
          "basis": "computed",
          "method": "S = EIRP / (4πd²) with EIRP = 0.1 W, d = 0.3 m",
          "note": "Within one wavelength at 2.4 GHz (12.5 cm) treat this as indicative only.",
          "sourceIds": [
            "fcc-part15"
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "meters": 1,
        "value": {
          "quantity": "power-density",
          "unit": "µW/m²",
          "value": 7960,
          "basis": "computed",
          "method": "S = EIRP / (4πd²) with EIRP = 0.1 W, d = 1 m",
          "sourceIds": [
            "fcc-part15"
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "meters": 3,
        "value": {
          "quantity": "power-density",
          "unit": "µW/m²",
          "value": 884,
          "basis": "computed",
          "method": "S = EIRP / (4πd²) with EIRP = 0.1 W, d = 3 m",
          "sourceIds": [
            "fcc-part15"
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "meters": 10,
        "value": {
          "quantity": "power-density",
          "unit": "µW/m²",
          "value": 79.6,
          "basis": "computed",
          "method": "S = EIRP / (4πd²) with EIRP = 0.1 W, d = 10 m",
          "sourceIds": [
            "fcc-part15"
          ]
        }
      }
    ],
    "mitigations": [
      {
        "action": "Move the router out of bedrooms and away from desks; distance dominates everything else.",
        "effect": "Power density falls with the square of distance: 3× the distance is 9× less.",
        "sourceIds": [
          "itu-fs-relations"
        ]
      },
      {
        "action": "Use the router's schedule feature to disable the radio overnight.",
        "effect": "Removes night-time exposure entirely without affecting daytime use."
      },
      {
        "action": "Run Ethernet to fixed devices (desktops, TVs, consoles) and disable unused radio bands.",
        "effect": "Cuts both router and client transmissions; client devices are usually closer to the body than the router."
      },
      {
        "action": "Reduce transmit power in the router's admin settings if supported.",
        "effect": "A drop from 100 mW to 25 mW is a 6 dB reduction, equivalent to doubling your distance."
      }
    ],
    "measureWith": [
      "broadband-rf-meter",
      "spectrum-analyser"
    ],
    "related": [
      "limits:fcc-mpe-public-1500-100000",
      "limits:sbm-2024-rf-extreme",
      "protocols:rf-room-survey"
    ],
    "questions": [
      "how-far-from-wifi-router"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "fcc-part15",
      "title": "47 CFR Part 15 — Radio Frequency Devices (unlicensed transmitter power limits)",
      "publisher": "U.S. Government Publishing Office (eCFR)",
      "url": "https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/part-15",
      "kind": "regulation",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    },
    {
      "id": "arpansa-wifi",
      "title": "Wi-Fi and health",
      "publisher": "Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency",
      "url": "https://www.arpansa.gov.au/understanding-radiation/radiation-sources/more-radiation-sources/wifi",
      "kind": "government",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    },
    {
      "id": "itu-fs-relations",
      "title": "Free-space path loss and power density relations (ITU-R P.525)",
      "publisher": "International Telecommunication Union",
      "url": "https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-P.525/en",
      "kind": "standard",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    }
  ],
  "links": {
    "self": "https://emfbase.com/api/emitters/wifi-router",
    "html": "https://emfbase.com/emitters/wifi-router",
    "markdown": "https://emfbase.com/emitters/wifi-router.md",
    "collection": "https://emfbase.com/api/emitters"
  }
}