Wireless Connectivity

Web Surfing in a Wireless Network of Your Very Own

Written by Anonymous on 12:21 AM

It's hard to remember a time not long ago when Web browsing required sitting in one place and using a computer plugged into a cable. Now, people expect to hop online whenever they want from wherever they want using wireless Internet connections. But it isn't always easy. Mobile devices lose their capabilities when the carrier's signal drops out; laptop users struggle to find a public Wi-Fi network that will work; and the Wi-Fi networks that are available get slowed down by overcrowding.

Why not bring your own Wi-Fi? I'm not talking about stuffing a cumbersome router and cables into a backpack with hopes of setting up shop wherever you go. I'm referring to a new product called MiFi. It is what it sounds like: a private Wi-Fi network for you. It's a one-button gadget that measures about the surface size of an Altoids tin, only thinner and lighter.

This week, while I was traveling, I used Verizon Wireless's MiFi 2200, made for the phone carrier by Novatel Wireless. The MiFi brings in the Internet using Verizon's 3G network and creates a Wi-Fi zone that can be reached from up to 50 feet away, even through thick hotel walls. Its connection can be used by up to five devices at once. At one point, I had a Lenovo ThinkPad, Apple MacBook, iPhone, Palm Pre and iPod Touch simultaneously using the Web via the MiFi's connection. Although video playback stuttered under these busy conditions, other tasks did well. And with just three devices using the connection at once, the connection worked normally.

The luxury of MiFi doesn't come cheap. The device itself costs $100 with a two-year service agreement and after a $50 rebate. Two monthly plan options are available: $40 buys 250 megabytes with a charge of 10 cents per megabyte over that allotment; and $60 buys five gigabytes with a five-cent charge per megabyte of overage. Users who don't want to mess with the monthly service plan can buy the device at its full retail price of $400 and pay $15 per 24-hour access period, which is called a Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband DayPass.

Of course, you already can get online over cellphone networks for similar monthly fees and at similar speeds, with external or internal laptop cards that usually cost less upfront. So why would anyone want or need MiFi? The answer is that it serves multiple devices at once, without requiring you to buy multiple cards or pay a separate fee for each.

I can imagine plenty of scenarios where the MiFi would come in handy, including colleagues traveling together, college students studying together with laptops on a campus lawn and families riding in a car with multiple laptops and/or portable game devices. In my trip alone, I used my MiFi and avoided paying for wireless Internet fees in the airport and four days of my hotel's expensive in-room Internet charges. As long as there's a Verizon network in the area, the MiFi will work.

Last week, Sprint Nextel entered the MiFi fray by offering its own MiFi 2200, also from Novatel Wireless. Like Verizon's MiFi, Sprint's costs $100 after a rebate and with a two-year contract. While Verizon offers all-data plans, Sprint offers a monthly plan of broadband-only for $60 as well as a $150 monthly Simply Everything Plan + Mobile Broadband for data and phone use. Both of these plans include five gigabytes a month with a five-cents-a-megabyte charge for overage. Sprint's device isn't available with pay-as-you-go options, like Verizon's MiFi. Unlike Verizon's MiFi, the Sprint device has built-in GPS.

The Verizon MiFi looks unassuming. It weighs just over two ounces, so it really could be held unnoticed in a pocket. In fact, it's so small, you could easily misplace it. Its glossy black exterior is interrupted only by a Verizon Wireless logo and a power button, which changes colors to indicate different things, like red for low battery and blue for when it's on. A separate indicator light blinks green when the MiFi is transmitting or receiving data. The MiFi runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery; spare batteries cost $40. Its battery charges when MiFi plugs into a Windows PC or Mac using a USB cable or plugs into a wall adapter.

After the initial registration of the MiFi device, which happens the first time you plug it into a Mac or Windows PC and takes just five minutes, the device is set to work without any wires simply by pressing its power button on. The personal Wi-Fi network shows up in a list of available networks on your device and requires a password, which is written on the back of each MiFi. Users can change this password to something more memorable by adjusting wireless security settings in a browser menu.

Verizon estimates that if just one device is tapped into a fully charged MiFi, the tiny gadget's battery will last for about four hours, and this was the case in my tests. The battery is designed to last 40 hours in standby, a plus for busy travelers who might not think to charge the MiFi each night.

Even when two laptops and a Palm Pre were connected to the MiFi, speed tests showed positive results of about 1.4 megabytes per second for downloads and roughly 500 kilobits per second for uploads. Verizon says its device uses something called NovaSpeed, which enhances upload and download performance.

The MiFi offers reliable Web access for you and the four lucky souls who are sitting near you, if you're feeling generous. Its ease of use -- take out, turn on, start surfing the Web -- means there aren't any excuses for not hopping online from anywhere at any time. And it comes just in time for those summer vacations that were meant to let you get away from it all.

Edited By Walter S. Mossberg

How Neutral Should Wireless Networks Be?

Written by Anonymous on 1:21 AM

As more of us hop on our 3G-connected smartphones or netbooks, and future 4G connections offer the promise of wired-like speeds via wireless networks, Ars Technica has posted a great article on how regulators in Canada are weighing the issue of network neutrality over wireless networks. Some of the practices described in the article seem egregious, such as carriers charging higher fees to access certain web sites or trying to charge more to send texts with advertising in them.

