Wireless Connectivity

Securing Wi-Fi for Hackers

Written by Anonymous on 11:51 PM

How do you secure a wireless network for a convention of hackers?

That's the question that wireless networking vendor Aruba Networks has been answering for the last four years as the wireless service provider for the Black Hat security conference.

Black Hat takes place this week in Las Vegas, and Aruba is providing the wireless network. And that means it has its work cut out for it: Aruba's Wi-Fi network is under constant assault during the event, with users attempting denial of service (DoS) attacks, scanning for open ports and deploying rogue access points.

Aruba isn't intimidated by the Black Hat crowd -- on the contrary, Aruba execs note that they learn from the event in order to make wireless access more secure.

"The posture that we take at Black Hat is much more defensive than it is for a regular public conference," Mike Tennefoss, Aruba's head of strategic marketing, told InternetNews.com. "The way we set up wireless in the early years was to have an open Wi-Fi network and we saw all sorts of attacks take place."

"A lot of these people have gone to Black Hat training [sessions] first, and there are wireless hacking classes that are taught," he added. "So a lot of the stuff we saw last year happened during the training where people tried to try out new attacks."

Tennefoss said that last year, Aruba took the step of turning on WPA (define) encryption by default for the Black Hat network.

"What we saw as a result of turning on WPA was a drastic reduction in the amount of 'screwing around' that people did on the network," Tennefoss said. "Most of the other conferences that we do, like Interop, they don't want to turn on WPA. For usability reasons, they want an open network."

With an open network, data is sent unencrypted in the clear. Even though it's less secure, organizers of some conferences see a benefit in that it's easier to log on to, since a WPA password is not required.

But Tennefoss noted that there is also a misconception in the marketplace that works against WPA -- that it causes an impact on wireless performance. According to Tennefoss, Aruba's wireless gear does not suffer from a performance hit as a result of turning the encryption.

One security feature that the Black Hat Wi-Fi network will not have is network access control (NAC). Tennefoss explained that Aruba has a NAC endpoint compliance system that validates the health of an endpoint -- that is, it ensures it has working security software. According to Tennefoss, the Black Hat organizers have chosen not to take advantage of that capability.

Tennefoss said endpoint compliance is more popular with corporate deployments, and trade shows don't tend to use the technology. The chief concern is that if NAC is turned on, it will decrease the network's ease of usability, as users may or may not be able to comply with the network policy.

Going rogue

One of the most common types of attacks seen at Black Hat is when attackers set up their own access points with the name "Black Hat". Such a rogue access point could potentially trick users into connecting to it, and then the attacker could see all of the users' traffic.

But Aruba is striking back, courtesy of a technology called RFprotect. Integrated into Aruba's controller and management software, RFprotect seeks out and helps to identify rogues on the network, Tennefoss said.

Aruba can also physically locate where potential rogue access points might be set up, enabling staffers to confront the hackers responsible.

"We set our access points up in such a way that every room is covered by at least three access points," Tennefoss said. "So we can triangulate location based on signal strength."

Tennefoss explained that all three access points would see any rogue signal. The data is fed into Aruba's management system, which then enables the company to pinpoint a rogue's location in a room.

Aruba also keeps the access point logs from the event and analyzes all the traffic after Black Hat to see if any new types of attacks are emerging.

But is it safe?

Users of the Black Hat Wi-Fi network have traditionally been first greeted by a terse warning that the network is hostile -- that is, if you use it, you might be prone to hacking.

But to Aruba, that doesn't mean that the Wi-Fi network isn't safe for most users.

"Given the level of protection we have in place, it's relatively safe," Tennefoss said. "The larger point for the warning is that the entire conference should be considered hostile overall. So don't do your online banking or transmit passwords in the clear over the network because someone could potentially intercept you."

The Black Hat event runs an effort called the Wall of Sheep, which anonymously posts on a wall users that are connecting to services without the appropriate security -- for instance, transmitting data in the clear.

Tennefoss noted that the Wall of Sheep is about education and not specifically about the insecurity of the Black Hat Wi-Fi network.

"I think it's a safe network to use," Tennefoss said. "You're not going to turn on your notebook and suddenly be infected. It's more about being conscious of what sort of things you're doing on the network."

By Sean Michael Kerner

200Mbps Wi-Fi for round-the-world race coverage

Written by Anonymous on 11:38 PM

As boats in the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race converge on Stockholm, a temporary 200Mbps wireless network has been set up in the city to cope with media coverage of the event.

The network, almost one kilometre long, will accommodate all data traffic surrounding the event, providing internet access to television and radio broadcasters, sponsors, service teams, guests, and the general public.

More than 20 Wi-Fi access points across the city will provide the coverage.

Stockholm-based Datacom will be setting up the network.

“We are wireless networking experts with a keen interest in sailing, so it felt quite natural for us to be here and do our bit,” said Datacom CEO Ralf Aspholm.

Datacom faces a variety of challenges, including tall buildings, variable weather, which affects the performance of Wi-Fi networks, and disruption from existing Wi-Fi networks.

Security is also a major issue, and to keep to network secure DataCom is co-operating with Sweden-based security software firm Clavister.

“Safety is of course incredibly important. The wireless network we are building on Skeppsbron will be as secure against intrusion as today’s wireless networks can possibly be,” said Aspholm.

Clavister Security Gateway will be used to monitor network traffic and block unauthorised and suspicious activities.

“It is a special challenge to secure public networks for large events. The complexity, time pressure and the large number of users has made this type of network a popular target for hackers, “says Jonas Herner, manager of Clavister Sweden.

Five time Olympic medalist Torben Grauf has already clinched victory in the Volvo Ocean Race by finishing the ninth of 10-legs in third place.


by David Masters

How to be a (safe) Wi-Fi warrior

Written by Anonymous on 12:42 AM

(Fortune Small Business) -- Wireless technology makes it easier than ever to work from the road. But laptops get stolen and Wi-Fi networks at airports, coffee shops and hotels can expose users to increasingly sophisticated forms of cybercrime.

"You're insecure if you're on any publicly available network," says Ken Silva, chief technology officer at Internet security firm VeriSign (VRSN). Silva adds that basic measures, like installing a firewall and antivirus software, are no longer enough to protect your data. What's a telecommuter to do?

First, Silva recommends investing in e-mail and hard-drive encryption software and backing up critical work before you travel. If you must use public Wi-Fi, he says, scrutinize the sites you visit and send data only through certified secure and encrypted pages, indicated by a lock-shaped icon and https: at the beginning of the URL.

Yankee Group analyst Phil Hochmuth suggests setting up a virtual private network (VPN), which lets you use your business network and its security applications from remote locations. If you're not using a VPN, he says, think twice before sending sensitive information such as Social Security or credit-card numbers.

Log in to only one network at a time and disable any file- and network-sharing features on your device, even if you do use a VPN, adds Devin Akin, chief technology officer at CWNP, a firm that certifies IT professionals working with wireless networks. Otherwise, uninvited guests can easily sift through your files, install malware on your hard drive and gain access to your company or home network.

Akin also warns of "evil twins": Wi-Fi decoys that resemble legitimate services but are set up by hackers who use them to gather passwords and other vital information from unsuspecting users. To avoid them, connect only to Wi-Fi networks that display certified-secure and encrypted log-in pages.

Finally, don't ignore the low-tech risk of over-the-shoulder snoops. Install a privacy filter on your laptop (made by 3M and other vendors) to shield your screen in close quarters.

