By Olivia Smith, Special to CNN
New York (CNN) - Imagine wallpaper that does work for you and for your electronics. Wallpaper that doesn’t only protect your walls, but also protects your health, equipment and data.
Researchers at France’s Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble have worked with the Centre Technique du Papier to develop Wi-Fi-blocking wallpaper. The product, also known as metapaper, claims to selectively filter, reduce or reflect electromagnetic waves.
Metapaper not only protects against intruders stealing Wi-Fi from buildings, but also ensures that signals inside a building are more secure and stronger, the group says. Benefits include data security for companies or people that need dependable Wi-Fi. The wallpaper can also be used to create quieter spaces for places like hospitals and movie theaters.
The high-tech paper does, however, allow FM radio waves and emergency frequencies to pass through. The paper, which has a snowflake pattern on it but can be covered up by traditional wallpaper, is made from renewable resources and is recyclable, according to the Centre Technique du Papier.
Conductive silver ink and metallic patterns on the wallpaper filter around 99% of waves coming from outside, according to the French newspaper Le Monde, which published a story on the topic earlier this year. However, a room cannot be completely safeguarded by the paper - unless you use it to seal off floor, ceilings and windows, of course.
The metapaper also advertises itself as a healthy alternative, since it claims to reduce a person's exposure to electromagnetic waves. Scientists behind the product point to studies that say the overuse of wireless technology could cause harmful heath effects.
The Finnish firm Ahlstrom acquired the rights to the metapaper. Exact cost estimates have not been released. According to the Centre Technique du Papier, the paper is not yet commercially available because it is still in the industrialization phase.
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The 70's just called and they want their wall paper back... my mom had furniture and carpet that went with that green stuff..
the wall paper is damask. reporters really should do their homework before posting, then they may not sound so stupid!
If you will notice, the damask wallpaper is covering up the snow flak wallpaper. They're not the one not paying attention. They got right the first time.
So you can either take five mins and put a pw on your router, or re wall paper your house with snowflake paper...hmmm
First, your comment is the same as hudreds before you, and my response to all is the same: Encrytion doesn't stop it from being captured and decrypted! WPA2 is vulnerable to a targeted boomarang attack that does not need a supercomputer to hack, only minutes to hours with a desktop/laptop, depending on how many packets and the length of the key. Second, Just because you hide the SSID doesn't mean that a packet sniffer can't see it. 3rd, MAC addresses can be spoofed.
All in all, treat encryption like a made-up language, give someone enough time, and they will beable to learn it... babies do it every day.
Second, it is amazing to me how many people don't understand privacy is not the only benefit. I used to live on a block with 10 multifamily homes. So there were about 10 signals my laptop could see (without using a packet sniffer) and my cantennae picked up on 3-4 more broadcasted SSIDs. Channels 2, 7, and 11 were packed... I ended up using 3 with the most success... just to connect two devices together wirelessly when 1 was hardwired and the other was 15-20 feet away from the router. The significance of blocking incoming RF traffic on 2.4 GHz bands would have been huge, even if it wasn't perfect. To get my PS3 to connect from 50 feet away, I had to go by a wireless network bridge. Also, this doesn't effect most people anymore, but every use Wifi when someone was using a cordless landline phone that happend to use the 2.4 GHz band? If you haven't, know that it effectively jams wifi.
Thank you, Sheldon.
i i guess people never heard of wpa2 encryption ...
I am going to put this up in my bathroom cause my Sh1t is RADIOACTIVE! Yeah baby, password protect that!
Okay, so if my neighbor installed wifi blocking wallpaper, wouldn't the signal still leak through the roof (in a house) and/or floors (in an apartment) ?
What's the point? Just setup a password.
"However, a room cannot be completely safeguarded by the paper – unless you use it to seal off floor, ceilings and windows, of course." – That was in the article.
I bet you have to wallpaper your ceiling to make this effective, though.
Cool! I'll be able to take off my tinfoil hat inside now!
WiFi is so 21st century. Why can't we build network adapters that use quantum entanglement?
The information encoded in entanglement is only extractable when you look at correlations between measurements on both the entangled systems. You would need to have communications estabilshed between systems using some other method first.
Aren't we still in the 21st century?
In a world of ever increasing RF radiation and a growing number of people that are sensitive to EMF, products like this will become commonplace. You can already purchase shielding paint, shielding film and a variety of other products to protect yourself. For those with EHS this is a various serious issue.
Plus the tin foil hat crowd, this should be right up their alley.
Why not just turn encryption on?
Probably much cheaper to install a RADIUS server to handle login authentication.
More's needed than simply encryption, of the types available.
Can they make that into hats? Its getting hard to find real tin foil, and aluminum foil doesnt work.
FABULOUS!!! I've been looking for a product that blocks RF with simultaneously amplifying my GAY-DAR.
That stuff looks like circa 1930's thru 1950s fugly! If I start feeling a little insecure...guess I'll just glue some heavy-duty tin foil on the walls!
why do some people cares so much about wifi? get a life!!! and get a job, there are more important thing than catching free wifi from your neighbors
You do know that if someone is using YOUR WiFi and does something illegal YOU are held responsible for it don't you?
That is not true...
You don't mind anyone out there infiltrating your network? Suppose you are a bank ...
Great... think they can make a version of this that blocks 3G, 4G and other wireless frequencies... then sell it to movie theaters? I'd certainly pay a little more if I knew they clown next to me couldn't use his phone no matter how much he tried. Or better, just build movie auditoriums as Faraday cages to begin with
Why not just get one of those cell phone jammers?
Cell Phone jammers are highly ILLEGAL!!
Fine, I'll steal your wifi from your window..
Maybe theaters and schools could use to stop the morons using their phones there.
Fine, I'll steal your wifi from your window.