These clearly violate the assumptions of net neutrality, exactly like Verizon’s refusal to run politically minded text messages did. However, much like legislators use the awful specter of child porn to demand tougher rules about tracking online users, showcasing such examples of interference on wireless networks obscures a cold, hard truth: Wireless network neutrality may not be as practical as advocates might like.

The most common excuse offered by carriers to engage in non-neutral behavior is that they need to manage their network to ensure a quality experience for all subscribers. This isn’t always complete BS. ISPs do have some network constraints and regularly engage in spam-blocking and other practices to keep users happy. However, network management can also be used as an excuse to block services that might be competitive to the ISP, such as Comcast blocking P2P traffic, and may also indicate an unwillingness to upgrade capacity to meet actual demand.

However, for wireless networks, the ability to upgrade capacity is limited by all sorts of technical and regulatory hurdles, such as spectrum ownership and the ability to get more towers in place. So Canada isn’t the only place where consumers, carriers and web site owners need to talk about network neutrality on wireless networks. It’s an issue we should start exploring here as well. I’d like to hear what our readers think.

Stacey Higginbotham

Verizon Wireless picks vendors for new network

Written by Anonymous on 11:33 PM

NEW YORK—Verizon Wireless, the largest cellular carrier in the U.S., announced Wednesday that it has picked LM Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent as its main suppliers for a new, nationwide, high-speed wireless data network.

The contracts are potentially worth billions and put the two vendors at the forefront of the race to build networks using a new technology called Long Term Evolution, or LTE. It promises downloads more than 10 times as fast as today's third-generation, or 3G, wireless networks.

Verizon Wireless expects to be the first company in the U.S., and one of the first in the world, to build out LTE. Dick Lynch, chief technology officer at Verizon Communications Inc., which co-owns Verizon Wireless with Vodafone Group PLC of Britain, said it will have trials in two U.S. cities late this year, and a nearly nationwide commercial launch next year.

Other companies, like competitor AT&T Inc., are focusing on improving the speeds of their existing 3G networks, but most expect to eventually move to LTE. Verizon Wireless' 3G network can't be upgraded much further.

Ericsson, which is based in Sweden, also has been selected as an LTE vendor by local carrier TeliaSonera AB. It too plans to launch service in 2010.

Verizon's order is the first major LTE contract for Paris-based Alcatel-Lucent, which was formed by the merger of U.S. and French companies. It said late last year that it would shift its focus away from WiMax, a competing technology, to concentrate on developing LTE.

Lynch said Verizon had selected the two vendors from a field of six candidates that it tested with Vodafone. Other companies making LTE equipment include Motorola Inc., Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel Networks Ltd. and Huawei Technologies Co. Nortel declared bankruptcy in January.

Verizon also said that Starent Networks Corp. will deliver some of the wired equipment for the network, and it will use Nokia Siemens and Alcatel-Lucent equipment that ties wireless and wired networks together.

Verizon didn't specify how much it will spend on LTE, but said it will fall within its planned capital budget as it shifts spending from older technologies. Its total capital expenditures, including the wired business, were $17.2 billion last year, and it has said it will spend less this year.

Speaking from the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain, Lynch said the LTE launch schedule has been slightly delayed by the postponed shutdown of analog TV transmissions in the U.S. While the cutoff was originally scheduled for Tuesday, Congress decided to let stations keep broadcasting analog until June 12 to give viewers more time to prepare. Since Verizon Wireless plans to use spectrum vacated by the TV stations, it has been forced to adjust, along with its vendors.

"Together we think we can make up most of the delay, but if there's ... any delay after that, I think it will push the launch out," he said

By Peter Svensson

Florida deploys municipal wireless network

Written by Anonymous on 12:10 AM

Hollywood, Florida (pop. 142,000; 27 square miles; 70 square km) has deployed a municipal wireless broadband network for wireless automated meter reading (AMR), public safety and free Wi-Fi service for residents. The city has hired Sling Broadband, a local wireless firm, to run the service. Sling also provides fixed WiMAX service to the municipality and businesses using the 3.65 GHz frequency.

The city has signed a contract with Johnson Controls for wireless AMR (they expect to save the city $23 million over 15 years). The network uses Motorola equipment. Residents who use the network for Wi-Fi access can expect up to 1 Mbps symmetrical downlink and uplink speeds.

My Wireless Network is Annihalated!

Written by Anonymous on 11:42 PM

To put it bluntly, anyway. Spending two hours on the phone with an HP assistant hasn't done much but use up my battery. I'm going on two days without internet and let me say, it ain't fun! Technically speaking, it's taking some of the time away I could be doing work because some of the readings from my class or only just being added online. The only times I'll know about it are when I check my email. And that involves driving to BSB.

The weather's been really finicky this week, but I'd like it if the rest of the month was like today. I've got 18 more days till my birthday so hopefully I can have some fun (and internet) by then. I know that week will be bad (at least three tests) but if I can get a head start on something, anything, then I should avoid stressful situations.