By Lora Kolodny

Wi-Fi and people’s fears over health

Written by Anonymous on 1:07 AM

Some fears and concerns have arisen in people’s heads whether WI-FI is safe or not when is used in connection for a human being’s health. Also these thoughts are stirred up by a recent BBC programme Panorama. At the same time some scientists have declared that they could not find any evidence proving that WI-FI causes any harm or damage to health. Well, we can now investigate this tricky topic in order to find out these proven and those unproven arguments.

Some experiments were undertaken to clear up this situation. Experiment with pupils` reading was performed in one of British schools. The BBC programme Panorama maintains that readings were 600 times below the government's safety limits due to WI-FI radiation. Also the BBC declares that a wireless networks radiation is three times higher than that of a mobile one. From the other side, authorities from scientific society say that the radiation from the laptops is very small. However, better not to encourage children use laptops in their laps when they go online for a long period of time. There is a hot scientific debate with arguments. But, as you know right though thrives on conflict. Now we see that though there is a small radiation from laptops. Then the investigation goes further and Panorama visited one school in Norwich. The experimentation conducted in that school revealed the difference between the WI-FI and mobile radiation. That means that WI-FI signal is three times higher than the beam of mobile radiation.

Let us identify what WI-FI actually means. WI-FI is such a system that uses radio waves of a very low intensity. In comparison with the just common microwave oven that every family has in their houses, the WI-FI radiation intensity is 100,000 times less than that of an oven. Furthermore, if you sit in front of your lap top and receive network by wireless connection for a year then you will have received the same amount of radio waves as that of talking on mobile phone for 20 minutes. So, there is no any evidence what type of radiation has more influence over people’s health and life. But, we understand that the radiation does exist and we are curious to discover the way to calculate it.

This is rather a new area for scientists` investigation. That is why research in this particular direction is still proceeding. Taking into account that radio waves or WI-FI have been part of our lives for more than a century then we should already have found some notes or records with regard to any cases of harm, damage or any other negative effects that WI - FI can provoke. Here are some examples that have been represented to the public. The first person who suggested that low-level radiation has an effect on chromosomes or genetic material was a Professor Olle Johansson from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. However, Professor Will J Stewart from the Royal Academy of Engineering added that science explored that mobile phones` influence over health was negligible and thus assured that people should be calm. Regarding WI-FI, they work on another radio frequencies but the power is very low.

In conclusion, UK Telecom can suggest that opinions are divided into two opposite sides. One side is pro, another is contra. The truth is somewhere in the middle. But, alongside with this delicate issue there are many advantages of using WiMAX connection. This of course is another story and will need to be discussed some other time.

Luxembourg: model of a successful muni Wi-Fi network

Written by Anonymous on 12:58 AM

Earlier this year, Paul Helminger, mayor of the city of Luxembourg launched a partnership with Esch-sur-Alzette, the second largest municipality in the country, to share the HotCity platform created by the city of Luxembourg. Considered to be the most successful municipal Wi-Fi network in Europe, HotCity is now sharing its expertise with other cities. It is establishing a company called HotCity SA to manage and support the network, and the services to be offered through the network.

“Five years ago,” says Paul Helminger, “the municipality of Luxembourg published a white paper (eCity Luxembourg - Ville Virtuelle, PDF in French) explaining its intention to digitize all documents and procedures governing the relationship between the city and its citizens. We started with a portal and a back office to manage it. In parallel we equipped schools with computers, and started to educate people on how to use the portal. The third step we took was to allow people to log onto the city’s website while they are on the go, so we installed several Wi-Fi hot spots in the city.”

Luxembourg HotCity is a platform for wireless services offered to citizens

Launched in July 2007 with a small number of Wi-Fi hot spots, HotCity has expanded and now covers half of the city with 200 Wi-Fi access points. For a short period after the launch, use of the network was free of charge to all users. Since November 2008, the city has been offering paid and free access. The network expects to serve 85,000 people by the end of 2009 with 450 Wi-Fi hot spots (an investment of €2.5 to €3 million). “We just want to offer a network that is accessible from everywhere to our all citizens,” explains Helminger, “just like GSM. One of the key issues in the project was the early partnership with Cisco. Not only did they provide the equipment for the network, they also lent their considerable experience to the design, management and expansion of the network.”

Neutral and open network is mandatory

The most important decision that Helminger took was to create an open network:

“We understood that the majority of failures in municipal network developments all around the world was the result of (1) either the network being limited to the users of one operator or (2) the network delivering only one or few specific services.”

The three goals of the city for the wireless network were to improve communications for the day-to-day operations of municipal workers, to give all citizens better mobile access to municipal resources and services, and to open the network to a large set of commercial services.

The focus of the first part of the network’s launch was to serve young people and business users who are more tech-savvy. The city knew it could not do this alone so it entered into discussions with the incumbent operator, P&T Luxembourg, and with other partners. Helminger says, “We wanted to keep control of the infrastructure and turn it into an open platform for operators, service providers, and of course, for the city itself.”

From Cisco’s point of view, the challenge was to create a secure expandable network open to all wireless data technologies as RFID (i.e. the network is not tailored to any specific service) and to be very flexible in terms of management so that it allows partners to add services, alongside a private (enterprise) network for the city’s workers. “Starting with a Wi-Fi hot spot,” says Luc Imbert, manager of the project at Cisco, “we have designed and developed an entire platform which can manage wireless data on a large scale.”

Dealing with the incumbent

Knowing the collaboration with the incumbent was crucial to the success of the project, the government of Luxembourg and in particular, the Minister in charge of Information Technology, supported the city’s negotiations with P&T Luxembourg, which owns most of the fixed network infrastructure in the city. The city and P&T Luxembourg agreed to split the network infrastructure: the municipality created its own network in some parts of the city, but uses the incumbent’s network in other areas.

The creation of HotCity SA, a company in which the incumbent is a commercial partner and manager of the network, evolved as a logical extension of the city’s earlier partnership with the incumbent. “We bought part of the incumbent’s network,” says Helminger, “and P&T Luxembourg will act as the commercial arm of HotCity. It must, however, keep the network open. The network infrastructure is owned by the municipality which makes it available to HotCity SA and the municipality keeps a majority stake in HotCity which is managed by P&T Luxembourg.” The new company will retain the original eCity team to ensure that the municipality’s interests are always represented within the new company.

Delivering an unrestricted set of services

After the initial free service launch, the degree of awareness about HotCity has risen to 60% of people who use wireless data services. The network is now split into two parts: (1) one which allows access to free services (excluding access to the Internet) and (2) another which offers commercial services (including Internet access). Information as bus schedules, finding a parking spot, local weather, municipal bike rentals, hotels, shopping, emergency services are location-based and free. “We want to facilitate life in the city, and we continue to add services,” says Helminger. “Some of them will be free if they have a public utility, while others will be charged at reasonable rates.”

The municipality has set up a research program to develop new services that respond to citizens’ needs. Any operator or service provider can propose a service or application for the network. New services will be evaluated by HotCity through a formal process and put in place if it improves the life in the city and can benefit users. The platform allows almost any kind of existing or future service to be hosted, but the city retains the final say. For the mayor, the next step is to allow citizens to create local discussion groups where people can exchange information and tell the city what they want to see.

“I’m making it easy for people to scream at me if something is going wrong,” says Helminger, laughing. “On a more serious note, we are working to introduce an electronic signature service for exchanging digitized documents.” The municipality is talking to utility companies to deploy automatic metering and monitoring of water and electricity.

Tariffs to become more flexible

The price for access is €2 for an hour, €8 for an entire day. A monthly subscription costs €17. Helminger says:

“We are still refining our business model and developing a pricing scale with some kind of bundle to make HotCity services more attractive and useful for a larger part of the population. We found that users don’t like the 2 hour minimum pricing, because they use it just to get access to certain specific information at one time, so we are thinking of more flexible tariffs.”

