WiFi - Wireless Fidelity

How To Fix Wifi Adhoc Network Problems

2008-09-20T07:10:00.001-07:00

A very common cause of adhoc network problems is the version of software that came with your Wifi network card, checkout your manufacturers website and see if a more uptodate version of the software is available, many of these come with there own networking software with easy to setup adhoc network software.

Cannot get an adhoc network working from a USB network adapter

This can occur when a computer only has USB 1 type ports, either add a USB 2 card or install an internal network card if possible.

I get a connection but cannot browse

Have you enabled Windows ICS or Internet Connection Sharing ?, this must be enabled first, even then we have found ICS to be quite flaky and recommend a free product called AnalogX proxy server, it's very small and robust.

Try setting IP addresses to static not DHCP otherwise it can take a long time to find an address.

Make sure your firewall is set to allow browsing on port 80, plus any other services you need such as FTP, SMTP etc, simple way to test if the firewall is causing problems is to simply disable and then test.

If you are using an internet connection via PPPoE Make sure your computer has the correct MTU network settings, firstly find your gateway address on your client pc, (from the Start Menu, type CMD, then IPCONFIG)

Now type Ping -F -L 1500 xxx.xxx.xxx (type your gateway address into xxx.xxx.xxx)

If you receive an error try pinging -F -L1450

what we need to achieve from this is a ping response and you need your setting to be as close to 1500 as possible, so keep going lower or higher until you find this number.

Note if you get a ping response from 1500 this will not work for you

Once you have it you need to enter the following into the registry

Goto

Regedit/HK_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet

/Services/TCPIP/Parameters/Interfaces

Create a new DWORD value call it MTU, double click on it choose the Decimal option and enter the MTU number you found earlier.

I have a connection but it keeps dropping How fast is the connection you've chosen? Try to slow the connection down, selecting B instead of G will go from 54 to 11 mbps

Adhoc networks do have a place in networking, but only a temporary one, I only ever use Adhoc as a last resort, the only advantage of using Adhoc is convenience and cost, but as routers are becoming cheaper it simply is not worth the hassle of using it,

Generally adhoc will be slower, more problematic, the range will not be as good as a wifi router, and of course you need to keep the host pc on whenever another pc wishes to use the internet.

Checkout Our Other Articles http://www.computer-adviser.com

adhoc-internet

Wifi USB Adapter - Enhance Wireless Signals

2008-09-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

Wifi USB Adapter is a hotspot finder. Featuring wireless technology, this wireless networking solution has been designed for both large and small businesses, and it is scalable so that you can easily add more users and new network features depending on your business scale. It can deliver the bandwidth necessary for real-time streaming of high-definition digital multimedia content in home networks, and provide high-speed email, web and LAN access to multiple mobile users in corporate environments or public hotspots. Other than PC, our adapter can be easily installed on Mac OS-X and Linux. It has fully support of drivers.

Blueunplugged USB Adapter 802.11g solution is the innovative design of wireless chipset. The Adapter draws its power from the USB port and does not need an external power supply. Transfer data as speeds of up to 54Mbps. Improved error correction keeps the Adapter operating at the higher transmission rates for long distances.The Blueunplugged WiFI 54Mbps USB adapter is a compact design and hot swappable giving flexibility and tremendous advantages for desktop and notebook users. When you want to join a WiFI network, install the Adapter on the fly no need to reboot.

Wi-Fi was intended to be used for mobile devices and LANs, but is now often used for Internet access. It enables a person with a wireless-enabled computer or personal digital assistant (PDA) to connect to the Internet when in proximity of an access point. It offer WiFi solutions for PC's, laptops, and mobile phones, from leading brands such as Netgear, Kensington, D-Link and Belkin. Wi-Fi (or Wi-fi, WiFi, Wifi, wifi), short for "Wireless Fidelity", is a set of product compatibility standards for wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802.11 specifications. New standards such as 802.16(WiMAX), are currently in the works and offer many enhancements, anywhere from longer range to greater transfer speeds.

High-level hardware-based 64-bit and 128-bit WEP Encryption gives you secure data communication and shields your network from any wireless intruders at no sacrifice to performance. Also, there are advanced security features such as Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), WPA-PSK and 802.1x support included. Pre-configured to work with Actiontec wireless products or connect to other devices that support the 802.11g or 802.11b standards.

Some information which you may need to provide during driver installation are your wireless client name, your wireless SSID, your computer's unique client name and workgroup name, for your network account - your username and password and finally your IP address, gateway address, and subnet mask if you are not using a DHCP server.Connect your WLAN USB Adapter to your PC and install driver. LED turns on when power is applied to the WLAN USB Adapter. LED is blinking when PC is sending data through WLAN USB Adapter.

Rakesh Lashkari - Author, Editor, Marketing Manager, Authorized Representative, Website Co-ordinator

For more information about Wifi USB Adapater: Wifi USB Adapter

Nintendo DS Wifi Connection - Good News For Gamers

2008-08-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

Newly released game for nintendo wii will allow the wii console and the nintendo ds to be linked together using the nintendo ds wifi connection. If you own both a nintendo ds console and a wii console you can link the two using the nintendo ds wifi connection and use the multiplayer mode.

Geometry wars: galaxies has already won top awards for wii and was just released for nintendo ds. It allows for single player and multiplayer modes. The new single player mode allows players to tackle waves of enemies that have never been seen before and they all act and react in a frenetic way through 60 different levels. It also introduces the new Battle Drone that will follow your request to defend and attack or collect the geoms that are used to increase your multiplayer scores or even buy new planets.

One of the unique new features is that players will be able to battle in a variety of different planets in the new multiplayer mode. Using your nintendo ds wifi connection if you own both the nintendo ds and nintendo wii consoles you can link the two together and unlock bonus levels for both versions of the game. This will allow players to get high scores with the nintendo wii and the nintendo ds and post on the online leader boards.

They have optimized the game controls for both the nintendo ds and the nintendo wii systems that allow you to use the nintendo wii remote and nunchuck controllers. It also allows compatability for the nintendo classic controller. All you need is your nintendo ds wifi connection or your nintendo wii wifi and you can now use the multiplayer mode to battle online for an exciting game experience.

This new video game will make the perfect addition to any video game collection. You will be excited to see that they have added 60 more times the gameplay, multiplayer and wifi to make this an incredbile game experince. There are more and more games in the works with the introduction of the nintendo ds wifi connection feature and you can expect to see them released over the next year.

Candy created an all nintendo website to help those find nintendo products. She also has several retailers and nintendo wii is always in stock here. http://www.buynintendoonlinewii.com Nintendo ds at http://www.buynintendowiionline.homestead.com/nintendodsl.html

iPOD vs Zune - Zune's WiFi Breaks The Tie?

2008-07-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

Microsoft's Zune and the iPOD have been battling it out in the marketplace for over a year now. One of the Zune's advantages has been its inclusion of wireless networking for file sharing between different Zune players. One place many industry observers have thought Microsoft made a mistake is that the player could only share files between different Zunes, and not use the built-in WiFi for synching to the user's PC.