There was some music I wanted to download, some episodes from You are my Destiny, two websites I need to edit, and...wow, I really want my laptop to start working again. Wouldn't it be great if I could get a new laptop for my birthday? Now that would be nice.

I'm debating taking a short nap later today since I woke up so early yesterday. I attended a volunteer orientation at a hospital. I'll probably put in two horus a week on Saturday. I still plan on tutoring at Bledsoe and volunteering at another hospital. It sounds like a lot (what am I saying, it is a lot) but if this no-internet situation stretches for any longer, then I'll need something to take my mind off of things.

Since it's the start of February, I should start some of the things I was supposed to start in January. For example, working out! I should, I really should. I have the time to do it without internet (it always comes back to that, doesn't it?). So I should. And I've got notebooks to record my progress. It'll be good for me.

My laptop isn't everything I have, but without it, the rest is meaningless.

Too dramatic? Maybe. True? Pretty much.

Calaveras Sheriff lands $1.2 million for upgrades

Written by Anonymous on 12:15 AM

Two newly-received grants totaling about $1.2 million will fix the spotty communication problems Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department patrol deputies have in the Valley Springs area and mean that most patrol cars, by mid-2010, will have computers, department officials said.

"This is probably the largest single grant we’ve received for communication,” the department’s Capt. Clay Hawkins said of an $809,000 grant from the state Department of Homeland Security. The second, from the federal Community Oriented Policing Services — or COPS — program, is for about $305,000.


Among Hawkins’ responsibilities is overseeing department radio projects. If not for grants, patrol deputies in coming years would still have to rely on a low-frequency communications systems designed decades ago rather than the high-frequency equipment more and more foothills law enforcement agencies are graduating to, he said.

“As for our voice radio communications, we’re operating on old technology first engineered in the 1970s,” Hawkins said.

That system’s radio towers were placed in keeping with where most county residents then lived, he added, noting how the population is much more spread out now. That in turn has meant that patrol deputies in certain parts of the county grapple with “dead zones,” or areas where they cannot communicate with dispatchers or fellow officers.

The COPS grant will cover construction of a new radio tower in the Valley Springs-Jenny Lind area — one region where deputies have had radio troubles. The tower, to be up and working within 45 days, will conclude a four-year project that started with initial planning and engineering the department did in hopes of someday getting a state or federal grant to build it, Hawkins said.

“The agencies want you to do investment up front,” he said, “then submit for funds for construction.”

That most patrol cars will have computers and “data wireless capabilities” by June, 2010, is because of the homeland security grant, Hawkins said.

The computers, by way of upgraded microwave equipment on existing communication towers around the county, will allow deputies to themselves verify license plates, criminal records or other information about whoever they are dealing with, rather than having to have a dispatcher get and relay that information to them. The computer screens will also immediately alert patrol officers of new calls for assistance, allowing for quicker response times, he said.

Both Hawkins and department spokesman Sgt. Dave Seawell said the wireless computers will help in several ways.

“I think this will ease some of the burden on our dispatch center. Some of what dispatchers now do will be done in the field,” Seawell said, “and this will make the deputies more efficient, too.”

Hawkins said patrol cars with “data wireless capabilities,” will initially be used in the Valley Springs area, along Highway 12 and on Highway 49 as far south as Angels Camp because of where existing communication towers stand. If and when the department receives more grant money, new towers will be built so that the computers can receive and send information from anywhere in the county, he said.

The department’s communications upgrades planning includes an ultimate goal of microwave connections or links among all law enforcement agencies in the central Sierra foothills and at higher elevations.

This would allow any officer to quickly tap into information needed from another agency in the system, said Hawkins, “whether it’s a bad guy in Tuolumne County or a bad guy in Angels Camp. We would be able to share records data.”

5 steps to securing your corporate wireless network in 2009

Written by Anonymous on 11:48 PM

Unlike Ethernet, wireless networks don’t stop at your front door. With open source tools like Kismet and penetration testing CD’s like Backtrack, it’s easier than ever to find and compromise Wi-Fi networks. When we designed the Napera N24, wireless security was a frequent area of concern for customers, and it continues to be a key driver for network access control deployments.

In the spirit of holiday list making, here are five guidelines based on our experience in the field to help IT managers tighten wireless security in 2009.

1. Have a wireless security policy before you deploy

I opened a dinner presentation at MIT once with a gag where I asked the audience to start writing their security policy on their napkin. The sad truth is that those folks bearing napkins with one or two bullet points are generally ahead of the curve. Many smaller companies lack written security policies.

A policy need not be long and complex. The important point is that it exists, you gave some thought to it and it is communicated clearly. A good policy evolves over time to support the objectives of the business and mitigate potential risks.

Write a clear policy on the use of wireless and circulate it to your users. At a minimum, identify who and what is permitted on your wireless network. Mandate a standard for strong wireless encryption and authentication, and spell out how guest access is supported.

Once company laptops are equipped with wireless, IT managers should be proactive in advising staff on the proper use of public hotspots, and the security implications of doing company business over wireless networks. Well designed applications have encryption built in, but there are plenty of legacy systems which are vulnerable to snooping. Don’t be a sheep!