Lol, I've read about 4 posts all stating how ugly the wallpaper is. Because like, the green wallpaper shown is the only one they will produce, obviously...
The one they make is white the picture is portraying that u can cover it up with any wallpaper and it still works.
Try reading the article before posting
Interesting stuff. Basically a modified faraday cage, that limits the amount of 2.4GHz and 5.2GHz transmissions... but how does it ensure it's success without blocking needed signals... AM/FM/VHF/UHF... Perhaps it only cuts a couple of dBs from the signal... more like a dampener than a wall? Think of it like earplugs for WiFi: your head is the house, the paper is the earplugs, and sound is the WiFi signal... Some sound gets through, you hear what is going on inside better while what is outside is muffled. But only more sublte since the AM/FM et al signals are much stronger than your little WiFi... I just hope you don't plan on relying on your ISP's public WiFi at home.
Also, in theory, you would be wise to only use it on your exterior walls as to not block the signal from going room to room. The performance boost of the WiFI though is only if you are trying to connect in an area with a lot of signals broadcasting – which end up interfereing with each other.
To those who say the stuff is dumb and just used WPA2 with a strong password are missing the point. You won't have to worry as much about your wireless encryption because you will know where the boundries are to your network.
this has got to be the stupidest Idea ever. So stupid that I'm actually commenting on this article.
Congradulations you've managed to create to stop all internet connection in your house. why not line the walls with lead wile your at it... If your that agraid they you might as well use a wired connection instead of this retarted wallpaper.
Yeah, wired connections, who needs 'em? *snort*
Do any of you people read?
It's intended primarily for businesses, who actually have data worth breaking your little WPA2 security to get.
Reducing incoming RF interference will improve reception on your internal network.
How hard was that?
OK, I have right clicked on the photograph and set it as my wallpaper. Am I secure now?
ROFL!!!
HAHAHA... Best post on here so far.
Brilliant!
Indeed, best post ever. First laugh of the day~
Well played, Sir...well played.
Sounds like something tech support would say.
Were you wearing a hat made out of that stuff when you were learning how to spell?
Someone must be stealing wi-fi.
I don't know who's dumber ... the inventors of the paper or many of the people posting out here.
I'd say the people posting, since reducing outgoing wifi signals and reducing incoming wifi interference is not a bad idea.
Or put another way, reducing packet collisions is not a bad idea.
Just use protected access (WPA2) with a decent password, and you won't need this butt-ugly wallpaper (expensive, too, I bet).
WPA2 can also be broken with packet sniffing and some handy freeware tools. As stated in the article, this product is aimed not so much at the home user, but at people who have data that is actually worth the effort to steal.
One of the worst ideas ever. All you have to do is USE ENCRYPTION!
How do you plan to encrypt a signal if you can't receive it?
Are you stupid? He is talking about the owner of the connection. Clearly using encryption is enough to secure your network. There is no need to install awful looking wallpaper.
Encryption, doesnt solve everything. In the 2.4 GHz radio range, there are only 3 truly separate frequency channels, the rest overlap. So if you live in an area with lots of WIFI, the overlapping signals will slow everyone down, regardless if they encrypted as there just room for them on the radio bands. By blocking out the outside signals, this paper may help with that problem.
No no, clearly the man is a genius and encryption solves everything.
1) Encryption can be broken, especially when so many vegetables never change the default WEP key on their routers.
2) Reduction of incoming RF noise improves signal reception inside the building by reducing interference.
3) The name you posted under suits you.
Encryption is a good idea but it isn't sufficient. WEP meets your test but is not secure. WPA TKIP was considered very strong by many until November 2008. Then there's the WPS PIN problem and the PIN can't be changed.
Don't broadcast your SSID for starters. Or if you are old fashioned like me, just stick to the wires.
Can this stuff be made into hats for some people?
It's amazingly simple to figure out if your wifi is hacked and track the person that is doing it. Just call the cops.
True. Though do you really think that the cops will do anything to rectify the situation? Unless anything of significant value was stolen (like valuable data), I doubt the cops will do much at all to help you.
If you were that smart, you would have came up with a better password or more secure network.
Exactly how would you track them... All you can see is a MAC address which can be easily spoofed...
Most wifi hackers are mobile, especially when they are serious about it. A MAC address (which can be spoofed) won't do you much good if the person is not sitting and waiting for you to finally locate them.
This wallpaper will block your wifi single from transmitting in your own house.Idiot inventors
Not if you place it on the outermost portion of your walls and not anywhere internal....always a work around
Think, McFly. Only put it on the outside walls.
CNN repeats nonsense wifi health claims. If the seller behind a product makes a health claim, shouldn't you check with your science department? And should you even have to check? How can anyone in the news business not know this by now?
Carl, CNN isn't exalting the ostensible benefits of the wallpaper; CNN is saying that the scientists pointed it out.
this might be the dumbest idea Ive heard in a long time. Who is going to spend money on this garbage? Ill gladly let someone steal my wifi to keep this crap off my walls .Id rather have grafitti.
Or you could just put a password on your wifi. Then you have no stolen bandwidth AND no ripoff wallpaper.
I think the wifi theft is just a red herring to get their product in stores. Their real motive is probably to appeal to the paranoid people who buy into the anti-wifi hysteria.
Excuse me, slow readers? The article does state that the product is aimed largely at businesses, who actually have data worth stealing, and not so much for home users who want to protect their precious pr0n and MP3 stashes.
When you have a large facility with multiple internal access points, requiring a lot of signal for proper coverage, applying a solution like this to the outer walls will prevent people from sitting in your parking lot and hacking your network. (Yes, this is quite common... when there is actually data worth stealing.)
Not to mention that yes VA., there are benefits to reducing interference from incoming RF noise.