Microsoft has remedied the problem. All the latest models of the Zune have WiFi synching. If you own an older one, you can rejoice now. With the latest firmware update, version 2.0 or higher, you'll be able to enjoy this functionality as well. It seems the Big M has answered your prayers at last. To make the first generation player even more attractive, it is being offered at extremely low prices at a myriad of different retailers, both on-line and off.

The combination of new features and new, lower prices are powerful incentives for many consumers to choose a Zune over an iPOD, something Microsoft has hoped for since the player's introduction. Even with the new Apple products' large screens and lower prices, the Zune has a feature set that makes the battle much closer, and in the minds of many consumers, actually tilt in favor of the Boyz from Redmond.

Some recent research among teens in the 13 - 17 demographic, appears to suggest that many of them actually think the Zune is more hip, and really appreciate the WiFi feature. Capturing that demographic is a coup that Microsoft has worked long and hard for. These young consumers are a fickle bunch. The momentum could begin to swing at any time, and once it shifts in earnest, look out!

The upgrade of older units to include WiFi synching to a PC, the introduction of a larger, 80GB Zune, and smaller flash based units, has fleshed out the product line considerably. The new products answered some industry critics that said the Zune product line was to narrow. These new products could be just in time to give the Zune the push it needs to catch the iPOD in the market place, if not topple it from its lofty perch.

Discover what else the Zune can do for you. If you already have a Zune, you can also have unlimited downloads to fill up your player with the latest music, videos, and movies. It's super easy. Find out how at Zune Downloads guide.

WiFi In The Cross-Hairs

2008-07-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

In 1999, the European countries kicked off plans to auction spectrum for 3G. A ballpark US$200B down the road and 3G still seeks validation. But the establishment is on its side allowing the 3G bus to careen from country to country leaving a trail of red ink. However, just one ISP blunders with WiFi deployment in American cities and the Inquisition is back.

To understand better the brouhaha hark back to 2004 when Verizon launched a political broadside against Wireless Philadelphia. Demonstrating just what clout means Verizon got Pennsylvania Governor Ed Randell to sign a law barring MuniWireless initiatives unless the municipality or local body first offered the incumbent service provider an opportunity to deploy its own network. That the incumbent had all these past years to deploy a broadband network and didn’t simply means irony does not trump political muscle.

Then a funny thing happens. There was a groundswell of protest from the citizenry making the good Governor rapidly backtrack resulting in a last-minute deal allowing Wireless Philadelphia to proceed and with EarthLink subsequently winning the contract to deploy. MuniWireless was now officially in the telecom establishment’s cross-hairs. Taking on City Hall is one thing. But to take on the corporate telecoms establishment, groundswells and big cojones aren’t enough. Especially when the ISP depends on the same incumbent to provide fixed line connectivity to WiFi base stations.

In 2005 Diana Neff – the lady behind Wireless Philadelphia – explained its economics to me:
- In lieu of Capex related payments, the city government becomes the anchor tenant.
- Power, locations for base stations provided for free.
- ISP free to offer internet access into homes , offices at commercial rates.
- Free Internet access in open parks.
- Subsidized Internet access to weaker sections.

That’s the economic gist. Is its net wherewithal enough to rumble with fully amortized copper running voice and owned by an incumbent able to cherry picks where to put its DSLAMs? I’d say, barely. Just about. If all goes well. Now, if the municipalities were to ante up to also mitigate the Capex burden in addition to becoming anchor tenants, we could have a robust stand-off.

Here is the core argument on the economics.
- Nothing is free.
- Recurring revenues are a bitch to kick-off. To generate a stream that makes sense is usually a three year wait. This is the incumbent’s huge advantage. His three year wait occurred in the Triassic era.
- If the municipalities pay for equipment and become anchor tenants, MuniWireless has money then to wait out the gestation period required for monthly recurring revenues to stack up.
- If the municipalities are not going to pay for equipment, they need to ante up properly as anchor tenants. If neither, the MuniWireless operation goes bust.
- Again, the same economics do not apply to a cellular player because the 2G networks are comfortably amortized and the service ubiquitous.
- Unbundled services from the incumbent are a bedrock for MuniWireless economics. Without it the whole enterprise remains fraught.
- Lastly, look at the blood around 3G to understand what it takes to launch a new service, even when the service is allowed to rest on 2G crutches. In comparison, WiFi’s burn is peanuts and all it takes for the economics to work is at a minimum, strict & wholehearted adherence to the Neff model.

It’s safe to say that besides a continued reliance on incumbent backhaul, the basics of the Neff formula weren’t adhered to as ISPs like EarthLink sought to light up America’s urban landscapes. In a rush to move away from a dying dial-up business deals were signed up at the same velocity they are currently unwinding. We watched from the sidelines as each new deal resulted in one more concession and then another and another thrusting a precedence on the rest of the industry. By 2007, cities were refusing anchor tenancies and delivering a double whammy instead by demanding free services if the ISP were to be allowed to address the city population.

MuniWireless’ teething problems then have more to do with possible economic mismanagement and incumbent hostility than with WiFi technology. The same WiFi for example, is working wonderfully for T-Mobile in their WiFi@home service linking your home WiFi and the thousands of T-Mobile WiFi hotspots to their cellular network. This service is WiFi's wedge into the telecom establishment's door.

So someone may have screwed with MuniWireless but WiFi isn’t the perp.

Seeing T-Mobile’s intent there’s more to WiFi than WiFi. I wrote in 2005 about patching WiFi to cellular networks suggesting UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) as a method for cellular companies to co-opt WiFi and bring true broadband into the realm without investing in a questionable 3G. Kudos to T-Mobile for doing it two years later.

But WiFi-cellular links are already passé. If the cellular companies have been too slow/reluctant/hostile to the technology doesn’t mean the technology wasn’t there. WiFi is the tip of an OFDMA iceberg and the WiFi-WiMax nexus is what’s going to shake up the networks next. One doesn’t expect to see a WiMax operator mulling too much on the pros & cons of connecting to WiFi at the edges over a common IP back end. The first casualty of such ubiquitous footprints with high speed mobile wireless broadband access to the internet is going to be band-aid applications like Blackberry. Whether you sit at Starbucks, walk up to your car with your Frappuchino or drive off home, you can directly access your email server/service at a minimum 2-5mbps.

There are some very dedicated people working hard at IEEE under the IEEE P802.21 working group to develop standards for these vertical (cellular – WiFi) and horizontal (WiFi-WiMax) nexuses. The standard is slated for finalization by 2008 at which point WiFi begins its real role as the owner of the edge. As we old telecom hands have learnt at great expense, that’s where the winning lottery ticket is hidden.

For a non-incumbent, to make sense of a WiFi-centric business one needs to adhere to the economic arguments made in these article. That keeps the business afloat while you spread your network one home after another, one café after another. Your intent is to have as large a footprint as possible before you make that call to T-Mobile.

Municipal WiFi Technology A Good Idea Everywhere

2008-07-11T06:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes high technology crops up in unlikely places. This would definitely be the case if Mexico City ends up providing widespread wireless Internet access to its residents. While obviously a long way off, turning Mexico City into an enormous wireless hot spot would obviously have a large number of benefits.