2. Secure the infrastructure when you deploy it

Most access points ship with well known default admin credentials and a default SSID, which is a red flag to wireless intruders . Change them! I’m constantly amazed at how many wireless deployments neglect this important step.

3. Avoid WPA-PSK shared passwords if possible

I’ve blogged on the weaknesses of WPA-PSK shared passwords extensively. Any password that is shared between many employees and guests tends to lack complexity (because of the need to share it) and can be brute forced with off the shelf software. Shared passwords are insufficient to protect commercial wireless networks. If an employee leaves or a laptop goes missing, WPA-PSK passwords should be changed. Even when managed well, there is no easy way to audit who is using a WPA-PSK protected network. Unless you really don’t have anything of value on your network, it’s simply not good enough.

WPA Enterprise is the best solution to this problem, because it allows individual usernames and passwords for wireless access. Traditionally WPA Enterprise has been painful to deploy because of PKI and RADIUS requirements. With the Napera N24, we made deploying WPA Enterprise easy, because the N24 was designed with a RADIUS server and a valid certificate built in. Even better, you can use your Active Directory to authenticate users, and you can allow guests restricted access via wireless.

4. Don’t rely on outdated security features like WEP, MAC access controls or hidden SSID’s

Some features offered by access points are simply security by obscurity. They may be fine for grandma, but they add nothing to corporate IT security.

WEP hasn’t been secure for years. Don’t use it. If you absolutely must use WEP, assume all of your communications will be in the clear and anyone can access your network. You should probably put your WEP access points outside your firewall. Even better, put them on Craigslist and buy new access points that support WPA2.

Restricting wireless devices by MAC address is futile, because it provides only a trivial obstruction and adds a large administrative burden. Any moderately skilled intruder can bypass MAC filtering by monitoring wireless traffic and forging their own. It’s not worth the administrative effort.

Turning off the SSID beacon may make you feel more secure, but only makes your network invisible to average users (and less useful to everyone, especially guests). Kismet will reveal the ‘hidden’ SSID.

5. Make sure your laptops are protected and kept up to date

Now that you are deploying Wi-Fi laptops, they will be exposed to wireless networks outside of your office. Make sure those laptops are protected with desktop firewalls, antivirus and the latest operating system patches, and kept up to date. And make sure you check these devices when they return to the office, so they don’t bring anything unpleasant back to home base.

Bonus tip- Use WPA2 with AES encryption, not TKIP.

Per my blog post last month, using WPA with TKIP encryption is looking problematic, and one hack has been published. In my experience, where there is smoke, there is fire, and we will see more TKIP hacks in coming months.

Beat the rush and deploy WPA2 with AES-CCMP encryption, regardless of whether you use WPA-PSK or WPA Enterprise. Most modern clients and access points support WPA2, and you should be able to migrate smoothly. If your access points don’t support WPA2, think about upgrading them in 2009.

What’s your tip?

Most users love wireless, and the mobility and price points offered by Wi-Fi are tough to beat. There are plenty of security issues to consider and it’s easy to lose sight of the goal amongst all the hype and acronyms. I’m sure I’ve overlooked some great ideas, so feel free to post them below.

Start 2009 on a positive note by making sure you’ve reviewed this list, and I’ll keep blogging on more ways to keep your wireless secure.

From napera

Virgin Media wireless broadband cut to £5 a month

Written by Anonymous on 12:19 AM

Virgin has announced plans to reduce broadband for customers who want wireless connections to just five pounds a month ensuring that the group offers the cheapest broadband package on the market. However the reduced fee only relates to those already in receipt of Virgin Media broadband in their home.

It appears that Virgin Mobile broadband, which has come in for some serious criticism over the last few weeks, will be seriously revamped over the coming months as the group attempts to offset some bad press of late. The group has come under pressure from the likes of O2 who have made it known that they believe their mobile broadband service is far superior to any other on the market at the moment.

This move coincides with an O2 report which suggests that 10% of mobile broadband users claim they were mis-sold the service, 20% are disappointed at the coverage available, 13% are unhappy at the lock in period and over 50% have demanded Wi-Fi hotspot access as standard. On the surface mobile broadband seems to be growing in popularity but in truth the service does not appear on the whole to be fulfilling the expectations and demands of consumers.

By Mark Benson

US Cablecos Spice Wireless Broadband Fight

Written by Anonymous on 1:01 AM

Cox Communications - the third largest cable TV outfit in the US - says it will unleash its own 3G wireless network sometime in 2009.

The cableco already offers wired broadband and telephony as well as mind-numbing television, calling itself the "first company to introduce a voice, video and data bundle to the marketplace," and in the coming months, it will stick a fourth prong on this so-called "triple play."

Cox will build its CDMA network on the spectrum it purchased during the recent 700-MHz auction/soap opera and some additional airwaves it controls in the AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) band. And while awaiting completion of the network, it will offer wireless services through a partnership with Sprint.

