Most homes carry far more active wireless load than they need to. This guide covers reducing that load without giving up the connectivity you actually use.
Router Placement
Where a router sits matters almost as much as how it's configured — proximity and duration, not just raw signal strength, are what actually drive dose (see the Mitigation Framework chapter for why proximity carries disproportionate weight).
- Place routers away from bedrooms — sleeping areas should never be the closest room to a router
- Avoid central hallways, which put the signal equidistant from every room instead of contained to where it's actually used
- Elevate the router (1–1.5 m height) — this keeps it above head height when seated rather than pointed straight at anyone nearby
- Avoid placing routers near metal surfaces, which can reflect and unpredictably concentrate signal rather than simply blocking it
Router Settings
- Disable 5 GHz if not needed — it doesn't travel as far through walls, so in practice it's often left running alongside 2.4 GHz rather than replacing it
- Reduce transmit power, if your router supports it — most routers ship configured for a much larger coverage area than a typical home actually needs
- Schedule Wi-Fi off at night — a router with a built-in scheduler removes the need to remember
- Disable WPS — a security-hardening step alongside the exposure-reduction ones on this list, worth doing regardless
- Use wired connections where possible, particularly for anything stationary: desktop computers, smart TVs, game consoles
Device Management
- Disable Bluetooth unless actively in use
- Avoid wireless peripherals (keyboards, mice, headsets) — a wired keyboard and mouse cost little and eliminate a constant low-level transmitter sitting inches from your hands
- Use airplane mode on phones when possible, especially overnight or during focused work
- Avoid carrying phones on the body — a phone in a pocket is about as close to tissue as an RF source gets
- Disable background scanning features (Wi-Fi scanning, Bluetooth scanning, location services) that keep radios active even when you're not using them
Smart Devices
- Disable unnecessary wireless functions on smart appliances
- Avoid smart appliances where a wired or manual alternative exists
- Isolate IoT devices on a separate network — a security benefit as much as an exposure one, since a compromised smart device can't then reach the rest of your network
- Consider replacing high-emission devices, particularly older ones built before manufacturers optimised for lower standby transmission
None of these steps cost money, and most take under a minute per device — this is the natural starting point before considering the Shielding Decision Tree.