14.09 Mhz is the ethernet frequency.

While listening for amateur radio signals on my Grundig G5, I found a loud tone at 14.09 Mhz single sideband. Later on I found out that it's my Ethernet cable acting like a transmitting antenna. So here's a video of some quick web surfing and what it sounds like.
Test 1:Load a page which is already cached.
Test 2:Load Google Images which wasn't locally cached.
Test 3:Search on Google (text test).
Test 4:Load Youtube and search for videos.

You can hear the network traffic on the radio.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• electronics
• radio
• interference
• ethernet
• antenna
• noise

[Amishman35]

Thank goodness I switched to a wireless LAN and changed the adapter on the cable modem. It's much quieter now. Before I swear, it was so loud that I could probably hook up an electrically short dipole antenna to an MTX Jackhammer subwoofer and blast the 20+ inch diameter cone clear out of the basket and through 6 feet of concrete and rebar using no amplification just like a crystal set.

[Falkon303]

if you amplify it enough, you can tune in to the radiation from monitors and view what is being displayed on a screen remotely... There was a name for the box, but I forget.

[Amishman35]

Tempest Radiation Receiver.

[halbeik]

Hey, That is nifty. Can you tell me more on how you set this up, and how sure are you that its from your ethernet?

I couldn't tell where your antenna was, so not sure if it was shielded or not from your computer. What was the signal-to-noise ratio you're getting?

Don't mean to badger you here. But I really would like to know.

-73

KB1JLW

[Amishman35]

There are a bunch of frequencies that are unusable, and when I unhook all the ethernet cables in the house, it goes away. Soon I'm going to post a video about my cable modem, WWV at 5.00 Mhz is totally worthless unless I go outside away from the house. It sounds like 60 hertz hum in AM (double sideband reception) mode. I managed to make my ethernet cable a little quieter by putting aluminum foil around it. One good thing that works is to plug all your wall-warts in a power strip and turn it off.

[KD0NVX]

WLAN is still a bit noisy though! I put my WLAN router in a metal filing cabinet and that took care of the amount of QRM coming from the modem to the router with the ethernet cable.

[bben95]

this sounds like power line technology to me. Do you have any of those devices?

[calcvids]

Schools (which consist entirely of wired networks) REALLY have this problem.

[Amishman35]

@DanielChristy19 WLAN is MUCH, MUCH more shortwave friendly than wired Ethernet, if you go with wired internet, you might as well run a Tesla coil...

[spunker88]

I doubt its your ethernet cable unless you have a really damaged one. It should have enough shielding to prevent that much leakage. Chances are its probably your computer's processor since it is processing the information from your internet connection, every time you load something it goes to work. Try running an AV scan or something that requires processing power but no internet. Youll probably still hear the noise.

[cj691]

Just because you hear the noise doesn't mean its the frequency. I hear a whine on my 2m rig when I have my laptop with an Ethernet link up. VCOs are much more susceptible to noise conductance than older radios. I can also hear WiFi devices when I'm tuned into a distant repeater. My rig is only mobile, I have 2.4GHz and 2m/440.

[freebsdblues]

What you are listening to are harmonics being generated from your pc and Monitor. All computers generate some harmonics. I get those signals on my Radio Shack scanner whenever I scan the 2 meter band. It's a basic fact in digital electronics that a pure square wave generates dozens of harmonics. So in this case any radio will do, just tune in until you find it. If your facinated google "tempest" now that is an eye opener someone can soop in and pick up what's on your pc if they new how.