Today HotCity has about 12,000 registered users. At times the network gets close to 4000 people accessing its services in one day. The city has seen a slowdown since November 2008 when the service began charging users. At present, 60% of users access the free services. The proportion of iPhone users is also growing rapidly.

Covering the whole country

“Our ambition,” concludes Helminger, “is to sign agreements in order to spread HotCity platform throughout the country and allow all 500,000 Luxembourg citizens to access it. Each city would bring its own network infrastructure and use HotCity as a service platform. We are in discussions with French cities, as Longwy and Thionville, as well as cities in Belgium. We are also talking to transportation companies because more than 100,000 people from France and Belgium cross the border every day to work in Luxembourg. They should be able to access HotCity services during their commute. Our goal is not to create a new operator because there are already many operators. We just want to bring the services the people need on a daily basis.”

by Alain Baritault

iPhone WiFi Access is buggy

Written by Anonymous on 12:24 AM

Tonight I failed the husband geek-test: fixing something electronic for your wife.

“But it’s not my fault,” I told my wife. “It’s Apple’s fault - WiFi is buggy on the iPhone.” And I think that’s more than a excuse. I think it’s true.

Here’s the deal: we have a wireless network. My iPhone connects to it when I’m home, as does her iPhone. No fuss, no muss: fast free connection to the internet.

But when Teresa puts her phone in Airplane mode at night (as do I) and then wakes it back up again in the morning, turning Airplane mode off … WiFi never comes back automatically.

On my iPhone, turning Airplane mode off returns the phone to the state it was in when Airplane mode was first activated. On my wife’s, it changes the state to something different. In other words, it does not fully undo Airplane mode.

Now, before you ask:

• same phone (iPhone 3G)
• same firmware (latest updates from Apple)
• same settings (General, network, WiFi, you name it)
• OK, hers is black and mine is white

So what gives? In doing some googling, I notice that someone has the exact opposite problem. Others, on Apple’s support forums, have the same problem. Some can fix it by resetting network settings, some can’t. (You can put us in the can’t category.)

Very, very, very odd.

WeFi Launches Huge Directory of Wi-Fi Hotspots

Written by Anonymous on 5:18 AM

Open Wi-Fi network WeFi doesn’t shy from using social media and web services for promotion; they launched a Twitter mashup and a Facebook application last year.

Now, they have a free directory up with over one million Wi-Fi hotspots, available over at wefi.com. An online directory is nice, but much more important is the phone version of the service; if you’re in the United States, text 4WEFI (49334) with your location and you’ll receive a listing of Wi-Fi hotspots nearby within a couple minutes. WeFi’s community can also contribute to the directory either manually or via the free software available over at wefi.com; if you have a GPS device installed on your phone or computer, new hotspots can be located automatically.

*Update: well, we tried texting the service for a listing of nearby Wi-Fi sites, and waited a while to get a response, and the response was this: “WiFi locations found. Text YES to receive, you will be charged $.50 plus standard messaging charges apply. Text STOP to end. HELP for more info.” So, the SMS version of the service isn’t really free as I initially thought - and it was way too slow for actual use.

Google Co-Founder Larry Page Giddy For White Spaces

Written by Anonymous on 12:51 AM

The Federal Communications Commission's decision to enable unlicensed public use of TV white spaces will lead to tremendous business and productivity opportunities, especially for Google (NSDQ: GOOG), co-founder Larry Page said Thursday.

During a keynote session with FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, Page repeatedly said he is optimistic about the future of devices and services that use these white spaces for cheap wireless broadband. He expects the majority of computers and cell phones to have white spaces capability within the next few years.

White spaces sit between broadcast TV channels and can potentially be used for high-speed wireless access. Google, along with companies like Microsoft and Motorola, has been lobbying the FCC for unlicensed use. But broadcasters, telecoms, wireless microphone makers, and even music performers have been adamantly opposed on grounds that it may interfere with nearby spectrum.

"One of the ironies is that wireless mics are a great example of how unlicensed spectrum can be used, as a lot of them did not go through the FCC certification process," said Martin.

One of the main appeals of using the white spaces is that it can go through multiple walls and cover large geographic areas. Page and Martin envision a not-too-distant future where these white spaces are utilized to provide access to widespread wireless broadband, particularly in rural areas, which have long lagged in broadband penetration.

"The government should be encouraging its infrastructure to have nice high-speed wireless everywhere; it's good for the country and good for the economy," Page said.

However, Google and companies like Microsoft and Motorola do not just have altruistic reasons for wanting the white spaces to be unlicensed, as having easy access to high-speed Internet presents multiple revenue opportunities.

"We make most of our money on advertising on search, and there are a lot of times I can't easily do a Web search even with 3G or open Wi-Fi networks," Page said. "If people can get easily connected anywhere [with white spaces], we can make 20% to 30% more money."

Page sees various business models and opportunities for companies of all sizes, and he points to the success of Linksys and Netgear with unlicensed Wi-Fi. Martin said the FCC didn't make the decision soGoogle (NSDQ: GOOG) could make more money, but he did say the search giant was "crucial" in highlighting the consumer benefits as well as the potential technical issues.

Both Martin and Page said the public and companies will be best served by using previous technical knowledge for handling new white-spaces devices. For example, the FCC said white-spaces devices will have to use geolocation technology, which Martin said could be easily taken from similar technology in modern phones.

Page said he is hopeful that a lot of lessons learned from Wi-Fi --especially the need for an interoperability standard -- can be integrated into white-spaces devices. Both said they could envision devices on the market as soon as 18 months, but it will undoubtedly take longer for a wider rollout, as well as economies of scale.

Google is also an investor in the Sprint-backed Clearwire, which is in the process of rolling out a nationwide WiMax network. Page said radios are on the same technological trajectory as computers and will soon be able to utilize different spectrums and bands easily. It's up to the various network providers to work out an easy way to share connectivity, he said.

Tuesday's decision will not be the last time the FCC handles white spaces, Martin said. White-spaces devices initially will have power and spectrum sensing limitations, but that could change with better technology and more white spaces experience.

"It was an important and aggressive first step, but we are putting in place a way to try and do more," Martin said.

Martin will most likely be replaced by a new Barack Obama administration, so he was quite candid in saying the government could and should move toward providing widespread connectivity to help bridge the so-called "digital divide." Martin has been a backer of auctioning off the Advanced Wireless Services-3 spectrum with the condition that the winner has to provide free wireless broadband to 95% of the population within 10 years.

Martin also said the government should reform its $8 billion Lifeline and Link-up services, which provide subsidies to low-income households for voice connectivity.

"It doesn't make sense because we can just focus on connecting people to broadband, while keeping voice connectivity over VoIP," Martin said.

The FCC chairman is also encouraged by the openness that he's seeing in the wireless industry. He pointed to Sprint (NYSE: S)'s embedded-chip WiMax model, Verizon (NYSE: VZ)'s open network pledge, and T-Mobile's use of the open Android platform as encouraging signs.

By Marin Perez

Aruba Launches Wireless Study Projects

Written by Anonymous on 12:55 AM

Aruba Networks on Tuesday publicly launched programs to find new uses for Wi-Fi networks, explore future possibilities for wireless networks and study mobile computing's impact on the environment.

The Wi-Fi network vendor is initiating all three projects under the banner of Aruba Labs, a project that has been in stealth mode for about two years but is now going public and adding a broad program called the Green Island Project, said Aruba spokesman Michael Tennefoss. Aruba Labs helps third-party software providers develop new applications for wireless LANs and will assist some academics and even grade-school students in studying the emerging wireless world, according to Aruba.