As with most municipal WiFi projects, the idea would be to provide Mexico City with widespread Internet access as a way of allowing for greater intercommunication of government employees. It would also allow the government to monitor things like security cameras more easily. As a spillover effect, municipal WiFi would give businesses and individuals cheap ways to communicate and get information over the Internet. For example, schools would also be included in the plan.

Of course, some critics have been quick to point out that Mexico City doesn't even provide consistent electricity and running water to its population. Some areas go entirely without utilities and even the better neighborhoods have frequent and unexpected power blackouts.

Mexico City has additional problems that have yet to be solved. These include, but are obviously not limited to, rampant air pollution and traffic problems.

Despite the problems that Mexico City has with maintaining basic utilities, providing municipal WiFi is still a good idea. For one thing, wireless technology is easier to install and maintain in many ways than electrical infrastructure. That's because it's wireless by definition. That translates into bring able to supply numerous households and businesses with wireless Internet access without having to run any kind of cable to them. It's also a lot less to trouble shoot when something goes wrong.

Wireless Internet access could also provide a lot more educational and economic opportunities to the residents of Mexico City. After all, if a family can get a computer with wireless capabilities, there free or low cost access to the Internet could provide children with access to some of the best sources of Information in the world. The online educational resources would probably improve literacy just by providing the population with more content to read and more reason to know how to read.

Widespread WiFi access could also alleviate a lot of other ills in Mexico City. For example, it might allow some people to telecommute which would decrease congestion in the city's streets and smog in the air. Considering that Mexico City has a population of almost nine million people even if one percent of them could telecommute rather than driving to work, that would make a large difference.

A municipal WiFi project in Mexico City is also a good idea because it can be seen in an investment that will allow for greater investment. For example, low cost Internet access could allow people to use Voice over Internet Protocol technology in place of normal phone service. This will allow businesses and families alike to save money that can be spent on growth or education, respectively. Widespread wireless Internet access would also make it easier to start online businesses.

There are a lot of reasons that municipal WiFi is a good idea, and those factors apply even more in less developed parts of the world.

A leader in technology reporting, Julia Hall has published articles about the latest digital devices and gadgets for over ten years. After graduating from MIT with a degree in electrical engineering, Julia turned down huge salaries from some of the most recognized fortune 500 companies in the world to pursue his dream of becoming a leading consumer advocate. Julia uses her expertise to cut through the too good to be true deals offered by high tech companies to reveal the real steals and the real duds that we're bombarded with daily. If you enjoy staying on the cutting edge of technology, whether for business or pleasure, but find yourself occassionaly confused by the overwhelming information out there let Julia be your guide.

WiFi Technology - Get Connected With Wi-Fi Technology

2008-07-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Wireless communication is one of the fastest growing technologies. The demand for connecting devices without the use of cables is increasing everywhere. Wireless LANs can be found on college campuses, in office buildings, and in many public areas. Wifi (wireless fidelity) has brought a new dimension in the field of wireless networking. The transmission of data is done through the radio waves in the free space. It cuts down the cost of laying down the cables for network connections. The systems which are wifi enabled are mobile and can be used anywhere in the range of the network.

Wireless router.

Router is a connecting device, which receives the data from the source and route the data to its destination. Wireless routers refer to the devices in the wireless network, which receives the signal from a source and rout the signal to its destination by examining its SSID. Routers are generally used to interconnect two networks.

A wireless card.

Some systems which do not have in built wifi devices so they need an external interface card which connects the wifi device (a transmitting device) to the system. These cards can be connected to the PCI slot of the mother board . Also in order to receive the wifi signal from devices our system should be equipped with a receiver. Nowadays receivers that can be connected through USB are also available.

Hence we see that wifi has numerous advantages. Nowadays wifi connections can be found on college campuses, in office buildings, in many public areas. If we consider the present world, we find that the demands for the wifi connections are increasing. People are beginning to appreciate the advanced features wifi network provides to the user. Due to its increasing demand the scope of the wifi network is also on the rise. Here we highlight the major benefits of installing a wifi network.

Firstly it cut down the cost of laying down the cable for network connection.Secondly with no wires attached it is possible that the sender node can be mobile.Thirdly the equipments required to fully establishing the wifi network anywhere is relatively cheap. So the cost incurred in establishing the wireless wifi connection is cheaper and also very easy to install. Wifi established in small place do not even need the wireless routers.

Lastly it is also possible for the user to have a better speed of Internet connection by using wifi network. Since the bandwidth provided by wireless cutwork is large connection speed between two nodes is faster. It is also faster to transmit data between two devices connected through wifi.

You can also find more info on Get Wi-Fi Antenna and USB Wi-Fi. Topwifireviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Wi-Fi Wireless Network Technology.

Archos 604 WiFi Combines Several Gadgets Into One

2008-06-25T06:05:00.000-07:00

People who love gadgets know that the only thing better than a single gadget is a bunch of gadgets combined into one. This is definitely the case with most portable media players. After all, portable media players can play digital music and videos, as well as display digital photos on their own built in LCD screens. Some can even display the visual media that the store onto full sized TV screens, which make them kind of like portable archives of video and photos that can be accessed and shared using any TV. Many portable media devices can also feed digital audio into home and car stereos for a truly portable audio experience.

Some portable media devices go way beyond these capabilities though, and one of them is the Archos 604 WiFi. The Archos 604 WiFi is a fully functional portable media device that performs all of the functions mentioned above, but does a lot more in addition to that. Perhaps the most dramatic thing that the Archos 604 WiFi can do is function as a digital video recorder. With the addition of a simple docking station, this device can record video from any TV and a variety of other devices. In fact, with the docking device as part of your home entertainment center the Archos 604 WiFi can completely take the place of a set top digital video recorder. Plus, with the fact that the video can be stored in MPEG-4 video compression format means that the device's hard drive can store well over one hundred hours of video! This video can then be played back over the TV of your home entertainment center, on the Archos 604 WiFi's screen, or on another TV screen.

Another useful feature of the Archos 604 WiFi is its ability to access wireless hot spots (which is where the "WiFi" in its name comes from). This allows it to get video and music files directly off of the Internet and you can surf the Internet with a copy of the Opera web browser that comes with the device. Of course, the web browser may be difficult to use in terms of reading everything on it with the Archos 604 WiFi's small screen, but that's another case of where the ability to plug into a larger TV screen comes in real handy. As an added level of usefulness, this device is also able to access Adobe Acrobat files.

The Archos 604 WiFi is also incredibly adaptable thanks to a variety of accessories. Accessories for this device include the docking station already mentioned above and connections to let it play audio over a car stereo system, but they also include a vast array of other things. For example, you can get a special docking station that you can use for travel. You can also get a special helmet cam that turns the Archos 604 WiFi into a camcorder that can be used to film video while you're on the go. (It can also become a camcorder with the addition of virtually any digital camera!) You can also get a wide variety of headphones for the Archos 604 WiFi.

In general, there aren't many gadgets that do a better job than the Archos 604 WiFi of combining a lot of different gadgets into one.