Additionally, the article also states that you can cover this up with something a little more to your tastes, like Iron Maiden and Sponge Bob posters.
If they made wallpaper that blocked those dem stereos in cars!!! I would buy it in a heartbeat, if it would block my neighbors parties!
Why don't you just move to a white neighborhood ?
Maybe because she isn't white and still doesn't like obnoxious noise pollution. Or, maybe the neighbors are white and like hip-hop – My point is that was a really racist (and mean) comment.
And yet… funny and probably true. Stereotypes maybe born of bigotry but they persist because they are founded in fact.
Did realize white people don't listen to loud music. Interesting. No not really, your a fool.
Because white neighborhoods reek with the smell of weed
lostisland... I didn't mention hip-hop. You did. Racist.
Those people keep blasting Toby Keith songs all night long
Why don't you just spike out your eardrums with an icepick?
If you don't have an ice pick handy, you can always use a freshly sharpened Ticonderoga #2.
You can block the walls all you want. If you have windows, the signal will still get out.
"You can't stop the signal" – Serenity
put it on your windows too. UV rays can be damaging to your skin. Who needs windows now days? I don't even go outside anymore, I order everything to me by delivery. I have the food delivery leave the food on my doorstep while I cleverly slide the money through the mail drop box. When I see him drive away, I cautiously grab my food.
Correct, and that's also mentioned in the article. However, it will still reduce your leakage greatly, and halfway-open metal Venetian blinds make good RF baffles.
im sure they can make the material into a shade.
"Metapaper...ensures that signals inside a building are stronger... metapaper also advertises itself as a healthy alternative, since it claims to reduce a person's exposure to electromagnetic waves"
Ok, how does it both increase the concentration of closely emitted radio signals, while at the same time reducing a person's exposure to those very same signals?
It is blocking 99% of signals that are entering the building. Those signals coming into your house are far greater than those leaving the house.
Simple, the 'inside/concentrated' signal is GOOD, while outside/weaker signal is BAD – Make sense now (grin)?
But would it be safe in a lightning storm?
Now that's something I would like to know.
Uh yeah all they need is an amplifier and to pinpoint and ideal location. Pointless.
Could you explain what these words mean to you, so we can puzzle out what you are trying to say?
Or you could just secure your network.
lol...good one
Wireless network are ridiculously easy to hack to people that know what they are doing with the right equipment. Which means you are broadcasting all data you transmit over your wireless internet to anyone that wants access to it.
If someone has the ability to hack through all my passwords, encryption, etc, then I'm guessing they'll also realize their time is better spent looking for someone elses wi-fi who isn't as protected. Or they could just go to starbucks, mcdonalds, etc. where it's free.
How idiotic. Just set up your WiFi correctly to begin with. In the came category as tinfoil hats and those metals cases for your credit cards.
I can understand the logic that some here have stated, that of "encrypt and hide".
But, lets put this into a different perspective.
I have a 2 story house, with 2 WAPs, one per floor. In my surrounding neighborhood, there are no less than a dozen other WAPs within detection range, so finding a clean signal with no bleed-over from a near-by transmitter can be hellish in the event that I need to replace a WAP or do something radically different with my WAPs.
For the record, I *do* use WPA2, but unlike most home users, I also use kerberos encryption over the wire internally, and LDAP authentication on all internal resources. I do security audits regularly, and my coworkers have told me that my network is more secure than our employer's network, which is a government agency.
That said, I'd love to install this 'signal blocking wallpaper' along the inside of my exterior walls in my house to reduce the interference from other wifi nets in my neighborhood. The one problem I could see with that, would simply be a matter of inconvenience to a few guests I have by regularly that use my WiFi from their vehicle out in the street in front of my house (totally authorized; d00d lives in the country and needs a fast link occasionally to update his laptop... I service his systems, so I don't mind). But, outside of them, this could be a big boon to signal dampening where I actually need dampening, and without the expensive cost of building an actual Faraday Cage, which I've considered doing for a few years now.
For your average Joe Consumer, yes... setting up WPA2 (16chars or better password) should be sufficient. For the paranoid, go ahead and disable SSID broadcasting and maybe even implement MAC ACLs to limit accessibility to a specific list of systems. But for those of us that require advanced signal-transmission screening, this wallpaper could be useful.
If you need an example of a Faraday Cage, see the movie "Enemy of the State", in which the character played by Gene Hackman has a Faraday Cage in his house (loft), along with enough explosives to trash anyone that would come looking for evidence that he even existed.
No... the average Joe would have no use for this... but a hacker, or signalling researcher on the other hand could really make use of something like this, because they actually understand the implications of not having it, and the applications in which it can be utilized.
Sry, I can defeat every protection mechanism mentioned (yes, no bcast (you can illicit beacon packets from a WAP even if bcast is off) and mac acls are trivial to bypass) and that paper will not stop me unless you cover the surface of the entire room or structure – even then you have to consider that I can use a directional antenna and my own power to push the signal through (possible may not be practicle however practicle for some is trivial for others – it is simply a matter of resources). Furthermore, I think your security posture will be better served by following a few basic rules: identify and catagorize your secure accounts and credentials; do not use your most critical credentials over wireless connections at all; implement and use one-time passwords and account numbers; add static entries to your arp caches for your default gateway mac addy (and for other critical systems). Your best bet would be a WAP with IPS capabilities however as you have probably already guessed that can be defeated too. If you are very paranoid or just have good reason then look under the hood of your WAP – most are running embedded Linux and have tcpdump available at the cli – dump all layer2 traffic to a console window and watch the frames fly across your WAP; maybe filter out the legitimate traffic from the dump and you may have a chance of catching a hacker – assuming you are watching or have an alerting system setup (some scripting skills and smtp capabilities and you can whip one together on that WAPs embedded OS fairly quickly)...