Wireless LANs are now taken for granted in homes, public hotspots and some parts of enterprises, but they are relatively new as a mainstream technology. Standardized WLANs have only been on the market about 10 years and proliferated beginning earlier in this decade. Aruba said it wants to help researchers explore "blue-sky" problems on the frontiers of wireless networking and study the potential impact of an all-wireless workplace.

Part of the benefit of Wi-Fi offices is power savings, according to Aruba. For example, Aruba claims using wireless to connect client systems allows for smaller switches with fewer ports, cutting power consumption and the need for copper wiring. In addition, WLANs can open up more possibilities for designing buildings because there's no need to allow for wiring to each employee's computer.

Aruba Labs encompasses both research and development, in three main programs.

Under its Developers Program, Aruba Labs writes and distributes open-source SDKs (software development kits) and APIs (application programming interfaces) for software developers and Aruba customers to quickly develop prototypes of new wireless applications. These might include uses such as Wi-Fi digital signs that could warn of hazardous weather or missing children, or security and environmental sensors around a building, Aruba said in a press release.

With its Advanced Directed Research Program, Aruba engineers work directly with partners to study wireless networking issues through sponsored research, joint development work and grant-funded programs. This "blue-sky" research includes studies such as a two-year project between Aruba and Dartmouth University that studied the vulnerabilities of large WLAN voice networks, Tennefoss said.

The newly launched Green Island Project will sponsor research on the economic, environmental and social effects of wireless computing. Aruba said it wants to quantify these effects, such as the impact of easier telecommuting made possible by wireless. The Green Island Project is open, by invitation only, to kindergarten-through-12th-grade schools and colleges and universities that are Aruba customers. On a case-by-case basis, other institutions and companies will be admitted. The idea is to make the project a community of researchers that shares findings rather than having some members simply commercialize them, Tennefoss said. There will be conferences, Webcasts and an online forum for sharing, he said.

Aruba isn't alone in advocating an all-wireless workplace. Motorola, for one, has argued that wireless can be less expensive than wired LANs over the long haul because of factors such as lower maintenance costs for wireless than for copper wiring. Some industry analysts are skeptical about these claims, but there are settings, such as historic buildings and brick or stone structures, where Wi-Fi has made it much easier to connect workers' PCs.

Enterprises are interested in saving money by cutting power consumption, but reducing switch size or port count by going all wireless wouldn't necessarily save power, according to Michael Kanellos, a senior analyst with Green Tech Media. Wi-Fi access points still have to transmit and receive packets from client computers, and through hardware integration, conventional wired Ethernet switches are getting smaller and more efficient, too, he said. Claims such as Aruba's would have to be proved, Kanellos said.

Aruba already has evidence that more wireless networking leads to lower power demands, but one purpose of Aruba Labs will be to study such questions further, according to Aruba's Tennefoss.

Stephen Lawson

WiMAX Emulator Allows Real-World Network Testing

Written by Anonymous on 12:33 AM

Elektrobit has released what it claimed as the industry's first radio channel emulator aimed at makers of base stations and subscriber devices using WiMAX, Long Term Evolution (LTE) and other 4G wireless network standards.

"Radio channel emulators let designers of handsets, base stations, chipsets or other carrier equipment to test user terminals or network elements using a real-world radio channel, along with complete interference, noise and channel fading," said Jouni Saastamoinen, director of business development for wireless communication tools, Elektrobit.

"OEMs that test new wireless devices for WiMAX and LTE needed an emulator that can simulate these and other new 4G technologies, which coexist with current wireless technologies," he added.

Radio channel emulators develop the environment and how it will appear when user terminals are communicating with base stations. All other channel attributes are simulated such as multipath interference and signal fading as users move relative to stationary base station transmitters.

"We emulate all the real-world situations in a lab environment so OEMs can test their devices under real-field conditions, such as multipath fading caused by artifacts and reflections as subscribers move in cars or commuter trains of up to 350km/hr (217mi/hr)," said Antti Sivula, senior VP for wireless communications tools, Elektrobit. "We emulate all the existing wireless standards, along with satellite links to space and all the emerging 4G technologies for high-end research and development," he noted.

Elektrobit's Propsim F8 radio channel emulator is believed to handle bandwidths of up to 125MHz with the use of smart antennas for MIMO capabilities. It also has two to eight physical channels that can be divided into four to 32 logical channels.

The company said the emulator also backs 3GPP/3GPP2 WCDMA, GSM, TD-SCDMA, EV-DO/ CDMA2000, 3GPP LTE, WiMAX, Wi-Fi and future wireless system air interfaces as they emerge.

R. Colin Johnson

Google Patent Application Could Have Handsets Selecting Cheapest Wireless Network

Written by Anonymous on 1:21 AM

WiMAX, WiFi, GSM, CDMA, or LTE, mobile users are quickly becoming inundated with wireless network choices in their area. And, if Google has anything to say about it, the future of the mobile market might be more about network operators bidding for a chance to serve up wireless data/voice to your handset and less about tying you up in archaic contracts. Signing wireless contracts is getting old. How great would it be to actually have wireless network operators vying for your business?

A new patent application from the ever innovative folks at Google outlines a new “auction system” that could one day be used by your mobile phone to recommend, or automatically select, the best-value wireless network in your area. Depending on a particular user’s needs for bandwidth, calling/data features, frequency support, etc., Google’s auction system algorithms will purportedly seek out the best deals in the area (assuming you have enough wireless variety in your area to actually require complex algorithms to sort through them all). The instant auction system could potentially have your mobile phone hopping between networks depending on your changing wireless needs throughout the day.

But, we have a feeling that those mega-bucks lobbyists working to line politicians’ campaign coffers on behalf of wireless carriers are going to be working overtime to keep this kind of technology from ever making it to market.

Posted by Will

Government Norms Likely to Compulsorily Secure WiFi Links

Written by Anonymous on 12:30 AM

NEW DELHI: In the wake of the terror emails being sent from unsecured wireless fidelity (WiFi) networks, the government is examining the possibility of issuing new norms that will make it illegal to leave such internet connections open. The new norms may also put the onus on telcos and internet service providers (ISPs) who sell WiFi connections to educate their customers of keeping them secure.

The department of telecom will work with the home ministry and intelligence agencies to put in place steps to secure WiFi internet connections, which are increasingly being used in homes and offices across the country. WiFi networking companies may also be asked to limit WiFi signal right down to a defined radius by installing access points around the signal.

However, internet service providers (ISPs) say that it is customer who is to blame. “Internet service providers are taking steps on their own to secure WiFi connections. All ISPs are installing AAA servers and firewalls. But, if you look at the terror mails, they were sent from hacked or open WiFi accounts – there is nothing we can do about this.

When people take a broadband connection, then take routers and make their homes and offices WiFi enabled, and then leave it open, there is nothing ISPs can do about it,” explained the president of the Internet Service Providers Association of India’s president Rajesh Chharia.

Industry experts say that regulations will not help much since most home and corporate users use minimal security to lock their WiFi networks making them an easy target to hack into.

Security experts suggest that WiFi users should never broadcast their SSIDs (service set identifiers) and change their access passwords. “Most routers which come in the market have a password 1234 and login id – as admin. One should immediately change it after installing. Also one should block the router’s SSIDs from broadcasting the WiFI networks and allow only particular machines to access it,” says Aujas Network Founder and COO Sameer Shelke.

Generally a WiFi router is configured to advertise its SSID to all neighbouring WiFi devices. One can block the SSID from advertising so that only by typing the name, the particular WiFi network appears.

The Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) connection of a Mumbai based power company was hacked into by suspects in Chembur, who sent the e-mail to news organisations while the serial blast continued in the capital which killed about 25 people and left about 100 injured on Saturday.