A pioneer in technology reporting, Julia Hall has published articles about the latest digital devices and gadgets for over ten years. After graduating from MIT with a degree in electrical engineering, Julia turned down huge salaries from some of the most recognized fortune 500 companies in the world to pursue her dream of becoming a leading consumer advocate. Julia uses his expertise to cut through the too good to be true deals offered by high tech companies to reveal the real steals and the real duds that we're bombarded with daily. If you enjoy staying on the cutting edge of technology, whether for business or pleasure, but find yourself occasionally confused by the overwhelming and convoluted information out there let Julia show you the way.

How To Get Free WiFi Access At Your Airport

2008-06-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, one of the best places to relax and surf the web in an airport, while waiting for your next flight, is from your laptop in one of those airline lounges. Access to these lounges, however, are for those frequent flyers who have logged some miles with the airline. Unfortunately, not all of us fly as often as those people.

One of the good news for us web surfer/casual flyers, however, is that more often than not, these lounges offer Free WiFi access! Thanks to the wireless technology, the WiFi signal easily penetrates the walls of these lounges. I have to confess that I have logged on to these airport lounge hotspots to gain free Internet access at the airport many times.

Ok, even though these airport lounges are springing up in the airports around the world finding them still takes some work. Thanks go to the people at LoungeGuide.net whom make things pretty easy when it comes to locating these airport lounges. The LoungeGuide.net team did a great job cataloging all the lounges at the airports around the world. All you have to do is locate your airport and there the list of the lounges and their location. I bet there is already at least one lounge in your airport!

I used LoungeGuide.net last time to locate a lounge in the new Bangkok International Airport in Thailand for Free Internet access when I found out about my 4 hour layover. Yes, I did find the lounge with the Free WiFi access using the site. I was happily surfing the web and killing time for Free! Kudos to the Cathy Pacific people for providing the Free WiFi signal from their lounge in the Bangkok Airport.

Well, I hope this post will provide you a way to gain some Free WiFi Access already out there at the airports around the world. Now is a good time to remember to start collecting your frequency flyer miles, so you can be enjoying the free Internet while snacking on free food from inside those lounges!

For those of us who doesn't have access to these airport lounges you can find out more information on both free and paid WiFi service for your airport at www.airportwifiguide.com.

P.Pavarolar Blogging about WiFi access at Airports on http://www.airportwifiguide.com

Introduction To Wifi Antenna Power

2008-06-10T07:09:00.001-07:00

The wifi technology has proved to be of great use and has stood on the expectations of the users. It is the wifi antenna power that is considered to be the most important aspect in the area of development of the wifi technology. It is possible to extend the given range of the wi-fi system (currently running 802.11 IEEE standard) by installing and configuring an external antenna, and it is logical that with more range more mobility can be provided to the user.

There are various types and kind of antennas available in the market, for choosing the appropriate one we have to first analyze all our requirements. We should judge our needs and whichever antenna satisfies the requirements should be taken. If the requirement is to have a better mobility of the system then the directional antennas should be taken. It is widely used in point to point transmission.

There is a second type of antenna available in the market; these are called omni directional power antennas. When an antenna transmits waves, they are propagated in all directions. Hence these antennas can serve as a base antennas, can transmit the data to various nodes in the network like wireless printers, laptops, PDA, etc. These antennas have some shortcomings too. These bi-directional antennas cannot be used in point to point transmission.

There is a third category of antennas, which can be used in multi cast communication, in other words in order to have data transmission between a point and multi points, point to multi-point WiFi antenna power options are available. It is very useful when we try to establish and share wireless local area network or try to establish a high speed internet connection. It is also applicable in the set up of wireless access points.

Knowing and understanding the qualities that are needed for an efficient and properly working network and requirements of our system is very crucial for choosing the right kind of antennas. Choosing the right type of power antennas can help in utilizing the facility of wifi network of the system.

If someone does not understand the whole technicality of the wireless networks, and its requirement, it is advisable to get in touch of the concerned technicians before buying any type of antennas.

Just knowing the range offered by a particular antenna is not the only condition which be taken care of. In other words there are different factors also which must be considered, in order to calculate the total range of he antenna, these factors are the power output of the wireless network interface card, and also the strength of the receiving wireless card (the card of the destination node). These factors play an important role to determine the effective range of the antennas.

You can also find more info on USB Wi-Fi and Voip Wi-Fi Phone. Topwifireviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Wi-Fi Wireless Network Technology.

WiFi Access Point

2008-06-04T06:37:00.000-07:00

The field of communication is the fastest growing field in science and technology. The advancement in wireless communication was started in 1901 with development of wireless telegraph using Morse code. Wireless networks have many uses, people on the road now can send messages, data, mail, files etc from anywhere in the world. With advancement in the internet technology in the 1980's there is an ever increasing interest in wireless networking.

A network is a group of connected communicating devices such as computer. An internet is a collaboration of more than hundreds of thousands interconnected networks. Private individuals as well as various organizations such as government agencies, schools, research facilities, corporations and libraries in more than 100 countries use the internet.

The internet has revolutionized many aspects of our daily lives. It has affected the way we do business as well as the way we spend our leisure time. Count the ways you've used the internet recently. Perhaps you've sent electronic mail (e-mail) to a business associate, paid a utility bill, read newspaper from a distant city, or looked up a local movie schedule- all by using the internet. Or maybe you researched a medical topic, booked a hotel reservation, chatted with a fellow Trekkie, or comparison-shopped for car. The internet is a communication system that has brought a wealth of information you or fingertips and organized it for our use. A new technology known as wifi which stands for wireless fidelity was developed which enables the users to transmit data at a fast rate. The whole concept of wifi is based on access points.

Access points.

An access point can be thought as a hardware device or a software which establishes a wireless communication. this access point gets connected to wired local area network such as DSL, cables. Any two systems which are wifi enabled can thus connect without the need of physical connection. It improves the mobility if the nodes.

The access point also allows the user to have a faster connection by providing better bandwidth. Now it is possible for a user to watch movies, download software and play multiplayer games all at the same time, this is all made possible by wifi connection which provides a superior bandwidth over existing networks.

In order to utilize a wifi network to its maximum we should properly understand the basics of it. We should understand the meaning of access points and should know how to install and implement them. As there are numerous benefits of these wifi networks,

You can also find more info on Wi-Fi and Get Wi-Fi Antenna. Topwifireviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Wi-Fi Wireless Network Technology.

WiFi Restaurants Make it Easier to Go Freelance

2008-05-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

Step into a Panera restaurant and you will see why Wi-Fi hotspots like these are making it easier to go freelance and leave your cubicle behind.

Look around the restaurants, there are workers everywhere…but they don’t work for Panera Bread. They are doing their business, meeting with clients and sharing ideas over the fresh pastries and coffee that they just bought.

This Wi-Fi (short for “wireless fidelity”) is changing the way that people go about their work. Some freelance professionals move their base of operations right to local cafés. They can set up appointments and meet with clients over coffee. They even claim that they became more productive than even working from home or in an office.