You are a dork and a loser. Get a job.
StygianAgenda,
Does the typical wifi "like your unit" process all incoming data on the same channel "frequency" should you be using the same frequency as your neighbors? This would waste bandwidth processing and the wall paper in the case, if no other channel spreading was usable, would apply in this case. Are you a consultant?
I wonder if I could make a hat from this stuff and if it would last longer than my tinfoil one?
They have been using wireless technology to connect into our brains for decades now...
You didn't know that?
I think this smart wallpaper was probably thought up by the cable companies. If people don't want others taking their signal they just have to put a password on their routers.
Who uses wallpaper these days?
This is an AWWWWWWWWEsome idea. I get around 20-30 wifi signals from my neighbors bouncing off my body 24×7. My god, how unhealthy. These human generated waves are a serious health concern.
maybe, maybe not. Solar radiation, cel phone towers, CB radio, FM, AM, TV radio, all pass through you every second. Not to mention magnetic fields from all the electricity. I think it's a question of proximity. Electromagnetics follow an inverse-squared rule – the further away you get from the source, you dramatically reduce the influence. Just don't hang out next to your router 24/7 or keep your celphone next to your head at all times and you reduce the risk to nearly insignificant.
I love the reference to the inverse square rule:
The source of a signal is directly proportional to the strength of the signal at the source and indirectly proportional to the square of the distance the signal has traveled.
For a point source the signal power is proportional to 1/r^3, not 1/r^2 i.e. r cubed not r squared.
Jon: it's the power density that matters so it's the surface area of the sphere that matters, so 1/R^2 is correct.
You realize that there are literally millions of radio waves hitting you every second, right? You'll be fine.
Only if you're somehow not subject to the inverse square law.
But how do you stop the neutrinos?
Better border patrols?
most people have routers set to their default settings. name: admin, pw: admin or password.
Faraday Cage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage. To learn more, chase the references.
I would say that was true in the past but eveybody in my neighborhood except one has security enabled. About 15:1.
thanks for the info, i'll try those.
There's this thing that does the same thing to prevent people from stealing your wi-fi and it's free and comes with the router. It's called a password.
Wait til someone runs random passwords to your wifi trying to get in. Try some excedrin when it happens, it works great.
David, you are the only person backing this product and even you're not going to buy it... No one cares that you are part of the .05% of people who supposedly had your password protected Wifi hacked. Get over it.
So you chose a weak password that was vulnerable to a brute force dictionary attack. That's pilot error, not technology failure.
@sir. From what I have read so far on comments, you are probably right, maybe I am one of the few that has been hacked, or at least they tried to hack my wifi. It has also been over a year now, and I have not had a problem since then.
The strength of your password is irrelevant – the password is not secure enough to require a brute-force attack it can be ascertain exactly. Take a look at the Fluhrer, Mantin and Shamir attack to get an understanding of this if you are inclined. Would you like me too show you your password/enc key in ASCII or hex? Don't worry my wireless client will accept the password in either format...
A strong password is nice, but it's not the be all/end all of network security. There are nice handy tools that even casual wardrivers use to crack consumer-grade encryption.
I repeat myself yet again... this product is being marketed most heavily towards corporate environments, where there is data that is actually worth the effort to steal. Keeping the signal from penetrating the walls of the building is a big advantage in that situation.
This is a stupid product as everyone else has already mentioned........where is that television wallpaper that the military is currently using. Now that stuff is newsworthy and very cool. Wallpaper a wall as large as you want to watch television and there you have it. One step closer to spaceballs.
Take some time and absorb the content AND do some research on your own before making kneejerk comments, it makes you look like an I-D-10-T...
Not clicking on reply and having a floating comment doesn't help much either.
LOL
or you could just put on a WIFI password, and save yourself hundreds if not thousands =p
If you never been through it, you do not know nothing, so why are you commenting on something you don't know?
"do not know nothing"? Ever take an English class?
Oh no, not the return of wallpaper!
Ceiling and floor would have to be covered or any leaks would bounce around inside the wallpapered room. But it could down signals leaking from one particular wall.
I mean you want to make sure you keep all that wifi IN so your DNA can get the full benefit.
Seems like a great idea...until you try to take your laptop out on to the patio with you.
If someone else is piggy-backing on my WiFi, how does that hurt me? Aside from the moral outrage of him getting something for nothing, what difference does it make? This isn't a "security" issue...if someone really wants to hack into my personal computer at home, they're going to find a way to do it whether I have this wallpaper or not. So why should I waste my money on this wallpaper? I get my internet access from my cable company...it's the cable company's problem, not mine.
Although I do agree that the wallpaper is a joke, you clearly have never been hacked before. If your cable company doesn't already do it for you, encrypt your signal or expect to come home one day with someone else controlling your mouse and ordering dirty movies on your dime not to mention various other computer damaging things just for kicks.
I would think this is going to be marketed to businesses or restaurants that offer free wifi to customers. Will prevent sitting outside and using it or at a next door office or shop. The more people on your connection the slower it is pretty soon if people are stealing it from a coffee shop, users will complain or be upset about the slow network and just go elsewhere.
For home use, you are right, just secure it with the build in methods of your router. No need for wallpaper.
I guess that makes a little more sense.
Solid point.
If your system is password protected, you will have a problem, and it sure in hell not the cable company's problem, and they will tell you that first hand. The internet is worthless, if people try to attack your wifi by sending b.s. passwords to it. Been there, and done that.
Tin-Foil Hats for your Home......how sweet!
This is a stupid idea. Is it really that hard to setup a WiFI password? Or is this just for people too damn stupid or lazy to setup a SECURE WiFi password? Stop using one word passwords out of a dictionary, use both uppercase & lowercase letters mixed with a couple shift symbols.... it's not that hard.