Experts say that digital forensics still holds the key to catch suspects who have even challenged security agencies to catch them.

Accessing the WiFi router or the wireless access point’s log files (present in Mumbai’s Kamran Power Company in this case), one can find out the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the WiFi card which accessed the WiFi point of that company.

Each WiFI adaptor card manufactured in the world has a unique MAC address. Identifying that MAC address would mean identifying the manufacturer of that particular network card. The manufacturers are generally based in Malaysia, Taiwan and China, global hubs of electronic manufacturing.

A high level protocol with Chinese or Taiwanese government can help the investigating agencies get hold of which factory that particular card was shipped to and when. It can also identify the bar code number of that card. Each PC or laptop maker like Dell, HP, Lenovo or Acer tags the barcode numbers of the card before assembling them into the machines.

This information can be used to find out which dealer sold that particular laptop in which part of the world and to which buyer, which in this case can be the suspect. Identifying the digital footprint can thus help trace the culprits.

US-based Meru Networks’ India head Giridhar Java says: “We can also configure a network to operate only in a particular radius. All signals going outside a particular periphery can be blocked. Another way is to throw junk to an outside receiver trying to connect. We can easily jam his or her WiFi card but that’s not legally allowed in most parts of the world.”

The easiest way to secure is to provide a password for accessing WiFi but y experts say that too is penetrable. “Basically WiFi operates in the 2.5 GHz frequency and one can still access your WiFi network by special frequency scanners but that is tougher.

Joji Thomas Philip & Harsimran Singh, ET Bureau

Configuring Wireless Networking in Windows Vista

Written by Anonymous on 12:29 AM

Wireless Network:
A wireless network provides all the functions of a wired network with an advantage of roaming within your radio-signal network with still connected to your network.

Prepare:
Once you have identified the hardware needed like Hi-Fi Wireless networking card, and Wireless Router/ Access Point (Detailed information available on Windows XP page referred above), you are almost ready to connect to the network. If you are using a laptop which comes with an in-built wireless card, it may have a special function key or a button mostly in the front of the laptop to turn it on and off (Check with your computer manufacturer for information).

A following similar picture should be available near to the Wireless On/off button:

Figure 1: Wireless Symbol





Wireless network configuration methods:

You can configure connections to wireless networks, known as wireless profiles, for a computer running Windows Vista with the following methods:

• Connect to a network dialog box

This is the common method by which individual users will configure connections to wireless networks.

• Group Policy

Network administrators can use Group Policy settings in an Active Directory directory service environment to centrally configure and deploy wireless network settings and automatically configure domain member computers. More information here

• Command line

Network administrators can use commands in the new netsh wlan context of the Netsh.exe tool to manually configure wireless networks and their settings. There are Netsh commands to export an existing wireless profile to an XML file and then import the wireless profile settings stored in the XML file on another computer. Learn about the syntax and use of the complete set of netsh wlan commands that you can use to manage 802.11 wireless networks in Windows Vista.

• Joining a Windows Vista Wireless Client to a Domain

Connecting to Wireless network using Connect to a network dialog box:

1. Click Start and in the Search field type Network and Sharing, then select the Network and Sharing Center from the menu when the option appears.

2. In the Network and Sharing Center, select Connect to a network in the left pane. You can access the Connect to a network dialog box from many locations in Windows Vista, including the following:

• By clicking Start, and then Connect to from the Windows Vista desktop
• From the Manage wireless connections dialog box
• From the Connect/Disconnect context menu option of a wireless network adapter in the Network Connections folder

3. When the Connect to a network window appears, select Wireless from the drop-down menu to display all detected Wireless Networks. A non-broadcast wireless network appears in the list with the name “Unnamed Network.” (The first time the user connects to a network that does not broadcast an SSID, the user must type the Network Name.) The list of available networks is subject to the allowed wireless networks configured through Group Policy or the command line and the types of wireless networks being detected, such as infrastructure mode or ad hoc mode networks.

In Show, you can select the following:

• All Wireless, dial-up, and VPN connections.
• Wireless Only wireless connections.
• Dial-up and VPN Only dial-up and VPN connections.

By default, All is selected.




NOTE: If any of the wireless connections in the list are marked as "network cable unplugged" or "disabled," then the wireless adapter is not connected or is not turned on. You will have to make sure that the WiFi router is set up properly and that your adapter is enabled to proceed with that wireless connection.

4. On the Connect to a network window, each wireless network available within range is listed. Right-click the network that you are connecting to and click Connect and proceed to Step 8. If the wireless network you want to connect to is not listed, then you may be out of range of the wireless router or access point. For help in troubleshooting your wireless router or access point, see related links below.

5. If Router / Access Point configuration is setup correctly, and still the wireless network is not listed, try a setting up the network manually. To setup a network connection manually, click Set up a connection or network option found on the bottom left corner of the windows.

6. In the following dialog box, select Manually connect to a wireless network:


7. The next step of the Manually connect to a wireless network wizard would prompt for settings such as Network Name (SSID) and wireless encryption (WEP) settings. Type each in the required fields and click the Next button to proceed to Step 9.


8. The Connect to a network wizard will ask for the Network Name (SSID) and wireless encryption (WEP) settings. Type each in the required fields. Wireless networks have varying degrees of security. If your wireless network does not require encryption, the settings on this tab will be automatically setup for you. If the wireless network that you are connecting to uses standard encrypted communication, select WEP enabled from the Encryption type drop down menu. Complete the wireless encryption configuration by typing the Network key into Network security key: field. See your network administrator or your wireless router software for the required network key.

9. If your network is unsecured, you will be prompted to confirm the connection. Windows Vista will never automatically connect to an unprotected or ad hoc network, reducing the risk of automatically connecting to a malicious wireless access point.


10. Click OK to return to the Connect to a network window. If the settings you have configured are correct, the network name will be listed in the preferred networks list. Click OK and close your Control Panel. Your notebook should now be connected to the wireless network. You may have to restart your notebook for some changes to take effect.
1. Click Start, right-click Network, and then click Properties.

2. In the task list of the Network and Sharing Center dialog box, click Manage wireless networks in the left pane. From the Manage Wireless Networks dialog box, you can add a new wireless network, remove a selected wireless network, obtain the properties of the wireless network adapter, and choose the type of profile to assign to new wireless networks (applies to all users or the current user).



3. To view or modify the properties of an existing wireless network, in the Networks you can view and modify list, right-click the network name you are connecting to and select Properties.

4. To modify encryption and security settings, in the Wireless Network Properties window, select the Security tab.




5. On the Security tab, you can specify the following security types:

- Security type:

• No authentication (Open) Open system authentication with no encryption.
• WEP Open system authentication with Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP).
• WPA-Personal Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) with a preshared key (also known as a passphrase).
• WPA-Enterprise WPA with IEEE 802.1X authentication.
• WPA2-Personal WPA2 with a preshared key.
• WPA2-Enterprise WPA with IEEE 802.1X authentication.
• 802.1x IEEE 802.1X authentication with WEP (also known as dynamic WEP).

The choices listed depend on the capabilities of your wireless network adapter that are reported to Windows.

The shared key authentication method is not listed. Microsoft strongly discourages its use because it provides weak security for your wireless network. To configure shared key authentication, select No authentication (Open) here and then select Shared from the Security tab in the properties of the wireless network (described later in this article).

Encryption type: Select the method used to encrypt data frames sent over the wireless network. The choices depend on the selected security type. The three encryption types are WEP (128-bit), Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) (128-bit), and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) (128-bit).


