The sorry state of Wi-Fi security has become one of the most well known secrets of the 802.11 networking standard. The ease of setting up a wireless networking using 802.11-based technology is mirrored by the effortless way hackers, snoopers and the just-curious can detect, enter and use Wi-Fi networks used by corporations, coffee shops and… Continue Reading
WLANs May Be Banned At Agencies
The proposed National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace plans to get tough on wireless technology, saying that if secure WLANs don’t exist, federal agencies shouldn’t use them. Via [eweek.com]… Continue Reading
Why Built-in WiFi’s Not Necessarily A Good Thing
Despite my feelings about who will find Tablet PCs to be really useful, I’ve decided to try using one as my main system. The Tablet PC I’ll be testing is a prototype of Acer’s 700MHz mobile Pentium III-based TravelMate 100. But the fact that it has built-in support for 802.11b-based wireless Ethernet–as all tablets should–means… Continue Reading
The Marriage Of WLAN To GSM
Transat Technologies of Southlake, TX, a developer of wireless data communications technology, has a dream. The company wants to, in the words of their President and CEO John Baker, help mobile carriers “move into smart card type technology for authentication and billing on WLAN networks.” Via [siliconvalley.internet.com]… Continue Reading
WiFi Hotspots Pose Threat To US 3G – US Bancorp
The success in the US of public wireless local area network (PWLAN) “hotspot” services is causing a rethink among wireless network operators, which are beginning to see hotspot growth as another reason to delay the roll-out of 3G services. Via [theregister.co.uk]… Continue Reading
HP & T-Mobile Power Up Starbucks With Wireless
Starbucks customers may get a jolt of something a little more powerful than caffeine in the coming weeks. The ubiquitous U.S. coffee chain today with T-Mobile and computing giant Hewlett-Packard unveils in-store wireless access at a press event in San Francisco attended by VoiceStream/T-Mobile Chairman John Stanton, Hewlett-Packard President Michael Capellas and Starbucks Chairman Howard… Continue Reading
Securing The Wireless LAN
Wireless LANs are too inexpensive to ignore, but security has stymied many network managers looking to bring wireless into the corporate fold. There’s a lot of information and misinformation out there about issues and approaches. Here are some simple strategies to help guide your path. Via [nwfusion.com]… Continue Reading
Review: Elite Solution Secures WLANs
The IEEE 802.11 committee has done a credible job developing workable wireless LAN standards that address the physical and data-link layers, but the absence of a standards-based security architecture is a big headache for organizations contemplating a large-scale rollout of WLAN services. Even before WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption got hacked last year, vendors and… Continue Reading
WLAN Use Growing Fast, Researchers Say
The number of wireless LAN implementations in the U.S. has doubled over the past 12 months, according to a report released Thursday by Yankee Group, in Boston. Enterprises are using WLANs in growing numbers, Yankee said in a statement: More than 1 million WLAN access points are in use by more than 700,000 U.S. enterprises.… Continue Reading
History Lessons For Wireless Networks
Barnet in North London has much to recommend it but few would associate it with the history of UK technology. Via [news.bbc.co.uk]… Continue Reading
Qualcomm Considers Wi-Fi Phones
Months after the CEO of cell phone giant Qualcomm downplayed the importance of Wi-Fi to next-gen wireless networks, the company has become the latest cellular vendor embracing 802.11. Via [wi-fiplanet.com]… Continue Reading
Wi-Fi Users Warned Of Pirates
AT&T Broadband is warning customers to secure their Wi-Fi networks after an unusual case in which a subscriber played an unwitting role in dispatching a pirated movie over the Internet, the company’s spokeswoman said. Via [news.com.com]… Continue Reading
The High Hurdles Facing Wi-Fi
If overcrowded spectrum isn’t destined to crimp its growth, it’ll need better technology and regulatory help from the FCC. Via [businessweek.com]… Continue Reading
Small-time ISPs Jump On Wireless Bandwagon
It’s a national phenomenon: All over the United States, small-town and rural Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) are springing up, often because wireless is the only practical way to bring broadband Internet access to the areas they serve. These are not hobbyists using consumer-grade 802.11b equipment, but professionals hoping to make substantial money providing professional-level… Continue Reading
Validating The Hotspot Model?
Announced rather quietly earlier in the summer, it looks like Toshiba’s Computer Systems Group (CSG) hotspot initiative is ready for phase two. The company seems poised to give the push toward increasing the number of public hotspots in the U.S. Via [wi-fiplanet.com]… Continue Reading