I completely agree. What lazy business or even person these days pays all this money for this wallpaper which would require range extension devices instead of just using strong encryption methods. Useless product.
Precisely – passwords will prevent 90% of abusers, and GOOD passwords and encryption methods will stop around another 5% to 8%. No system will ever be completely secure, but a password on one's router will stop most casual piggybackers.
Put as strong a password as you want on your consumer wifi router and it can still be easily cracked. Both WEP and most routers with WPA can be easily cracked with simple programs and instructions found on YouTube. The extent of knowledge needed to secure consumer wifi networks properly is far beyond what is reasonable to expect from someone who picks up a $60 Linksys router from Best Buy.
And even if you secure your network from people using it, that doesn't necessarily mean it's secure from people intercepting or snooping the data being transmitted. Plus, this could be very useful for people in dense buildings who run into interference problems from signal bleed.
As more and more wireless devices take hold, I can imagine this and other Faraday cage-type solutions will become commonplace.
Perfect! I was needing a new look to my tin foil hat!
This could be the perfect solution for the California Luddites who are worried about PG&E's smart electric and gas meters frying their pointy little heads with RF energy while broadcasting the meter readings to local receivers. If they paper their homes with this stuff they won't need the tinfoil hats any more.
Wallpaper is just horrible to deal with and has long been out of fashion. The better alternative would be insulation for new homes. More likely marketed to businesses or government. Yes better passwords for home use eliminates your risks as who would waste time trying to crack into a random person's wifi, I have a random 15 character alphanumeric code. However, government research labs are under constant attack and anything to slow them down helps.
I had people throwing random passwords for 6 months at my wifi. Everytime they did this, it caused the wifi to shut down, then you would have to re-enter your password to get it to come back on, only to have them try another password with in 15 minutes. Eventually I had to buy about six 50 foot earth net cables, for all the computers, and game machines. After all of this, I will give anything a try...
Apparently your WiFi name can be seen/known by those around you when searching for connections. You need to first create a new WiFi connection name and then have all your internal computers auto connect to this every time you power them up or log in. Then go into your routers setup and turn OFF the broadcast SSID feature. Now not even your computers will see the WiFi spot when searching for connections but they will know to auto connect to this location even if it isn't broadcasting its name. If you can do this within a span of a few minutes at a time during the day when not many folks are awake (4 AM) you can minimize the exposure time and nobody would be the wiser.
Ha!! They didn't invent that, somebody else did!! says Obama.
Wouldnt this also block radio, TV, and cellphone signals? And wouldnt it just be easier to learn how to protect your home network by reading the instruction manual?
Yes, but that is SOOOOO difficult. It uses big words like SSID and WPA2 and MAC. I would have to read more to understand those and then I would have to learn how to configure them properly. ... And I just want it to work!! I don't want to read, I don't want to learn anything!!!
Actually, I think I just realized something. .... Is everyone on here that thinks this is great, an Apple user?
Good. Now let's start mixing it into paint, glass and anything else we can use to prevent electronic eavesdropping from both corporations and the government – both of whom will probably try to make the stuff illegal as a threat to their national eavesdropping security.
This is absolutely retarded. This is what happens when non-engineers have any say in projects. First off, is your Wi-Fi being stolen? Then quit being an idiot and secure your network. Hide your SSID and use a WPA2 password. Problem solved. OK, now let's look at the problems of this concept. Hey, I have Wi-FI at home, which MIGHT mean I would like to USE it. Now if I put up Wi-Fi shielding in my own house, then how am I going to get an optimum signal in the kitchen or living room from my office? Even if it retards the signal by 1%, and provides no rational security, this is a bad plan. Are these the same guys who build Acme products?
Exactly!! Someone just trying to be greedy off others lack of knowledge. Then again, that's America!
Actually, Jonathan, it's France, not America. Read the article.
You must be illiterate, Jonathan. None of the companies mentioned in this article are American.
...and if you knew anything about WiFi security, you would know that hiding your SSID is completely useless.
Fully disagree with you man. But since I know nothing, please enlighten me as to why it is easier to crack something if you know it is there, or if you have to take an extra step to find it. I am not suggesting dropping any other security method, but I use this one as well. But again, since I know nothing, it is odd that I never have unknown network traffic, and I don't have anyone on my Wi-Fi. Could be coincidence. I wouldn't expect that JUST hiding my SSID should be called security, but I would argue that it makes the system as a whole less of a target, therefore more secure, and that was the point. But ... I know nothing.
@Mister Jones This white paper should help explain it.
http://www.howtogeek.com/?post_type=post&p=28653
Just another more expensive but more attractive Faraday cage without staring at all the wire mesh. Grrrrrr... the geek in me is starting to think about building a home with one.
This is the best news of the day. I live in an apartment complex and we had major attacks on our wifi a little over a year ago. The attacks at certain times of the day were every 15 minutes or less. We were able to narrow it down to a family that was living up above us, but even then, there was nothing we could do about it. Unfortunately after 6 months of this, we were at our wits end and we lost our cookies, we notice a teenage boy was staying there with a girl that was definitely under age big time. (We thought they were brother and sister, until we saw them kissing one day.) We decided to call child protective services, we also found out at the time, they had not paid any rent for three months, but with in a two days of making that call, all attacks on our wifi came to an end, and they moved out a month later. Until you go through some thing like this, you have no clue what it is like. Try watching a movie from Netflix, or just watching a video, or just looking up some thing on the internet, or downloading anything, and then all of sudden you lose the wifi, because someone is throwing passwords at it, trying to break in. I will be the first in line to buy this wallpaper.
you're naive. Do you have windows?, do you have a ceiling and a floor? a door? Are you going to wallpaer over everything in your house?