When the No authentication (Open) security type is selected, None is selected.
When the WEP security type is selected, WEP is selected.
When the WPA-Personal security type is selected, you can select TKIP or AES.
When the WPA-Enterprise security type is selected, you can select TKIP or AES.
When the WPA2-Personal security type is selected, you can select TKIP or AES.
When the WPA2-Enterprise security type is selected, you can select TKIP or AES.
When the WEP (802.1x) security type is selected, WEP is selected.


The choices listed depend on the capabilities of your wireless network adapter that are reported to Windows.

- Security Key/Passphrase Type the WEP key (if you selected the WEP security type), the WPA preshared key (if you selected the WPA-Personal security type), or the WPA2 preshared key (if you selected the WPA2-Personal security type).

- Show characters Specifies whether you want to view the value typed in Security Key/Passphrase.

6. Enter the values depending on your network configuration and click Ok. It may take Windows a few minutes to complete the connection.

7. Click OK or Close to exit any open windows or panels.


From Whizblaze

Next generation wireless broadband much closer than we think

Written by Anonymous on 1:09 AM

Widespread wireless broadband, with better quality services beyond urban areas, is a lot closer thanks to recent advances made by European researchers.

The next generation of broadband wireless networks is set to be simpler, cheaper for both operators and consumers, and more efficient than current technology permits – due to the innovative use of relay stations to boost signals from base stations.

The EU-funded Fireworks project claims to be able to deliver fourth-generation (4G) broadband wireless access (BWA) systems to remote communities despite difficult terrain and low population densities.

It concentrated on OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access) based networks and specifically those designed for BWA. WiMax and wifi. OFDMA networks have different characteristics and deliver signals in a different way to traditional fixed-line and cellular networks.

“Relay stations are much smaller than base stations and are much easier to deploy – they can be fixed onto lamp posts for example,” says Fireworks technical manager Dr Antonis Valkanas. “They also should only cost around one-fifth of the price, as the intelligence is in the base station and, unlike base stations, they do not require a directed backhaul connection to the Internet.”

Furthermore, Fireworks systems will, for the first time, also be able to provide seamless switching between WiMax and wifi networks, so that individuals on the move, with a mobile device or laptop, will not notice the change from one to the other.

Valkanas explains that the project has been able to deliver new algorithms, which ensure that, whatever transmission protocol is used, the best combination and clearest reception is assured.

With this problem solved, it is possible to extend the range of networks into previously inaccessible areas, whether due to high cost or rough terrain. It also is now possible to boost reception in urban blackspots by positioning relays where base stations are not feasible.

While the main benefits of Fireworks are not likely to be felt until the next generation of BWA networks starts rolling out in Europe, from 2010, a prototype system has been developed to prove the viability of the relaying concept – and the EU is now funding a follow-up project (Rocket) with the same core consortium.

The systems developed in Rocket will conform with the latest BWA standards, including 802.16m, which are now going through the IEEE approval process, according to Valkanas. More importantly, though, Rocket will expand the scope of relay coverage from the single base station hop of Fireworks to a multi-hop configuration, with one or more base stations sending signals on to relay stations, which then retransmit to others.

Author
Brian Tinham

The Future of Controllers for Home Systems

Written by Anonymous on 12:17 AM

People like having a single, simple all-in-one remote control instead of the fleet of individual handsets cluttering up their coffee table, particularly if they can customise it to suit their own system and needs. There’s a range of such units around to suit your client’s budget and particular requirements, from GBP5.00 three-device replacement TV controllers, to GBP100,000 bespoke home control systems with fingerprint recognition and automated gun turrets.

Back in the day...

Times have changed for control system manufacturers. Many of the companies now involved in home control systems, such as AMX and Crestron, started life building equipment to control tape/slide presentations (remember tape? slides?) that involved mechanical or relay-driven control. Some equipment had proprietary wired control interfaces, and infrared came later. The first touchscreens I sold were GBP4000 monochrome Crestron units the size of a shoebox and weighing slightly less than my car. They were infrared only, and they were fantastic. They made a real difference to the home cinema owners who used them, and these clients thought they were good value. See? A good remote control makes all the difference!

Control today

Does this matter? Sure. People need reassurance and their expectations managed. For example, when you check into your hotel, and you push the button for the lift, and the button doesn’t light up, you don’t know if the lift is broken, or if the light is broken. A lack of feedback causes stress.

Of course there are devices from companies such as Xantech, Niles and others, to get around some of this, and manage the issues of infrared. That’s not the same however, as it being guaranteeable and reliable. We’re all aware that CI customers are demanding. There’s an inverse proportionality between wealth and patience. They need stuff to work, and to 'know' that it is working. This means that most CI companies prefer to use wired control connections such as RS232 (wired serial control) and radio-frequency interfaces that don’t have to worry about line-of-sight, and offer possibilities for two-way communications for proper feedback. Great. As well as AMX, Crestron, Control4 and the like, companies such as Philips, RTI, Universal Electronics, Universal Remote and many others offer capable RF remote controls, with an interface box that handles the variety of IR, RS232, etc and contact closure commands to and from the devices. So far so good.



It isn’t as simple as that

The problem until recently was that things hadn’t really moved on. Wired serial control, such as RS232 was common in commercial products such as plasma displays, but not in consumer electronic music and television systems. Furthermore, outside the world of AV, most equipment used proprietary control - whether for lighting, temperature control equipment, security systems, gates and shutters or datacomms. Custom installers like you or I couldn’t 'get into' such systems to control them from a unified remote control.

As well as this, there were a couple of other issues. The first was that the remote control units themselves were by no means simple to program and, even supposing you did the training, and could make them work, you couldn’t always make them look the part. I’ve been in this industry for about 20 years and I have certainly seen some dog's dinners. I made some of them myself years ago. You know how you wander past family restaurants on a foreign holiday and you look at the typographical offences that pass for their illustrated menus? 'Steak, chips and beans'. Four words. Four typefaces. Four font sizes. Some heinous clip art. Different colours, randomly selected, with a bit of drop shadow for effect. It makes me shudder. Desk-top publishing has a lot to answer for. If I ruled the world you would only be able to use Helvetica until you’d passed some design proficiency test. Anyway, why the rant? Pretty much all the remote programming tools out there allow you to make things look how you want. And it means that those companies who don’t have the graphic design and programming skills in-house often give their customers an expensive, ugly, all-in-one remote control that is more confusing than the plethora of handsets it replaced. That isn’t good.

Secondly, much of the kit we use is changing. A good part of it, such as flatpanel displays or DVD players, is getting commoditised. RS232 control interfaces are expensive. They’re inflexible, and only reliable when the controller is within a few metres of the device in question. Moreover much of the newer entertainment equipment is coming from companies such as Apple or Sonos, who have their roots in the world of computers.

Enter IP control

Everything today is a computer in disguise, and communications in the world of computers happen over TCP/IP - the language of Ethernet and the Internet. This does not have distance restrictions or require expensive connectors, and it supports lots of capable devices, such as little web tablets from Nokia and others. Control over IP (Internet Protocol) has been a great solution for all players in the market - whether they manufacture air conditioning equipment, or hotel TVs. And the possibilities are endless. You can transport content over IP as well as control information, whether it be music, IPTV, or web pages. Wired or wireless. This really is the lingua franca.


Of course many control system manufacturers have embraced some of this, if only for the transport of their own commands over Wi-Fi networks. What it does mean though is that there are many more companies and individuals capable of competing in this space - it is no longer just people like you or me who’ve put in the time to learn the various proprietary systems. Many hardware manufacturers publish APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that allow easy integration from whatever control system you want, which helps them build their market, and ring-fence their support workload to the API itself.