"[The Sprint partnership] will allow us to get to market quicker while we're building out our own network," spokeswoman Jill Ullman told The Reg. The company also says it will begin testing 4G technology in 2009, but in this case, it's going against the Sprint grain. Sprint is the lone US carrier banking on WiMAX, and Cox plans on testing the LTE (long term evolution) standard favored by just about everyone else.

Cox has more than 6.2 million residential and business customers in 18 major US markers, including Phoenix and Tuscon, Arizona; San Diego, California; Orange County, California; New Orleans; Oklahoma City; and the state of Rhode Island. According to the company, 64 per cent of those customers spring for multiple services and one third subscribe to all three of its current offerings.

Naturally, the company believes that adding a fourth play will help it attract more customers. "Wireless service will be a key driver to Cox’s future growth,” reads a canned statement from president Pat Esser.

“As wireless communications enters the new generation, we are uniquely positioned to deliver the entertainment and communications services our customers want, whenever, however and wherever they want them. Our bundled customers will become even ‘stickier’ as we offer them the best customer experience."

The company's wireless network will only span its existing markets, but customers will be free to roam elsewhere via Sprint. And whether it's nationwide or not, additional wireless broadband competition is a good thing. The nation's biggest cable outfit, Comcast, is also planning a wireless network, and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen - who owns the number four player, Charter Communications - grabbed some 700-MHz airwaves of his own under the aegis of a company called Vulcan Spectrum.

No word on a wireless network from the number two player, Time Warner Cable, but the company has invested - along with Comcast - in the proposed WiMAX merger of Sprint and Clearwire. ®

By Cade Metz

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

Wireless Network at Camp Site and Temp Visitor Access

Written by Anonymous on 11:13 PM

Question:

Hey Guys

Ive set up a wireless network at a campsite that I used to work at and I have been asked if we can set up a system so that visitors to the campsite can get temporary access either for a time limit and then it kills them and to possibly have a different login and password for each person.

Thanks guys

Jason

Answer:

get a cheap PC with built in wifi and set up m0n0wall on it. You can then configure the captive portal feature to push them to a login page when they access the wifi network with information on how to get a login. You then provide them with a username & password that you configure in the captive portal page on m0n0wall, and set a time limit.

New York Wireless Network Faces Serious Problems, CIO Says

Written by Anonymous on 1:55 AM

New York state CIO Melodie Mayberry-Stewart held out hope last week that New York's Statewide Wireless Network project could be salvaged. But she said problems with the massive wireless network - the largest IT project in the state's history - are significant.

Mayberry-Stewart sent a notice of default to Massachusetts-based M/A-COM, primary contractor for the project, on Aug. 29. The notice identifies 19 deficiencies discovered in the system during a 12-day testing period in July and gives the vendor 45 days to correct them.

"We're optimistic that M/A-COM will be able to fix their problems," said Mayberry-Stewart, in a Sept. 5 interview with Government Technology magazine. "There are a wide range of them, and they're related to software issues as well as equipment problems. So they're pretty significant. Rest assured, for us to get to this point, we felt that [the problems] were grave enough that we need to initiate the default letter."

New York's wireless network project was launched three years ago to provide interoperable wireless communications for public safety and public service agencies across the state. M/A-COM won the contract -- potentially worth more than $2 billion -- in April 2004.

The Aug. 29 default notice essentially gives M/A-COM a last chance to remedy the network's shortcomings.

According to the notice, the wireless network failed two earlier tests -- one in fall 2007 and another in spring 2008 -- before July's unsuccessful assessment. The state will test the network once more at the end of the 45-day correction period to see if the problems are fixed. If deficiencies remain, the state could cancel the project or elect to keep portions of the network that already are completed.

New York state has spent $51.5 million on the network since signing the contract, the state CIO's office said. The contract requires M/A-COM to reimburse the state for all expenses up to $100 million if the deal is canceled, according to Mayberry-Stewart. In addition, M/A-COM agreed to repay $8.5 million in federal grant money used in the project if the contract is terminated.

Problems outlined in the default notice include high failure rates for mobile radios and other portable devices; multiple site outages that rendered the network unavailable for 43 hours during the July test period; and glitches with the network's uninterrupted roaming feature that in some cases prevented the use of radios for emergency communications.

The complete notice of default, a 2007 auditor's report on the project and other information is available online from the New York State Office for Technology.

"This is the largest technology project the state's ever undertaken," said Mayberry-Stewart. "We want to make sure not only that we are being transparent, but that we really are holding the vendor to a high level of accountability. We're hoping that message - that we really want our vendors to produce - will resonate throughout our vendor community."

By Steve Towns

Is it Worth Living in The World of Wireless Connectivity?

Written by Anonymous on 5:58 AM

Nowadays airwaves market is getting bigger and wider. Broadband continues to grow and change. Now we can see its considerable improvements. You may ask what the main improved spheres are. First of all, speed. The 21st century is a century of speed. Speed of transferring or obtaining information is vitally significant at times. The second thing is convenience. It is really nice that someone suits your convenience and you feel comfortable. Finally and probably the most interesting point for people is price rates. These are the three main aspects where we can see that regular movement and as result can trace excellent technical progress.