That's exactly what I thought when reading the article. Glad that everyone hasn't lost their common sense. Just get a box of tin foil and make a hat.. You'll protect the rest of the population by letting everyone know they're DUMB!!
Until you go through something like this, and you are at your wits end, trying to get it to stop, you will try anything in desperation.
You are retarded! -haha wall paper your ceiling stupid!
and this stops a directional antenna pointed at a window how?
exactly!
Simply by reading the article you would have known the author already stated windows, floors and ceiling are not protected. Please put your foil cap back on at this time.
OK, so my apartment does not have interior windows. But it does appear to have a door, a floor and a stuccoed ceiling. Very hard to stick the paper to the ceiling and my landlord will not let me sand it down
( I tried the stuff on the floor, but it doesn't wear well. It was also a pain pasting it to the back walls of my closets and kitchen cabinets. Also, if I do box myself in with this stuff, won't it be like sitting inside a microwave oven, albeit at lower energies (I hope)? I do like the idea of reducing incoming signals, however. Come on people, they should have saved this story for the day of the poisson.
I have a better idea, capture the wifi signals and shoot them through fiber optic cables that you run throughout your house and attach directly to your computer(s) so that nobody steals the signal.......forward progress at its finest
that is not wireless anymore. Did that occur to you when the idea rushed into your head!
I see humor is lost on you.
Or just secure it, like the rest of us smart people. 3 simple steps and your neighbors will get jacked, and you won't.
For those of you that like to throw money at a problem instead of logic...
My tinfoil hat works in a similar fashion (one of many signals it blocks....and yes, the pun was intended)
This is for the rich idiots who do not know how to put a password on the wifi. or even password and HIDE the brodcast! Just write down the name and password and you are golden!! does the same thing this stupid wall paper does!
Thank goodness! Finally a voice of reason. If people would attempt to learn a little bit about the technology they use there would not be a need for this wallpaper. There are wireless networks all over that have the same default password for logging into the router, same IP address for the router and it is soooo easy to just log in and grab a password. Take a few seconds out of your lives and learn a little about the technology you use everyday. It will probably save you some heartache and headaches one day.
A password is cheaper. And not nearly as fugly.
All passwords are crackable, given enough effort/time.
If you use WPA2 + PSK and make the key no less than 32 bytes of gibberish, it would take 2 to 3 lifetimes to crack. In addition you only allow MAC address of your devices and in addition to that you DO NOT advertise you SSID then it is really really really really hard ,dam near impossible to access your network.
THIS WALL PAPER IS FOR PEOPLE TOO STUPID/LAZY TO CONFIGURE THEIR ROUTER CORRECTLY
And if you hide your SSID and restrict MAC access to your router? Yeah, you are right. Not secure enough. Go for the wallpaper dude.
That is correct. I guess this wallpaper is for those who don't know how to setup a strong password. Wonder how business case was made for this wall paper. Let's see: there are so many who use wifi and of those 75% are illiterate or stup*d and will not set a password. Hence it makes sense. viola – biz case done!
Read my post above. RF does not stop and wait for a password.
Hey that's great! But, what's a heath effect?
Most rooms in a house have windows, so exactly how is this going to prevent the signals from entering/exiting exactly?
Sure was probably tested on a closed room and not a room built to code.
While you have a window in the interior wall the that separates your apartment from the one next to yours, most people don't.
I guess stopping your neighbor from stealing your WiFi has its advantages, though I would simply use a stronger pass phrase before going thru the trouble of wallpapering.
You can easily get to someone's wireless signal from your exterior window to their exterior window if they are nearby. Nearly everyone has exterior windows. This isn't very helpful.
If we are talking about apartments then I guess you need to wallpaper your ceiling as well? Lets just face it, this is a product that is being developed in hopes that enough people are paranoid about hackers/id theft that they will come out making a profit on a item that cannot live up to it's promises 100%. Free advice, get rid of the wireless and get a rj45 cable, reliable, safer, securer and faster.
Sorry I should also add that you will need to add it to your floor as well.
I think people (the author of the article included) are missing at least half the point...the wallpaper stops external signals from getting in too. Signal interference is an increasing problem in urban environments with every unit in large apartment buildings setting up their own WIFI networks.
Exactly. It would be nice if routers would come with modes to adjust the signal strength. Or even better, an auto adjustment based on feedback from connected devices. Then one doesn't have to worry about their signal being accessible to someone accross the street....
But I think what will most likely sell this wallpaper, is the supposed "health" benefits from blocking all those "harmful" EM waves.
I can take the tin foil off my head!!!
It is just plain delusional (and irresponsible) to think that a WIFI connection can/are secured – No matter what type of Encryption(s) (WEP/WAP) you use – Still a BIG risk… Want true security – use network cables (RJ45) – The power button is also a great “security measurement” – Just turn it off!!! LMAO
Ha, try plugging r j45 into an ipad! The major point of the paper is to protect wireless access, not get rid of it. As has been pointed out this is targeted for idiots. Read your wireless router manual and configure it adequately. As with any account, change password regularly.
Ohh man... I don’t think that the Big co's out their save all of the financial data on an IPAD. And if you do then you will eventually pay the price... Ohh wait it’s an Appeal product… Anything can be done on it... Im sorry for my ignorance lol! Yeah Steve will come out of his slumber and will protect you all LMAO!!! Yeah no security problems B/C it was made by GOD lol... In any case was referring to Lappies and PC's... IPAD and Android tablets are TOYS
My Bad! I meant Apple product lol
Yes WEP = BIG RISK, might as well have an open network. But WPA2 with a long key is very very hard.