It is also becoming easier to find these places. Wi-Fi “Hotspots” are popping up everywhere. You can find them at McDonalds, Starbucks, and even some campgrounds. They are also simple to access. All laptop users need is a wireless Wi-Fi card (which is a one time investment of less than $100) and they are ready to go. Many newer laptop computers come with this technology built right in.

The coolest benefit to most is the ability to access work wherever they are. “I can enjoy the sunshine out on the patio on a sunny day, “ says one freelance professional, “and I still get more work done that in an office with lots of interruptions. It’s the best way to work.”

And since WiFi has become so common place, many former employees like her have been able to say good-bye to 9-to-5, long commutes, and company politics and are choosing their favorite Wi-Fi café to take their skills and finally go freelance.

Eden Paul is a CPA and small business owner who enjoys helping others follow their dreams by using a great freelance community like GoFreelance.

For more information and ideas on how to start working for yourself, visit http://www.freelanceworkreview.com

Verizon Wifi - A Breakthrough From Cable?

2008-05-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

Mobile computers, such as notebook computers and PDA are the fastest growing segment of computer industry. Many of the owners of these computers have deskto Machines on LANs and WANs at the office and want to be connected to their home base even when away from home. Since having a wired connection is impossible in cars or planes there is a lot of interest in the wireless networks. Wired connectivity has now become a thing of the past, with the advent of new technology such as WiFi, the internet connectivity has entered a new era. The hassle free handling and unwired system increases the mobility of the user enabling him to multi task and explore the internet from the comfortable confines of the living roon.

With the number of systems increasing there is increase in the demand for wireless networks.

A US based company Verizon communications is the largest company providing telephone services. Now they have introduced a new service called Verizon wifi in may of 2003 in order to meet the growing demand for wireless network connections. This corporation has targeted New York city and plans to provide the wireless connectivity over the whole of New York city. Presently the have installed 150 wifi access points and plans to add 850 of more.

Competition with T mobile.

With Verizon communications taking long strides in providing wifi services, another telecommunication firm T-mobile (leading wifi provider) is facing a stiff competition from Verizon.

In order to gain more market share verizon has introduced total free wifi connection to its exclusive internet users. Any user who wants to get connected to the internet through any hotspot just needs to type in user name and his/her password with no extra fee. T-mobile has responded by collaborating with other wifi service providers such as Starbucks cafes and Borders bookstores to increase its network area.

The rapid advancement of Verizon wifi has threatened the business of many DSL cable network providers.

The Verizon wifi is getting very popular among the users since it guarantees to provides better and faster connection to the users. Since Verizon Wifi has a wireless network it has distinct advantage over cable network as it provides mobility. Its popularity stems from the fact that this enables the user to access the internet from any corner of the area under WiFi spectrum. It is indeed a revolutionary concept.

DSL companies are countering by providing additional services along with the internet connections by integrating telephone, TV, internet services. They are also trying to give more bandwidth to the users.

You can also find more info on Wi-Fi and Get Wi-Fi Antenna. Topwifireviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Wi-Fi Wireless Network Technology.

What Is A Skype WiFi Phone?

2008-05-07T05:57:00.001-07:00

With the rapid advancement in the field of networking and communication, now it is possible to have voice conversation with other people through internet. The device used in voice conversation over internet is called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) which is the routing of voice conversation over IP enabled network. With the demand of wireless network on the rise it is now possible to design a kind of a mobile phone which can be used to communicate between two nodes using the same wireless network. Skype phone is a cellular phone used in the context of wi-fi network, which is used to make free call to other users provided he also uses Skype device. Though the Skype uses Wi-fi network to communicate with other Skype devices, it is not possible to enable this device in any wi-fi enabled spot. These spots must be secured with standards such as WEP or WPA.

There are immense benefits one can draw by using the Skype phone devices.

The most obvious advantage of using Skype is the cost of the call made. Skype is able to deliver a 100 percent free of charge phone calls to other Skype devices.The only cost, which the user has to tolerate, is the cost of buying the Skype device.

Another major advantage of Skype is the mobility. Since it uses wireless wi-fi system, it is possible to take the device anywhere within the radius of the network and continue the conversation with other user. Hence it also acts like a mobile phone with the capability of taking the device anywhere without interrupting the voice conversation.

Hence with wi-fi network getting more and more famous these days, the wireless connections are getting spread to more and more areas. With these advances in the field of wireless connection the prospect of Skype is also increasing. Nowadays Skype provide better voice transmission capability through shared wireless network and these days are provided with USB(universal serial bus) charging device so that the phone can recharged by laptops and other PCs. Since this device is based on wifi, like laptops when these devices are switched on they automatically search for any other connection available in the network. These devices have a simple interface having the features like contact list, call history, voicemail, changing your status, adding a contact, searching for a contact, and looking at how much Skype credit you have etc. These devices are definitely much cheaper than using the mobile phones available in the market.Though it may not entirely phase out the mobile phones but it would surely bring in some innovation to the field of communication.

You can also find more info on Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Phone. Topwifireviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Wi-Fi Wireless Network Technology.

Can I Build My WiFi Antenna?

2008-05-07T05:56:00.002-07:00

As the number of portable computing and communication devices grew, so does the demand to connect them to outside world. To go on line the computers had to be plugged into a telephone wall socket. Requiring a wired connection to fixed network meant that computers were portable, but not mobile.

To achieve true mobility the computers need to use radio(or wireless in that case) signals for communication. . In this manner, dedicated users would be able to read and send email while driving or moving to other rooms etc. A system of portable computers that communicate by radio are known as wireless LAN. Therefore to provide mobility to the systems, wireless local area networks were developed and now a new technology “Wi-Fi” or 802.11x(IEEE standard for wireless LAN setup), has become the most popular worldwide standard for the wireless communication in LAN.. Nowadays all major Laptop manufacturers provide an in built wi-fi system. Work is being done to make various devices like mobile phones, mp3 players etc to be wi-fi enabled.

In order to meet the growing demand for wi fi networks, various public places are provided with them.

In order to enhance the wireless capabilities the antennas are developed and are now available in the market, though they are easy to install but these antennas are very expensive. Hence it would be a great thing if it is possible to make our own antennas with some readily available goods. We would need a cable (also known as pigtail) to connect wireless interface card with the antenna. We would also need two kinds of connectors, a N-male connector to connect one end of the cable to antennas and an appropriate connector to connect the wireless interface card with cable. Since the making of antenna requires wire, we would also need a soldering iron to solder wires.

ADVANTAGES OF DESIGNING OUR OWN ANTENAS

The construction of our own antennas provides various advantages to us. Apart from being cheaper than the antennas available in market they are also easy to configure into our system. So instead of investing huge amounts of money in antennas we can better manage that money by adding them to buy better Laptop systems.

There is also time factor involved in making your own antennas system. Since it is easy and faster to make and install our own antennas, it saves lot of time. Hence designing and making our own antennas would provide a better facility to the total cost involved in configuring the communication system

You can also find more info on Get Wi-Fi Antenna and USB Wi-Fi. Topwifireviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Wi-Fi Wireless Network Technology.

Do I Need A Laptop Internal WiFi Antenna?