What does it mean this thing wireless broadband? If we look at this term wireless broadband then we get to realize this unlimited horizon of wireless age. One of the wireless broadband types is mobile broadband. Sure, it is used for mobile phone towers as access point. Though, this specific type of airwaves has a number of different disadvantages that can cause some serious issues for many users. Why? Because of promoting and guarding wireless broadband can decrease and discard already challenged technologies. Let us begin with first one. Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) is the first of those companies that covered rural areas that did not get support by ADSL. Clients used this kind of WISPs and they should have to install a dish on the roof of their houses in turn to get a signal. As a rule this received signal was broadcast from a higher place within this area. And here comes one interesting thing. There had to be a permanent and constant signal from the transmitter to the dish to keep up the connection. Of course from that time wireless broadband has improved much and progressed forward, even though it is still not fairly ideal and perfect as it should be. WiMAX or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is one of the newest and most commonly used technologies. So far this technology is going to be the most promising and potential type of wireless broadband. By the way, nowadays it is widely used all around Europe and some arias in Asia.

Replacing ADSL? What it can bring us? To say you the truth but sooner or later ADSL will be replaced. It does not really matter whether WiMAX or other more advanced wireless broadband technologies replace ADSL but this is the fact. Progress will find a more suitable and ideal connection for homes, schools, offices, hospitals… We just have time to wait and see that a wireless connection will offer the following advantages like reliability, stability, convenience and security. And this connection has to provide more pluses in the aspects of speed, convenience and pricing in order to be capable to compete and win a market place. At present many endeavors and efforts are made to develop this area of airwave connection. In our opinion it is only a matter of occasion and luck when one of these efforts is realized. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) has just announced that source of a wireless connection is power. Definitely in some time wires will be out of date, consequently we will really live in era of wireless connectivity.

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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

Manchester extends wireless network

Written by Anonymous on 12:06 AM

The Eastserve Wireless Broadband service was originally started in 2000, but since then it has developed into a viable service that already covers around 3,500 households in East Manchester, and now there are plans to expand this service to cover the entire city of Manchester.

At the moment, the basic service is costing £6 for a 150 Kb connection, but for something a little faster, the 2 Mb connection is available at £20 a month.

Users are given access to training, cheap computer repairs and support, as well as free email.

There is even an opportunity for households without a computer to get online through a scheme where cheap new or recycled computers are available.

If this plan goes ahead, and there is no reason why it should not, then it will make Eastserve the largest project of this nature in the whole of Europe.

Story link: Manchester extends wireless network

59 percent of UK Broadband Home Users have wireless network, says survey

Written by Anonymous on 12:34 AM

A survey carried out by Research company Yougov on behalf of company Linksys to show the current state of wireless home networking in theNetwork UK market found out that the majority of Broadband users are now wirelessly connected.

Online consumers certainly like their home gadgets with 96 percent of the respondents surveyed reporting that they have a PC/laptop at home, 69 percent a digital music player, 57 percent a DVR/PVR or hard disk recorder, 53 percent a games console and 15 percent a digital photoframe.

With an increasing amount of exciting devices and gadgets now available for the home, from TV to film, music, gaming and photographs there is something for everyone's entertainment and working needs.

Some of those surveyed are already making the most out of their gadgets to release the full potential of a wireless connected home.

By connecting their home gadgets together over the home network consumers can surf the web, watch high definition video, listen to streaming music, share files, make Internet phone calls, and play online games entirely wirelessly in any room.

The survey revealed that people are already beginning to dispense with unnecessary cabling. 59 percent of UK residents surveyed, with a broadband internet connection at home, reported that they already have a wireless network.

Nearly 90 percent of respondents with a wireless network and a PC/laptop have attached their PC/laptops to their wireless networks while 28 percent have attached their printers and a fifth have attached their games console.

Of respondents who expressed a desire to access their personal content throughout or away from the home, 37 percent reported that technical knowledge was preventing them from doing so, along with concerns over cost (25 percent), and the anticipated set up time involved (24 percent).

The family home is going through a lot of changes. The rapid growth in broadband access, together with developments in wireless technology, like Wireless-N, is providing even more choice but increasingly consumers are often left confused.

Author: Desire Athow

One in Eight Missing out on Wireless Internet

Written by Anonymous on 12:07 AM

One in eight people with a PC or laptop and a wireless network at home are yet to make use of cable-free browsing, according to a recent survey.

While 96% of people in the UK now have a computer, and over half of broadband users have created a wireless network, some people have yet to connect their computer to the internet wirelessly.

Some users are making use of wireless networks in more sophisticated ways, however. More than a quarter of wireless network owners have connected a printer, one in five a games console and more than one in twenty their digital music player according to the YouGov survey commissioned by Linksys.

The survey shows that 69% of those in the UK now have a digital music player and over half now use digital video recorders. More than half of UK households also contain a games console and 15% now use a digital photo frame.

"The research shows that wireless networking is now a mass-market technology, and not only for the tech-savvy consumer," says Chris Dobrec, director, Linksys strategy and business development.

However, Dobrec claims that consumers require simple setup and use from wireless products. "The consumer is by no means a computer network administrator - he or she is purely interested in the application of the network for tasks like accessing the internet wirelessly or printing wirelessly. It is the application that counts."