Same I said to one of my friends.... It CANT be done. But of course an open wifi is easer but when you witness it with your own eyes then you will say like my good friend showed me (64/128Bit WAP/WEP raped)... Think again boy... to Hell with WIFI – I'll keep the cable on and anyways if you do not keep your PC on 7/24 (Folding, server and SETI) then there’s nothing (aka Less) to worry about... Just Google it WEP key finder/breaker
The issue I see is weather it blocks internal signals when you have a router in one room and a device in another room or floor. Seems to me this would then create a situation your trying to avoid? I would suspect that the blocking wallpaper would have to be confined to outside walls so as to not interfere with internal signals. I also heard its price tag was not cheap.
I think people are missing at least half the point...the wallpaper stops external signals from getting in too. Signal interference is an increasing problem in urban environments with every unit in large apartments setting up their own WIFI networks.
If you use this only on the exterior walls, you won't have that issue. The signals will bounce around inside the home but not leak out. Since you can wallpaper over this stuff, you can treat specific walls with it and still have a consistent look on the interior walls as well.
My assumption is that one would use this on the interior walls that separate your apartment from the next.
You don't want your neighbor streaming kiddie p0rn, using your IP, and as a result, the FBI comes knocking on your door instead of his.
LOL. This is crazy. Don't call me baby coz this wallpaper is a crappy.
I kind-of like this wall paper. IMHO, it looks nicer than that green-crap shown covering it up.
Years ago my wife wallpapered our bedroom with a metallic foil pattern. One stormy night lighting struck the corner of our house where our bedroom was at. Once we recovered from the flash blindness we saw two dime-sized holes blown in opposite walls where the lighting had arced across the bedroom. Also all the places at the wallpaper seams around the room where the foil pattern was close had been peeled back by the lighting strike. We were sleeping in a Faraday Cage and didn't know it. We had the paper removed that week. So be careful.
A Faraday cage will protect you from lightning, not make you more vulnerable to it.
Only if it's properly grounded. There's no way that guy's metallic foil wallpaper was grounded, so who knows what kind of weird interaction he got with the lightning.
Ed is correct. Besides destroying our wallpaper, the lighting could have fried us or anything else in contact with the foil when it struck.
Our product doesn't work yet, hasn't been tested, is still being produced, and can't guarantee complete protection. PUT IT ON CNN.com!!!!
No 'scientist' who knows anything about physics would say the "overuse of wireless technology could cause harmful heath[SIC] effects". That's just fear mongering on the part of the marketing department.
Alright, I'm not exactly tech savvy, but can't you just put a password on your wi-fi?
BEST comment. Password? It's so simple...and honestly, there is no way someone Else can make money off of your common sense, sir. hahaa
Yup. Use WPA2 encryption, and you are good to go. There are a couple more tricks you can do to make it more secure, and all the information is available. You do not need to re-wallpaper your house. I will, however, sell you some magic beans and some hair tonic ...
Does this mean I can take off my tin foil hat now?
That's what I was going to say!
Has anyone tried putting up wallpaper? It is not fun.
In case no one else has said this, but if it blocks cell phones can we line movie theaters with this please?
Would be cheaper and more effective to install a cell jammer.
FCC rules prohibit active signal jamming.
SO the French invented wi-fi blocking wall paper?
Now if they could just work on something to block their smell..........
There is something for that. It's called soap.
This doesn't make any sense......in a home, the purpose of the wireless router is to broadcast THROUGH the walls.......so devices in another room wouldn't be able to access the router.
In a business the ability to travel through walls is necessary too. I suppose a signal booster or whatever they are called would work, but.....I don't see a real application for this unless you are in a one room LOCK DOWN facility.
External walls dude..........so your neighbors can't hitch on.
I think this is unneeded though. I wonder if they ever heard of sugnal encryption. WEP, etc, etc?
WEP is easy to hack, switch to WPA.
You simply don't use the paper on interior walls. Did that really need to be spelled out?
You don't put it on every wall, only external ones.
This probably doesn't make sense to you because you're not taking a moment to think about how it would be used.
In a business or a residential setting this would not be applied to EVERY wall like you're thinking, but rather to the "shell" of a structure. This way signals are able to broadcast through walls within the home or facility but not outside said home or facility.
I think maybe you're not getting the idea. You only put it on the outside walls so signals can travel freely through walls inside. Not only that, but I would have less chance of interfering with the other 10 access points I can receive in my house from other surrounding houses.
@rockwood.....good one!
One more vote for "Dumbest tech idea of the year." Is setting a password on your WiFi really that hard? Harder than getting wallpaper to line up right?
this is a great idea. password can only hold out for so long until someone cracks it. passwords are never enough to protect something. you also need to encrypt it and block out unwanted computers.
ok... i wrapped my router in this stuff, and i lost signal. what did i do wrong?
Sarah Palin recommends installing the Cone of Silence. Problem solved.
just lock your network down with a password the equivalent of a story, for example...
WhyWaste$OnWallpaper?JustUse1GoodPassword!Geez.
anyone that hacks into that is unstoppable. no wallpaper is stopping them from anything.
Actually, that password would be very easy to hack. You're using a bunch of words. A dictionary attack would work quite nicely against that...
Set up the password and WEP settings on the router ...!?! Nah, I'm going to cover every wall of my apartment in WiFi blocking wallpaper!
If you're still using WEP, you should consider this wallpaper.
Hummm.. anyone smart can crack WEP very quickly, switch to WPA.
My router comes with this cool new technology called encryption. And it has different types too! I just pick one and set a password. Oh, and I also change the password from time to time too! So who needs the stupid wallpaper?
A few months ago in Starbucks, I overheard Person 1 sitting next to me complaining to Person 2 across from them about how slow the internet connection was. 2 said that he never used the starbucks wifi because so many people were on it making it slow, and in fact he also had not payed for wifi in years. He just finds the strongest signal in the area, somehow gets the password in a matter of seconds, and he's got free wifi.