New school

This means that in the future, pretty much all the kit you’ll want to operate will offer some kind of IP control. It is cheap and easy, and could work with people’s home networks, whether wired or wireless. Is this a good thing? I think so. But there are concerns. At a technical level, this could give rise to security issues. 'Whaddya mean my TV has a virus?' We’ve already seen 'denial of coffee' attacks on some crazy Internet-connected coffee machines! You’ll need to make sure that your systems include bullet-proof Ethernet and robust wireless networks that you can service remotely. Now, more than ever, you need a geek on staff.

These things shouldn’t be your greatest concern, however. What should be, is if you were behind the curve when the hi-fi retail business started to suffer, and it took you a while to get into custom installation. You’d better pay attention - companies from the IT world are moving into our space. They’re doing it quicker (XBox 360 was launched over a year before PS3), cheaper (Sonos beats all the hi-fi-based music servers), and better (Kaleidescape gives you a better quality experience than your typical high-end DVD changer). And don’t forget Apple. Do you sell a simpler interface than an iPod? Have you seen how good Apple TV is, for a couple of hundred quid?

So these guys aren’t going to hang around when it comes to designing a compelling universal controller. And there’ll be a lot of IT-capable newer installers who can get the kit to work, but may not have the graphic design skills to avoid the 'Costa-del-Sol restaurant' menu design. So what? They’ll just download some low-cost software to put on a web tablet or similar - just take a look at the airremote product I’m involved with for an example of this. Or check out other iPhone/iPod touch applications, such as those from Living Control, Speakercraft and RemoteBuddy.


Don’t just sit there - do something!

Your company can benefit from these changes if it looks at things positively. You can use these controllers as part of a larger control system as an effective, lightweight handset for secondary rooms that otherwise 'couldn’t afford' such a thing. Or you can supply an IP-IR interface and use them in simpler one-room systems. Or you can explore all that is possible over IP - direct communication with lighting controllers, IPTV boxes, security systems and media libraries such as iTunes. Welcome to the future.

By Steve Moore

Steve Moore created SMC, Digital Plumbers and FREE. He was the founding chairman of CEDIA UK and has recently founded airremote Ltd.

What can WiMAX technology offer?

Written by Anonymous on 12:12 AM

WiMAX technology offers wireless data in a related form as compare to WiFi but its level and speed allow to build hybrid and wireless networks, of any size, anywhere. It is formed to encourage conformance and interoperability of Wireless Metropolitan Area Network. WiMAX offers a consistent technology according to its standard. WiMAX technology open could let product manufacturers make revenues of scale via producing number of WiMAX products & components to single IEEE 802.16 standard, this also allow component manufacturers buy low-cost, standards compliant components from rival component providers. This would definitely help existing wireless service providers.WiMAX technology will offer high data speed network connections and in this manner serve as a backhaul for WiFi LAN (WLAN) hot spots, where people on the move can access carriers' WiFi services on mobile technology basis, because this technology allows interoperability among different systems. And service providers lacking a mobile network can use a WiMAX technology network at comparatively low price. WiMAX technology possibly will offer a much cheaper, easier to build network infrastructure other than the physical medium of WiFi backhauls that cable, T1 or DSL systems presently offer.

Because WiMAX is based on IEEE 802.16 Standard and HiperMAN, the IEEE and ETSI have each become accustomed it's standard to take in many of the other's essential characteristics. IEEE 802.16 standard partitioned its MAC (Medium Access Control) layer into sub-layers that hold some different transport equipments and technologies, together with Ethernet, IPv4, IPv6 and other asynchronous transfer mode. This allows traders to use WiMAX technology and no matter what technology they support for transmission. WiMAX technology has a wide communication range up to 50 kilometers because principles allows WiMAX network to transfer data at higher rates and because of this move towards use of directional antennas that generates persistent radio signals. WiMAX base station provide service to only 500 users at a time not more than that just because to they are sharing bandwidthand this factor may cause lower date rates among. Technically every single station will possibly provide communication an area inside a 10 miles radius. To compare WiFi with WiMAX technology the last has a range of few thousand feet. while WiFi has a range of only a few hundred feet.

Moreover WiMAX network broadcasts data communication over several broad signal frequency ranges. And this exceptional capacity to work in several ranges allows to communicate above the frequencies that will evade interference with other wireless network applications. Also the flexibility of this system's communication allows providers to employ different frequencies that depend on the speed and range needed for a particular data communication. Amplifying data capacity and bandwidth via dividing broad capacity channels to many narrowband channels, the WiMAX technology attains higher data transmission rates in part by OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing).Every channel uses different frequencies that can transmit different pieces of a message at the same time.

One of the important advantages of data transmission is that the channels do not overlap, in spite of the fact that the spaces between channels are extremely close. The primary IEEE 802.16 standard uses the 10 to 66 GHz frequency range And it is very suitable because this frequency range shrinks the multi path distortion that arises when transmitting signals that do not follow the line of sight echoed items and finish off out of sink, thus jumbling the inbound communication and reducing bandwidth.

In theory WiMAX network can offer single channel data rates up to 75 Mbits/s equally on the downlink and uplink. Service providers can use several 802.16 channels for single broadcast to offer bandwidths of up to 350 Mb per second.

Third generation mobile network technologies will support around 115 Kbps. The accepted IEEE 802.11b WiFi WLAN technology data rate are limited to 11Mbps, on the other hand newer 802.11a and 802.11g provide up to 54Mbps in favorable conditions but practically all of the them transmit at lesser speed.

In the meantime WiMAX network is extremely scalable as it is simple to include broadcast channels to offer extra bandwidth as required. And as far as security is concerned in WiMAX technology it uses PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) authentication, which transmit via digital certificates by identifying parties over trusted authorities. The IEEE 802.16 system encrypts data by using 56 bit DES (Data Encryption Standard) keys.

The wireless services are supplied at higher frequencies as the line of sight constraints required the setting up of many antennas to cover up the equivalent area and this increases to a great extent the expenditure of setting up wireless technology. The available frequencies for new wireless standards such as IEEE 802.16 are higher as some of the other wireless technologies are more sought-after to diminish ranges that have been approved for other use.

The WiMAX technology is always supported by the WiMAX Forum which comprises a group of commercial leaders such as AT&T, Cisco, Samsung, Intel, and some other giants. This forum involves many working groups that highly focused on regulatory, marketing, technological characteristics. Moreover the certification working group intends to certify interoperability among WiMAX products from manufacturers internationally.

4 Ways to Get More Out of Your 802.11n Wi-Fi Network

Written by Anonymous on 12:27 AM

In a recent post, I made the argument that even though the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard is draft technology, it’s worth upgrading to now. If you are running an 802.11n network at home, it’s entirely likely that you could be getting more out of it. In this post, I’ll detail four easy ways to get more from your wireless network.

Use USB Adapters to Add Systems to Your 802.11n Network. There are many inexpensive USB adapters that you can use to very easily add machines to an existing 802.11n network. PC users can go with 3Com’s Wireless USB Adapter for adding systems to an 802.11n network. For Mac users, the MaxPower USB Stick Adapters are only $50, and will put your Macs on your 802.11n network easily.

Add a Range Booster. If you’re using an 802.11n router alone to get wireless access around the house, consider adding a range booster for faster performance wherever you may roam. D-Link’s Wireless USB Rangebooster can be found online for around $100, and can let you do things like roam wirelessly outside while getting good speeds.

Guage Your Wireless Performance. There are several free utilities you can use for testing the actual throughput you’re getting from your wireless network at various locations. QCheck is an excellent one that can help you quantify your performance and evaluate whether range boosters or extra access points might make sense for you.