2008-05-07T05:56:00.001-07:00

In order to enhance the capability of the wireless cards of the laptops, different manufacturers provide an additional feature of internal wi-fi antenna. This is nothing but a wireless antenna used to increase the range of the wireless communication. The advent of internet as a formidable tool of communication has made its demand more, hence the need for innovation in the category. The laptop wi fi antenna is a product of the innovative advancement. The ease of surfing the internet from the luxury of your house without any wired connection, has made this product very popular. These internal antennas are easy to use; they are stretched full on top of the screen when operational. They can be folded back when not in use .

Classification of WiFi Laptop Antenna

We can classify the antennas into two categories on the basis of compatibility with interface wireless cards.

There is a category of antennas, which are easily compatible with in built networking cards, and there also exists second category of antennas (which the buyer should be aware of), which are not compatible with the cards. There are numerous benefits of designing and using internal wi-fi antennas. Since it enhances the length of the access areas, these type of antennas are suitable for mobile devices. Consider the following scenario where there is a connection of wi-fi in the room but there are some obstacles between antennas and the source, which are disturbing the incoming signals. To overcome this difficulty we can either move the obstacle (which seems to be not feasible in real life) or have an antenna, which is internal to your laptop and move laptop somewhere else. Hence internal wi-fi antennas are very crucial in day-to-day life of Internet addicted people. It is also useful if someone wants to speed up its Internet connection without paying for the extra interface cards.

While buying the internal antennas the buyers should keep certain things in mind.

Firstly the buyer should be aware of the configuration of the interface card and whether the antenna, which he/she is buying, is compatible with the wireless card.

Since there are various types and varieties of internal antennas available in the market, the various requirements and needs of the antenna should be analyzed. The antenna which we are buying should be able to make the life and work of the buyer much simpler rather than wasting his/her time and energy in installing the internal wireless antenna. Hence the antenna that meets all of the requirements and is also available at reasonable price should be considered for buying.

You can also find more info on USB Wi-Fi and Voip Wi-Fi Phone. Topwifireviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Wi-Fi Wireless Network Technology.

Archos 704 WiFi Is An Impressive Gadget With Some Shortcomings

2008-04-29T06:57:00.001-07:00

Among the most fascinating new types of gadgets on the market are portable multimedia devices. These devices take advantage of computer technology in order to provide you with a complete entertainment experience that you can take with you just about anywhere. These devices are also called portable video devices and portable media devices. They allow you to listen to digital music, view digital photographs, and watch video all on a built in color LCD screen or on a full sized TV screen if one is available. These devices include the video iPod from Apple, the Zune from Microsoft, and the PocketDish from Dish Network among other lesser known brands. Now there's a new type of gadget of this ilk called the Archos 704 WiFi. Archos is a French company that has always produced innovative new portable media products, and this latest iteration definitely upholds that tradition. The Archos 704 WiFi is the size of a slim paperback book and dominated by a (relatively) huge LCD screen. This LCD screen produces rich colors and is sensitive to touch, which goes a long way toward offsetting the fact that the huge screen doesn't leave room on the face of the unit for much in the way of buttons or other controls.

Like other models of these gadgets, the Archos 704 WiFi can play video, play digital music, and be used to view digital photos, but the inclusion of wireless capabilities (as the name implies) takes it far beyond those simple entertainment options. Because Archos has chosen to include that kind of connectivity the Archos 704 WiFi is also capable of surfing the Internet and checking email. This is made easier by the inclusion of the touch screen feature in order to perform both functions.

The fact that the unit contains a large 80 gigabyte hard drive allows it to hold plenty of media which can be downloaded easily from a computer. With the purchase of a docking station for an extra one hundred dollars the Archos 704 WiFi can also be used as a digital video recorder that can either play the recorded video back on your full sized TV set or on its own screen.

While a lot of video will fit on an 80 gigabyte hard drive, the Archos 704 WiFi can't really do justice to all of that storage capacity because of the fact that its battery only supplies enough juice for about an hour of video. (Depending on how the video is stored eighty gigabytes of hard drive space should translate into at least seventy hours of video!) This limited battery life puts the Archos 704 WiFi at a major disadvantage when compared to other portable video devices which have batteries that will last several hours while playing video. In fact, greater battery life is one of the things that theoretically should give portable media devices an advantage over laptop computers which perform many of the same functions, albeit on a bigger screen and in a bulkier casing. But with plenty of laptop computers on the market that have greater battery lives for playing video, the Archos 704 WiFi definitely isn't a better by than they are according to that standard.

Another advantage that portable media devices have had over laptop computers is price. Most portable media devices are significantly cheaper than laptop computers, but with a price tag of almost five hundred and fifty dollars, the Archos 704 WiFi definitely doesn't fit into that category. Especially when you consider the fact that the docking station that allows digital video recording costs an extra one hundred dollars, and software that facilitates digital video recording will be included on just about any new laptop computer (that will cost around six hundred dollars) the Archos 704 WiFi really doesn't look like a good deal by comparison.

These shortcomings and the high price largely negate a lot of the advantages of portable devices in general, but the Archos 704 WiFi still has the advantage of more compact size when compared to laptop computers.

This article is for consumers looking for information on new technology. It provides a resource for finding Direct TV Specials, and any great Direct TV offers that are currently available.

VoIP Over WiFi for Businesses: Sending Voice Over the Wireless LAN

2008-04-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

The convergence of data and voice networks in the business environment takes on a new twist with the emergence of wireless networking. The freedom of mobility offered to users in a wireless LAN has proven to provide a noticeable boost in productivity, efficiency, and. employee morale. No longer is the work force tied to their desk when on the job. Workers can access company files and receive important communications from anywhere on the company campus that is in range of a wireless access point.

With voice communications thrown into the mix, mobile users can stay in touch while roaming the property inside or out, and even on the road. The acceptance of the fixed to mobile convergence concept by the telecommunications industry only promises to fuel the fire for the adoption of VoIP over WiFi.

The Challenges of Implementing VoIP over WiFi Networks

As with any emerging technology, there are challenges to overcome. The development of the converged network, i.e. data and voice on the same IP based LAN, while yet to be an established norm, is proving to be beneficial for businesses from both a cost and productivity perspective. Adding the prospect of VoIP over a wireless network brings up a whole new set of issues.

VoIP is a time sensitive technology. Calls must be set up and authenticated, and voice packets must arrive at their destination without interruption and on time. This requires a near continuous network stream, uninterrupted by less sensitive data transmissions. The implementation of Quality of Service techniques on wired LANs assure that these voice packets receive priority, and call quality issues such as latency, jitter, and packet loss have been sufficiently addressed.

Enter the standards based wireless network, a technology in an earlier stage of development, and more challenges occur. While today's wired network provides plenty of bandwidth for both voice and data to coexist, WLANs provide less bandwidth, and Quality of Service issues must be revisited. Security measures such as authentication and encryption must be implemented and can add to the problem by increasing the size of the voice packet. Additionally, users on the move will traverse wireless access points where handoffs must be quick and smooth.