2 told 1 the password for the strongest wifi signal. It was a random jumble of numbers and letters, and since I was sitting next to them and could easily hear everything I tried it, too. And all of the sudden 3 random people were using someones super secure wifi
And, all of the sudden, 3 random people (dependent upon the Starbuck's jurisdiction) committed a felony!
New laws are cracking down on hacking into secured WiFi networks. These laws even go further to include unsecured WiFi networks.
I completely disagree with the ruling for unsecured systems, and it is quite possible that part of these laws will be eventually overturned. If the owner can't be bothered to use password protection, then the signal should be treated as a public over the air broadcast, just like terrestrial "free to air" radio and TV.
However, I absolutely agree that hacking a password protected system should be a felony. It is no different than hacking into cable or satellite TV system to avoid paying for it.
http://www.dba-oracle.com/t_unauthorized_access_computer_network_crime.htm
Have you seen how easy your "encription" is cracked. The only security one has is lack of intereset or basic knowledge from his neighbor. Real security requires constant monitoring, and even then they can slip thru.
I'll just stick with MAC filtering and Encryption thank you. Besides the whole aesthetic value of the wall paper (or lack thereof), I like to sit outside and use my wifi devices.
The alternative for the tinfoil hat? Still very interesting and useful – Think again if you think that your strong WEP password will save ya.. JA! Lmao – You’ll better off with RJ45 network cables if you want real security...
Ah, you forgot completely about the RJ45 jack the previous owner installed out on the patio "just in case"?
Encryption can be cracked, and MAC addresses can be duplicated (quite easily; Windows and Mac OS both have the option built into the OS).
Next?
Doesn't stop the guy in the apt. below you and above you unless you put it in the carpet and the ceiling.
And what about windows and doors? Seems like you'll have to paper over those as well.
They have coordinating/matching windows shades too.
Wow, this is OLD news. I've know about this wallpaper for almost a year now.
Also, setting up a password does the same thing, and it is also cheaper than covering up all your walls with this.
Grats, you want a cookie?
Grats?
Retard.
Actually, using the Doppler Effect, Wi-Fi signals *can* be used to "see" through walls. The technology to do so is still in its infancy, and I have no idea if this wallpaper would be any sort of a counter-measure, but it is an interesting idea.
It should block all electromagnetic waves of certain frequencies, namely wifi frequencies. Sounds for a useful device for people who get tired of their tin-foil hats
I'm so making a hat out of this
LOL! Literally!
And you know somebody will! Haha!
So, this should only be used on the outside walls otherwise you'd be blocking the WiFi transmission inside your home between rooms. So who is going to wallpaper only one wall, or at the most 2, out of the four? It is cheaper to turn on encryption and MAC filtering. Yes people can hack their way in; with enough time. . . but it will stop 99% of the people.
You can put it inside the outer wall if you want.
RTFA
You put this wallpaper on, and then put real wallpaper over it. Doesn't take a genius to figure this one out.
You're setting up a Faraday Cage with this stuff. Cell phone signals are in the microwave range and cannot penetrate such a barrier. While it may be ok for a homeowner with a land line or majic jack, such barriers are supposed to be illegal in public places. Supposed to be. Malls and theaters are beginning to setup jamming devices.
The wallpaper is a passive method and may indeed contribute to one's health.
Faraday cages are not outlawed in public places, dude. That's only active jamming that's outlawed.
As a general statement, you can passively stop electromagnetic waves from entering a building but not actively jam said signal.
It's not a Faraday cage, that is old and well known technology. The key to this technology is it blocks selective frequency bands and not others.
I think what he is saying is this material "resonates" in these particular frequencies acting like a filter and turns the rf into heat energy or, it reflects the energy.
or you could spend zero extra dollars and make your wifi password-protected
Passwords can be cracked. Wallpaper can't.
Passwords can be changed...
This is what is known as a Faraday cage, and was invented in 1836 by Michael Faraday. The spacing between the conductors determine what frequencies can pass through. This technique has been used for decades for high-security buildings, but this will be the first commercial product, to my knowledge.
It's not a Faraday cage, that is old and well known technology. The key to this technology is it blocks selective frequency bands and not others. A faraday cage will have a simple cutoff frequency, not band selectifvity.
It's not a Faraday cage. The key to this technology is it blocks selective frequency bands and not others. A faraday cage will have a simple cutoff frequency, not band selectifvity.
I'm covering the arms of my lawn furniture with this!
I wonder how many people will come here, not read the article, set the image as their background wallpaper, and believe they have more secured internet.
Good one. I also heard that installing a Van de Graaff generator inside of your computer does wonders for its processor speed.
Secure passwords serve the same function.
'Secure passwords serve the same function.'
Depends. It is sort of like a bike lock, they are there mostly to deter poor thieves..
Agreed. I just logged in to say that. Securing it with a password will deter your neighbor from logging in. Not a hacker.
Secure passphrases don't help much, especially if you're still using WEP instead of WPA2.
OK then, what about WPA2 + MAC address filtering? How long would it take someone to get through that?
Proper Encryption, super duper hard password, MAC filtering, reducing power so range does not extend beyond where you need it, shutting off broadcast when not in use....
These things make is so if you come into contact with a person with skills to defeat it, they probably won't bother to waste the time.
People, and I use that term loosely, they are marketing this product primarily at corporate environments, where the data that passes over their wireless networks is actually worth the effort to steal. Your pr0n and movie downloads are not the issue.
"Honey... why isn't my cell phone working anymore?..... Wait... you did WHAT!!!!"
LOL. Good one.
Article states specifically that higher-range signals such as FM radio and cell phones will pass through.
Reading is your friend.