Over a third of respondents said a lack of expertise was stopping them from installing wireless products, while a quarter claimed that cost and the time required were factors.

Matthew Sparkes

One in Eight Missing out on Wireless Internet

Written by Anonymous on 12:07 AM

One in eight people with a PC or laptop and a wireless network at home are yet to make use of cable-free browsing, according to a recent survey.

While 96% of people in the UK now have a computer, and over half of broadband users have created a wireless network, some people have yet to connect their computer to the internet wirelessly.

Some users are making use of wireless networks in more sophisticated ways, however. More than a quarter of wireless network owners have connected a printer, one in five a games console and more than one in twenty their digital music player according to the YouGov survey commissioned by Linksys.

The survey shows that 69% of those in the UK now have a digital music player and over half now use digital video recorders. More than half of UK households also contain a games console and 15% now use a digital photo frame.

"The research shows that wireless networking is now a mass-market technology, and not only for the tech-savvy consumer," says Chris Dobrec, director, Linksys strategy and business development.

However, Dobrec claims that consumers require simple setup and use from wireless products. "The consumer is by no means a computer network administrator - he or she is purely interested in the application of the network for tasks like accessing the internet wirelessly or printing wirelessly. It is the application that counts."

Over a third of respondents said a lack of expertise was stopping them from installing wireless products, while a quarter claimed that cost and the time required were factors.
Matthew Sparkes

Wireless Network Hack

Written by Anonymous on 1:30 AM

I have a laptop and I have some internet card connected to it. but the internt itgives out is bad... Ive been using some wireless network that I guess is around my house.. When Ive been using that, ive been accesing my bank account and also bought many things online incuding a $1000 airplane ticket.. My friend told me that Itsnot good to use wireles network, because the owner of that can see the website ive been to and probabl get the credit cardinfo or my bank account number.. Is this true??

.... Ive heard there are these log files that are saved?? is the bankwebsite and my password stored there?? and also the travel website I used to buy the airplane ticket and the cedit card numbers?

Mobile Internet is Taking Off

Written by Anonymous on 12:32 AM

Over the next four years, the world's telecommunications groups will begin to deploy 4G wireless broadband services, ushering in what some have described as the mobile internet.

"The mobile internet is the new, new thing in the industry. And it is here for real and happening now," said Arun Sarin, Vodafone's outgoing chief executive in a keynote speech at the recent CTIA conference in Las Vegas.

The new technologies that provide the springboard for the mobile internet include WiMax, the 4G standard backed by Intel, Motorola, Samsung and others; and LTE (Long Term Evolution), the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) technology favoured by most of the world's largest incumbent operators including Vodafone, Verizon Wireless, AT&T and China Mobile.

So far, WiMax seems to be leading the race, with real products coming on to the market now and big deployments under way, including the $14.5bn Clearwire consortium in the US, backed by Clearwire, Sprint Nextel, Intel, Google and three of the largest US cable TV networks.

LTE will not be ready for commercial deployment before the end of 2009 but has significant backers among both incumbent operators and telecommunications infrastructure providers, including Nokia, Ericsson and Alcatel Lucent.

In terms of speeds, LTE and WiMax stack up very well against one another; both are expected to deliver peak download speeds of around 100Mbps. And while they are often positioned as rivals, these new 4G standards share much in common including incorporating advanced wireless technologies. Adherents of each also speak of ubiquity, speed, global standards, and an IP address for every piece of equipment.

Perhaps most importantly, they will both enable carriers to deploy high speed, mobile networks based on internet protocol providing their customers - including businesses and mobile professionals - with fixed DSL-like speeds anywhere the 4G network reaches.

So what does this mean for businesses and for mobile workers? As carriers discovered when they began to roll out 3G networks, most users do not care about the underlying technology. Instead they are concerned about the applications and services the technology enables.

But no one is really sure what the killer app for 4G will be, or even if there is a killer app at all.

There appears, however, to be general agreement that business users will continue to demand ever-faster mobile broadband access. For instance, a recent survey conducted by market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey among 114 IT decision makers working for companies with at least 1,000 employees, reported that nearly half of all enterprises currently use 3G cellular services, and that more than one-third plan on using WiMax technology within the next year.

Among the main reasons cited by respondents for deploying mobile enterprise applications were increased employee productivity and increased employee availability.

We are seeing some indications that enterprises are beginning to look at wireless broadband as an extension of the network itself," said Mike Jude, an analyst at Nemertes Research. "They are starting to think about how to enable mobile networks with access to company applications such as enterprise research planning, customer relationship management and inventory.

Ollie Chivers, head of business marketing at T-Mobile in the UK agrees.

The business benefits (of broadband wireless) are enormous," he says. "High speed broadband opens the floodgates to a whole range of business applications and features, all designed to increase productivity in a pressurised 24/7 economy which hinges on quick decision making and an 'always there' assurance.

Bill Hogg, president of AT&T's wireless network services agrees. Like others, he believes Apple's iPhone provides a glimpse of how a well engineered mobile internet device might be used by mobile professionals - AT&T's iPhone customers spend twice as much time browsing online than typical handset users.