The IEEE 802 standards governing wireless technology are evolving rapidly and promise to deal with a broad spectrum of WiFi issues. Increasing the bandwidth available, prioritizing voice packets for QoS, authentication and encryption protocols for security, and enhanced roaming techniques are all being addressed.

Also in development is the wireless technology commonly known as WiMax, providing for the implementation of high bandwidth wireless communications covering distances of up to 30 miles. The evolution of WiMax could prove of great consequence to developing countries, as well as Metropolitan LANs.

Security in a VoIP/WiFi Network

Companies wishing to implement wVoIP must take security issues into consideration from the start. As in any IP network, the dangers of hackers, denial of service, highjacking and spam, all lurk in the shadows.

Because a wireless network uses radio frequencies as its transmission media, the security normally provided by a firewall in a wired network is not sufficient, simply because of the physics. Whereas to break into a wired LAN requires hackers to either physically be inside the network or to hack in through the Internet, in a WLAN they can grab network transmissions from the air while parked across the street. The security issues that network managers must consider in a VoWLAN are the privacy of conversations, and the protection of the network infrastructure.

For WiFi networks, security has had a shaky start with the implementation of WEP as its security mechanism. WEP provides for authentication and encryption between the user and the access point, and was found to be easily hacked. The 802.11i standard, adopted as WPA2 (Wireless Protected Access), provides for more robust security by requiring two way authentication between the user and the network, and uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) as its encryption engine.

As network managers plan the rollout of a wireless VoIP network, the greatest security threat they face is improper implementation. Building security into the design of the initial deployment can, and should affect the network topology, as well as material costs. Failure to do so could lead to further expenses in loss of services and network redesigns in the event of compromise.

WiFi, VoIP, and the Cellular Networks

Manufacturers of cellular devices are incorporating WiFi radios into their handsets at an ever increasing rate. New versions of mobile operating systems are coming out complete with a built in VoIP stack, inviting carriers and manufacturers to add VoIP functionality to their devices. Dual and Quad band cell phones can choose between the strongest network available, cellular or WiFi, and place a call accordingly.

As cell phones become more like mobile offices, the benefits of a mobile work force become apparent. In the case of the road warrior, the ability to communicate via email, text messaging, video or voice, allows them to stay on the road longer without losing touch. In the age of instant information, mobile office applications allow files to be downloaded, edited, and uploaded, increasing the productivity of the traveler to the point where just about anything that can be done in the office can be done on the road.

A cell phone that can switch between cellular and WiFi networks can significantly reduce telecommunications costs at the corporate office. With WiFi hotspots popping up at hotels, cafes, and corporate LANs across the globe, mobile workers can stay in touch with office and family both on and off the job. With the addition of a VoIP service provider, cheaper VoIP calls can be made from any WiFi network at the push of a button.

Imagine, if you will, a future where one phone, with one phone number, can seamlessly traverse cellular networks, WiFi networks, cable and PSTN landlines. Where roaming and switching between disparate networks occur without interruption or loss of call quality. Fixed Mobile Convergence is the buzzword of the decade, and the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture is the standard that promises to get us there.

The goal of IMS is to provide all the services and applications that the Internet provides, both current, and as of yet unimagined. IP based services such as VoIP, Push to talk cellular (POC), videoconferencing, text messaging, community services, presence information and file sharing, are just some of the possibilities. Designed to work with any fixed, mobile or wireless packet switched network, backwards compatibility for the legacy circuit switched phone system is provided through the use of gateways.

Although still in its infancy, IMS is already being implemented by AT&T as the platform in it's newly acquired Cingular cellular network. Interest in investing in a new infrastructure by mobile and fixed operators has been up and down, as they weigh the costs and benefits of the new technology.

As the technology of VoIP over WiFi networks continues to develop, businesses of all sizes can reap the benefits of increased mobility, productivity, and significant cost savings. Standards committees are constantly working on ways to increase security and quality of service, and as fixed mobile convergence gains acceptance in the telecommunications industry, more choices in the services offered and the IP applications available to businesses are sure to follow. What will also be interesting to watch, is how these very bandwidth intensive applications will be priced by the carrier networks, and how it will affect the neutrality of the Internet.

Author Michael Talbert is a certified systems engineer and web designer with over 7 years experience in the industry. For more information on VoIP and WiFi technologies, visit the website VoIP-Facts.net, or the VoIP Facts Blog for up to date industry news and commentary.

Wifi Hotspot Locations for Sale - is That a Good Thing?

2008-04-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

Recent companies have been advertising wifi hotspot locations that are 'turnkey' (they can run themselves), and only cost between $13,000 and $20,000 to start. Is that good?

First of all, if it's so turnkey then why aren't they just popping off wifi hotspot locations left and right for themselves, is it their newfound generosity that has them 'sharing' the opportunities they have available. I'm not knocking the possibility of some companies to provide a business model, like in the restaurant business where they allow you to own a branded franchise for an initial investment in order to spread out locations in a more easier return on investment. However, wifi locations normally have an additional service or product that acts as an anchor for customers to come in and use the benefit of wi-fi to connect to the Internet thru broadband high speed access. Starbucks and Hilton Hotels are prime examples of a business model that has customers coming in for a service or product and then using wifi access as a secondary product/service.

Secondly, the potential for wifi hotspots cannot be limited to a cookie-cutter system that will fit everyone, after all if that were the case the other auto makers wouldn't be in business and we would still be driving 'Model T' Fords. Not to mention the fact that if you open a business with only wifi access as the only product/service available and then the community, town or city where your business is located decides to wirelessly enable the public transportation system like in the southern California city of Cerritos; guess what - your business just got knocked the flip out.

African American small business people have resources, and some may believe those resources are unlimited. But if you shell out $20,000 for a new business and after 6 months get locked out of your client base by a larger business or business model, you have lost more than your investment. A wifi business is not something that can be advanced as able to stand on it's own in the present day. In the example above the city of Cerritos is delivering wifi along with it's transportation system, which should probably increase ridership as people will opt to ride and check their email or just finish up a project as they go to work or to shop.

Look carefully at starting to use wifi in your business, research and see if there is a potential for competition to knock you client base out of the ballpark. Even then, when is your competition going to implement their wifi access and see if you have time to enhance your wifi service with coupons or other attractive services that may not be available to your competition. Wifi access will become a very powerful business asset in the coming year and more so in the future. Now is the time to get your feet wet, just check out your options in order not to get drowned out of business.

We can help give you your freedom back...and a whole lot more. M.D.T.G.

Daviyd Peterson: 12-year consultant, instructor, trainer of digital divide solutions for both home and business. Helps African American and minority Small Business Enterprises bridge the digital divide by becoming wireless Small Office Digital Offices (SODO).

daviyd@bluebottle.com

Telecom Industry Transition: WiFi, VoIP, WiMax - The Wireless Age is Already Here

2008-04-18T07:09:00.001-07:00

VoIP on WiMax will make the latest 3G technologies obsolete before they are completely installed. The reason is because 3G cell phone technology is capable of 2Mbs while WiFi is at 11Mbs in bursts and WiMax will be even greater therefore 3G is not needed as VoIP over WiMax is going to provide more data, faster speeds and greater numbers of users. WiFi and WiMax may actually solve the goals of conquering the digital divide. There will be a small price for this disruptive technology. There will be small legal battles fought such as this one over territory with government agencies and private sector. In the WiFi Online Newsletter commenting on a Wall Street Journal Article we saw Verizon fighting with the City of Philadelphia over their city wide WiFi and if you think about it they do potentially have quite a bit to lose don't they?