Experiment with Different Locations for Your Wireless Equipment. Wi-Fi is radio technology, and radio technology is extraordinarily bizarre in terms of what works well and what doesn’t. If you’ve never experimented with different placements for your router, range booster, and access points, do so. Simply placing a router up high, instead of down low, can give you much better performance. Central locations are also good to experiment with. Also, don’t place a router or access point near metal or obvious obstructions.

By Samuel Dean

Setting up a WiFi network - the hard part is judging advice

Written by Anonymous on 12:35 AM

I have, in the past, been critical of computer articles in the newspapers I regularly read, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Often I've warned that you don't read PC Magazine for mutual fund advice and you shouldn't read the Wall Street Journal for computer advice. Yet, the reporters in these newspapers are significantly more technically qualified than the Orlando Sentinel.

Today, I'm in south Florida, where the Sun Sentinel is the local paper. They reprinted an article by Etan Horowitz (no relation), Set up a home wireless network, that originally appeared last month in the Orlando Sentinel.

The article contains a number of technical inaccuracies, which I'll discuss below and well as some important omissions. The hardest part of technology may very well be learning what advice to trust.

The article says "Most new laptop and desktop computers have built-in wireless networking..." New desktop computers with built-in wireless networking? Not the ones I've seen.

It warns that "...if you are using an old computer you may have to buy a wireless network adapter." True enough, but they come in multiple form factors (PC card, Express card, PCI and USB) an important point that is not mentioned.

It says that "..a printer may ... require a wireless networking adapter."

Networking a printer that does not do networking on its own, requires a print server. As far as I know, there is no such thing as a wireless networking adapter for a printer. And the print server does not need wireless networking at all, a wired/Ethernet print server can connect to a router and make any printer available to a WiFi based laptop computer.

As for the initial router configuration, the article says "... follow the instructions that came with your router and use the installation CD. If you have a desktop computer that will always be in the same room as your modem or router, run the CD on that computer. Otherwise run the CD on your newest computer."

Newest computer? I can't even guess where this came from. Initial router configuration should be done using an Ethernet connection and any computer that can read CDs and has an Ethernet port will do.

Ethernet came up again in the discussion of adding a password to a WiFi network that doesn't have one. The article says "If you aren't prompted to do this while setting up your network, you'll need to connect a computer to your router via an Ethernet cable ..."

Ethernet is not required. You can connect to the router using the wireless network and make changes to the router this way, including adding or changing the password for the WiFi network. Most likely, after adding/changing the password, the router will re-start itself and you'll have to connect to the wireless network again, using the new password.

Connecting directly to the router requires knowing its IP address. If you don't know it, the article suggests a Google search for the default IP address used by the manufacturer of the router. This is not the best approach. For one, default IP addresses may change over time. For another, your router may not be using the factory default IP address. Your computer always knows the IP address of the router, any computer running TCP/IP knows this. In Windows, open a command prompt and type "ipconfig". The IP address of your router is referred to in the output as the "Default Gateway".

Before attempting to connect to a wireless network, the article warns that "you'll have to make sure that the computer's wireless connection is turned on or that your adapter has been installed and set up."

First of all, that's an "and" not an "or". If either of those conditions are not met, the computer won't connect to any wireless network. And just what was meant by a wireless network connection being turned on? It could refer to the switch on the outside of the laptop computer that controls the wireless radio. It might refer to the definition of the wireless network being enabled rather than disabled. It might refer to a host of things.

The instructions for connecting to an existing wireless network are not the most useful. Quoting: "On Windows computers, look in the Control Panel to enable wireless connectivity and search for available networks."

If you get as far as trying to connect to a wireless network, the article says "You will be asked to choose the type of security setting (WEP, WPA etc) and enter the network key." Windows XP users that let Windows control the WiFi connection are not asked to chose the type of security. Windows is smart enough to figure out the type of security being used all by itself. And, an article targeted at a general audience has to point out that "network key" means "WiFi password".

From CNET

New modern modem sparking a mobile broadband Revolution

Written by Anonymous on 11:55 PM

A small piece of technology with a very unusual name has created a major revolution in mobile broadband.

You will have seen the 'dongle' posing next to a laptop in billboards or newspaper ads.

The USB modem, which provides internet access on the move through the 3G mobile network, is basking in its five minutes of fame.

Mobile operators are finally hoping to recoup some of their investment in 3G (all told, they spent about £22.5billion when the spectrum was auctioned off eight years ago).

Unlike video calling and multimedia messaging, mobile broadband does seem to be taking hold. Analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate 50,000 people are buying the devices every month in Britain and more than a fifth of 3's new customers who sign up to monthly contracts are buying dongles.

With advertised speeds of up to 7.2mbps (megabytes per second), it seems as though we can finally achieve fixed-line rates without the hassle of activation charges and long-term contracts - ideal for those who rent, such as students or foreign workers.

And it is a revolution - albeit one that feels as though it should already have come. We surf the web so often at home or work it seems we must be able to log on whenever we want.

Yet Wi-Fi hotspots aren't ubiquitous and some have hefty charges attached for usage. I tried dongles from O2, T-Mobile, 3, Vodafone and Orange: all were plug'n'play, with no hassles in loading and I was able to check e-mails while sunning myself in the park. It even came in handy as back-up when my home broadband had problems.

Networking it out

Yet dongles may not be the solution for all. 'Mobile broadband packages impose very low download caps and charge a premium if you go over the limit, so they aren't right for heavy internet users or regular downloaders,' says Rob Barnes, head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com.

'If you are a heavy user, you'd be better off looking at fixed-line deals as a number of these packages offer unlimited downloads and competitive prices.' Indeed, one user was stung with a bill for £4,900 after using her dongle to download The Apprentice on holiday.

Even Alan Sugar's not worth that. Most packages fall into the 3.6mbp rate range, although Vodafone claims it can reach speeds of up to 7.2mbps.

Yet, according to the folk at 3, this is misleading: they even lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority last month, arguing Vodafone's advertised data speeds are largely unattainable.

'These numbers refer to a technical standard, a maximum user rate that's only achieved in a perfect environment,' says 3's chief technical officer, Graham Baxter.

'Factors - such as number of other users in the area, distance from the base station, signal quality and the application that you're using - all bring your data rate below the maximum.

'If I was going into a shop, I'd be much more interested in understanding the network spread and my proximity to the local base station than in whether it's a 3.6 or a 7.2.

Goodbye Wi-Fi?

BroadbandExpert.com recently tested user experience speeds, finding an average for mobile broadband of 1.46mbps - the best the 7.2mbps service could offer was 2.3, and that was only in the postcodes it covers.

Although rates often don't match up for fixed lines either (speeds depend on how close people live to BT phone exchanges), Broadband Expert did find that average home broadband speeds were 2.95mbps. And, if fixed-line operators invest in fibreoptic cable, they could deliver download speeds of up to 100mbps, which mobile operators can't match.

So there's life in the landline yet. According to Jonathan Earle at O2, which joined the dongle bunfight last month, both can live side by side. 'If you want access to the internet on the move, mobile broadband is fantastic,' he says.

'If you want to download films and have the fastest speeds, home broadband is still the best proposition.'

O2's dongle also allows you unlimited access to 7,500 Wi-Fi hotspots across Britain, through a partnership with The Cloud. Which is great for downloading big files, but hints at another broadband provider that could be feeling the heat more than BT (striking back with its just-launched BT Total Broadband Anywhere package, using a handheld device similar to a Blackberry).

Pockets of wireless broadband have been compared to telephone booths of old (if you need to use the service, you have to hunt around for an access point) - could the dongle's siren call actually be 'ding dong, the Wi-Fi is dead'?



By Daily Mail Reporter