He also believes high speed mobile broadband will allow businesses to access many of their existing enterprise applications without the need to re-write them for slower, higher latency networks.

Mark Rowland of US-based IBB Consulting adds that 4G wireless technologies (LTE and WiMax) should have quite different economics from the current generation of 3G data networks, due to IP-centric and flat architectures. "These networks will have lower latency, making them suitable for providing real-time applications, such as gaming and voice and high capacity connection allowing the provision of rich media services," he says.

"Business should be able to improve the flexibility and responsiveness of their organisations," he argues.

The combination of Homezone and officezone networks in conjunction with 4G macro networks will allow enterprises to drive the adoption of mobile-centric devices further into their organisations and improve flexibility, responsiveness, productivity.

Phil Skeffington, principal consultant in the Information, Communication and Media division at telecoms consultancy Mott MacDonald Schema, suggests some specific uses for 4G: *Mobile video/music. Premium content, such as videos, sports events and music can be downloaded much more easily to a WiMax or LTE-enabled device.

The beauty of mobile broadband is that it is not tied to the home or an office - the consumer can watch at home or on the move. There are commercial models and technology available to allow pay-per-view or subscription-based business models, thus maximising the flexibility for consumers. *Mobile CCTV. With 4G technology, local authorities and law enforcement agencies will be able to move CCTV cameras as the needs of the local community change. If crime blackspots move, so can the camera.

CCTV cameras can be used for different applications, too: for traffic flow monitoring, issuing parking fines, monitoring sports events and concerts. Indeed the same camera can be used for more than one purpose or used at a specific time, giving the public much better value for money. *Outside broadcast. WiMax and LTE are ideal technologies to support outside broadcast/live news gathering. A broadcast quality camera can be fitted with a WiMax/LTE card and live recordings can be uploaded for near real-time broadcast, or for editing immediately prior to broadcast. This will enable broadcasters to cover many more events. There will be no need to pre-book satellite links for outside broadcast, thus increasing broadcasters' flexibility and reducing costs. *Local search. Real time location-based information will turn 4G mobiles and PDAs into a "concierge" service. One could foresee directory services and search engines using the location-based information to enable a list of Michelin-starred restaurants within a mile of the user to be downloaded on request. *Mobile health service applications. As the number of elderly and frail people increases, the need to be able to treat them in their own homes becomes more important, both because of cost and "quality of life".

LTE and WiMax will enable health visitors to access and update centrally stored patient records while on a home visit and provide appropriate care there and then. Employers could also use location-based information to track the progress of the health visitors on their rounds, optimising and updating as additional "jobs" are added to the employee's joblist. *Disaster control. In response to emergencies, mobile cameras and control rooms can be set up quickly, allowing video footage to be relayed to trained personnel in near real-time. This will assist in the control of such incidents by maximising the information available. Aerial and ground-based cameras can be used to provide an overall picture of a flood or fire, helping emergency services allocate resources. Experts could provide assistance remotely, from other counties or even countries.

Andy McBain, Motorola's senior product marketing manager in Europe adds: "One of the main benefits of high speed mobile broadband is its potential for transmitting visual information.

"Coupled with the increasing fidelity of handset displays, it is now possible to stream high-quality images and video to and from mobile handsets. As a result, mobile engineers, delivery people and other workers can verify task completion, provide evidence in legal contexts and can also allow workers to overcome obstacles they might face by sharing them with offsite colleagues."

In addition, he suggests that the ability of high speed broadband handsets to transmit both voice and data without compromising the quality of either means that workers can use their mobile devices for a variety of applications, such as customer service and record keeping, rather than just for voice calls and mobile messaging.

"The increased availability of near-instantaneous data transmission also means that workers will not need to carry around supplementary data on SD cards or other devices, which can easily be stolen and present a notable security risk," he says. "Rather, it can be safely accessed as and when it is needed."

But Mark Rowland of IBB Consulting says these capabilities could also pose a threat to operators. "If we assume that more capable devices with open operating systems become available with a host of compelling applications that encourage the broad adoption of 4G networks, then it is going to be difficult for operators to avoid becoming the dumb pipe, just like the fixed operators," he says.

"They might have to settle for charging a connection fee with the rest of the revenue going to third-party service providers. This is the nightmare scenario for the operators, but customers will have a very broad range of service providers and services to choose from."

David Perry, director of Cognito, a UK-based mobile workforce specialist, also sounds a note of caution. "Businesses need to look at the applications requirement for mobile workers," he says. "Is there a killer app out there that is stalled because it's starved of high bandwidth, low latency IP comms? I'm not sure; the only services to benefit would be high-quality broadcast video or video conferencing, as existing 2.5 and 3G technologies work fine for internet access, sharing photos and messaging (the biggest killer app so far), none of which are widely used by business today.

"I see WiMax and LTE allowing more competition for multiplay consumer broadband delivery and unified communications.

They will make it possible for mobile network operators, phone companies and TV companies to compete to provide a range of presence-based IP voice, video and data services that are today delivered by a patchwork of over-the-air, satellite, cable and fixed wire broadband and circuit switched voice.

By Paul Taylor