Being first-on-the-block-to-own-them might backfire with the newly-released 802.11n WiFi products. Early testing suggests the products, based on draft versions of the 802.11n standard, aren’t meeting expectations raised by marketing hype. The new technology promises increased speed (over current 802.11g technology) and interoperability between 802.11n products when connecting to wireless access points. MIMO technology (multiple-in, multiple-out)… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Sherry Jones
Speed Limit On WiFi About To Get A Boost
WiFi-N devices, which perform up to 5 times faster than their standard version cousins WiFi-A, -B, and -G, boast speeds as high as 270 million bits per second. While real-world speeds will be lower by as much as half that, they’re still faster than current speeds of about 54 million bits per second. Consumers, however,… Continue Reading
New Law Forces Businesses To Secure Wireless Nets
Come October 2006, hackers in New York City’s Westchester County will hit a wall — a firewall, to be exact. A new law, considered to be one of the first of its type in the country, will force Westchester businesses using wireless technology to secure their networks from hackers in order to protect customers’ personal… Continue Reading
Siemens Building Compliance Into Wi-Fi
HiPath Wireless Advanced, the latest management package for Siemens’ Wi-Fi LAN products, comes with compliance technology built right in; predefined business rules automatically check data for government regulations conformity. Advanced also comes with built-in intrusion and protection capabilities, but rather than a denial of service each time a rogue AP is mistakenly accessed, the Siemens… Continue Reading
Fort Wayne Gets Wi-Fi ‘Hot Zone’
Fort Wayne, Indiana, is now a “hot zone,” thanks to the Indiana Data Center, an ISP that serves Fort Wayne and its surrounding communities. The wireless distribution system, developed by Colubris Networks, uses dual-radio access points, situated on water towers, hospital rooftops, and fire stations, to cover the downtown area as well as the local… Continue Reading
Is Wi-Fi Roaming Really Seamless?
The goal of mobile Wi-Fi is, of course, mobility, but seamless connectivity for users who wander about isn’t always completely seamless. In a world where roaming delays exceeding 100 milliseconds aren’t tolerated (wireless voice), and where giving up on one access point before finally finding another can take up to 5 seconds, users should take… Continue Reading
11n Links ‘Will Hog WiFi Airspace’
Airspace, by its very definition, seems boundless, but apparently it’s not. Next-generation 802.11n WiFi links, in order to achieve top data rates, would be forced to hog already congested bandwidth channels or to “bond” two channels into one, a practice that is already illegal in Japan. Systems using the new standard would be faster even… Continue Reading
Steps For Better, Simpler Wireless Network Security
Siemens Communications has introduced HiPath Wireless Advanced, a centrally managed WLAN security controller comprised of integrated components rather than separately purchased ones. The system, with prices starting at $6,000, includes an intrusion detection and prevention system capable of sniffing out rogue access points and blocking their users. Other companies offering intrusion detection and prevention tools… Continue Reading
Know Your Wireless Enemy
Security needs for a wireless LAN lie somewhere between business needs and business risks, and the challenge is in knowing how far to go and which methods to use. Hackers, freeloaders, and virus spreaders have a multitude of tools at their disposal, and weak WEP encryption doesn’t offer much protection. Newer security technologies can be… Continue Reading
WiFi Tracking Will Grow Fast, Says Analyst
You can run, but you can’t hide. WiFi location tracking devices, whether external asset tags or embedded WiFi, use WiFi access points to determine the location of items such as laptops, scanners and phones. Interest in WiFi location tracking applications is growing, and is especially high for healthcare items such as wheelchairs and patient monitoring… Continue Reading
Internet Designer Sees Big Things For Wireless Broadband
Vint Cerf, VP and Internet evangelist at Google, asserts that broadband service providers could use some competition. Cerf, who helped create the foundations for today’s Internet, says cable modems from cable companies, along with DSL lines from wireline phone companies, are the two most common Internet access technologies, yet both are mostly inadequate for the… Continue Reading