The 802.11s task force has gotten down to work. The task force is trying to come up with a mesh networking spec to finally define how to do it. Motorola has already taken the preliminary draft and stated that their software already supports it. As with most standards task forces, this one looks to have… Continue Reading
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Wireless History Repeats Itself
Manufacturers are rushing pre 802.11n gear out the door without knowing if the gear will work in 18 months. WiMax is rolling into areas already loaded with wired competition. How are these guys going to make money? Any responsible consumer, unless they have a urgent need for the higher bandwidth of 802.11n and can afford… Continue Reading
Why EarthLink Needs Wi-Fi To Work
ISP’s are facing a problem. Dial-up is dying and broadband is levelling off. How do you get new customers to continue growth? Well, for Earthlink, they are betting thier chips in WiFi in San Francisco, hoping that they can make a go of it. After many years of renting other companies infrastructure, it will be… Continue Reading
High Hopes Grow For Big, New Wireless Networks
In the good old days of 5 years ago, WiFi was touted as the ‘it’ product that would provide internet service to thousands and start a revolution. Well, it did’nt really happen that way. Alot of early municipal wireless installations never got the market penetration that was expected. However not all was lost as many… Continue Reading
People Don’t Want To Pay For Public Wi-Fi
People like free stuff, and that goes for WiFi services too. A survey of users show that 58% of users only use public hotspots when they are free. The rest presumably are willing to pay. Another interesting fact is that lack of necessity to go online and lack of equipment are bigger reason than price… Continue Reading
How To Keep Your Wireless LANs Safer
It’s rough out there in the wireless world. Keeping things secure should be a top priority for everyone dealing with WLANs. Thinking about security from the outset makes the job easier. Thinking about end to end security makes it safer. Via [computerworld.com]… Continue Reading
WiMax d vs. e: The Difference A Letter Makes
Even WiMax has it’s alphabet soup. 802.16d and 802.16e are both WiMax standards, .16d is fixed, .16e is mobile, and they don’t play nicely together. There are advantages to both, but anyone investing in WiMax should look at 802.16e for a whole host of reasons. Via [computerworld.com]… Continue Reading
Browsing The Net On The Rails
People seem to want to use the internet everywhere, and businesses are listening. In California, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system has put out a request for proposals on WiFi enabling the 105 mile system. No excuse not to have your presentation for the morning meeting now. Via [mercurynews.com]… Continue Reading
Aperto Bags $26M For WiMAX
Aperto, manufacturer of WiMax chipsets, has recieved another $26 Million in funding, making it the most well funded start-up in the WiMax field. With very little delivered so far in terms of product, it will be interesting to see how the market handles this disruptive technology. Via [redherring.com]… Continue Reading
Google’s Wi-Fi Plan For San Francisco Stirs Privacy Debate
As with any new project nowadays, privacy is becoming a concern with the Google-Earthlink plan to provide free WiFi to San Francisco. The debate stems from Google’s plan to pay for the service with targeted ads based on the users location. Since the system will know who’s signed on through user ID’s and will also… 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
The Problems With Citywide Wireless
Municiple WiFi seems to have a problem. Millions are spent to set it up, but no one wants to pay to use it. This is the problem faced by some municipal and city-wide network installations. The solution seems to be with third party partnerships that allow for advertising and pay-for-higher-speeds plans, as is the case… Continue Reading