There will also be issues with frequency pollution from other uses in close proximity of the frequency band being sent out. There will be issues with the human biological system, birds, animals and pets. There will also layoffs caused by such disruption and some bluff layoffs to sway political intervention thru careful manipulation of “K-Street” style guerilla lobbying. There will also be issues with first to market and frequency allocations from the FCC. There will be consumer complaints due to bandwidth being used up and services too slow for users.

There are already some heated battles going on with the use of power lines to deliver Internet to the home because it will disrupt Ham Operators. The layoffs in Telecom have been astronomical in recent years. New technologies while they give the industry new life, new directions to grow they also provide for some fierce competition between players. One of the most recent issues was the VoIP FCC ruling, which said that VoIP couldn’t be taxed by states, as it is an Internet Service not a phone service. This was a major ruling for the VoIP Industry and will add billions of dollars in capital from investment banks and venture capital firms.

http://www.commweb.com/53700703

Recently I was at a WiFi Verizon Hot Spot and there were six people with computers there, two playing video games on the Internet, One using VoIP another downloading a big file, needless to say surfing at any acceptable speed or collecting 1000 emails (most 90% SPAM) was out of the question. Although patrons have paid $19.95 per month for internet access there will be issues with speed and bandwidth as the Internet is soaked up by VoIP and excessive emails. WiMax promises to solve this problem with speeds of 75MB per second as opposed to the WiFi burst speeds of 11MB or the mobile satellite solutions at 1-2 MB per second. Still all of these solutions blow out of the water the old dial up speeds. 3G Wireless was thought to be the savior, yet with speeds on the very lowest end of the spectrum, even devices like the Blackberry (RIMM), or the AT & T iGO do not stand a chance on such services.

Right now 3G network is nearly complete and works good for phone calls and instant messaging, but is quite lacking for video or picture emailing. As new devices come out such as movie watching, music downloads, projection video, hologram messages, 3G, 4G even 5G and what some in the industry call 6G will not be able to use with the current 3G towers across the nation. Even with 1000:1 algorithm compression there is a limit on the devices and system. The Telecom Industry has taken a huge hit in the last five years with massive layoffs, accounting irregularities and overpriced bidding for frequency allocation, which amounted to investments based on pie in the sky wishful thinking potential consumer numbers even from a monopolistic standpoint, it was simply not possible. The frenzy to over pay for these frequencies was out of control and we saw the fallout occur as predicted by many an insider.

So how does the future look now? Well, all in all things are looking good, we have capital flows to new entrants, large corporations finding partners and re-investing profits in an industry which seems to have new life blood and can be called anything but static.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

WiFi Spying

2008-04-18T07:08:00.002-07:00

Our CIA needs to develop fold out WiFi Spy devices for the field, this will enable them to track international terrorists, hack into Blackberry Type portable devices and monitor computer surfing when an Internet Service Provider cannot be trusted, as in foreign operations. I believe we should hire the Defcon Convention Hackers who were able to receive a signal over 125 miles away without amplification to help us design a system which can easily fit into a small space for easy transport. The previous World Record for an un-amplified WiFi connection was just over 55-miles. To learn more as to how this is done go to this website:

http://www.wifi-shootout.com/

We know that the International Terrorists and insurgents use personal computers and when they travel they use Internet WiFi systems to send and receive and communicate with their cells. If we can track them and pick up their signals this will in fact give us clues to who they are talking with, what they are surfing for and perhaps the potential dates and places of their next targets against humanity. The Internet Hackers as bad as they are, seem to be able to provide us with their down and dirty prototypes and they assure us, underneath it all they are still Patriots at Heart.

http://wifi.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000407052562/

We can design a system based on their prototypes out of light-weight materials. Once this is done we can use NASA technologies for the unfolding of systems, similar to their Mars Lander deployments for fast and easy set-up in the field, thus enabling our CIA in-country assets to quickly deploy and fold-up these units for transport. Think on this.

WiFi Vs. WiMax

2008-04-18T07:08:00.001-07:00

Wi Fi Fo Fum, I think I smell the blood…oops wrong tale. This story doesn’t involve giants, but it does involve giant leaps forward in technology that will affect us all.

The other day I was watching two kids play. Each had a tin can up to their ear and they were speaking to each other on the ‘phone’. Talk about technological leaps. Yes, the string that I used as a kid to hook up this intricate communication system had disappeared, and they were now wireless!

When I was Batman back then, the string always kept me close enough to Robin so we could hear each other, even around the corner of a cinder block wall. Unrestricted by ‘the magic string’ these kids tended to drift out of range from time to time. Showing true genius, they engaged Billy’s little brother to position himself on middle ground, and he relayed wireless messages back and forth. They called him ‘tower’. I laughed.

It really is a reflection of a changing world. We’ve gone from HiFi to Wi-Fi, and next on the endless chain is WiMax. The transition from ‘High Fidelity’, which simply related to sound quality, to ‘Wireless Fidelity’ or Wi-Fi, took about thirty-eleven years. The transition to WiMax is already in play, yet most of us haven’t figured out what Wi-Fi is really all about.

According to the ‘Webopedia’, the term is promulgated by the Wi-Fi Alliance, and is short for Wireless Fidelity as I indicated above. What it means is that you can access the Internet from a laptop computer with the right stuff (wireless card) in various locations without the burden of a physical wire.

Hold it – Webopedia? Yikes! Yes, it’s real, and it defines and explains web ‘stuff’. I guess Babe Ruth probably thought that Encyclopedias were on the bleeding edge, yet I wrote my 7th grade essay all about him using that standard, great source of knowledge. Makes you wonder what ‘pedia’ is next doesn’t it?

It goes on to say that any products tested and approved as Wi-Fi certified (a registered trademark) by the Wi-Fi Alliance are certified as interoperable with each other, even if from different manufacturers.

That’s kind of like Fords & Toyotas use the same gas to make them go, and their owners use the same ramps and highways to pick up milk, or go to the cottage. Even Hudson Hornets used a leaded version of the same fuel.

An example where this wasn’t so well planned is the access to the electricity grids in Europe as opposed to North America. The same plugs don’t work in both places.

Rather than making that mistake, the Alliance has created an accepted standard so that manufacturers create equipment, and the like, that can be used in a similar fashion to access the web. That means that your laptop, regardless of brand, will use the same ‘hot-spots’ to get access. Hot-spots are areas where the facility, like Starbucks or the hotel that owns the lobby, has put in the proper equipment to provide access from your wireless card to the great big cloud called the Internet. The wireless card is the gas for the Fords & Toyotas, and the hot-spot is the on ramp.

And therein lie both the beauty and the problem. The beauty is that I can access the web from Starbucks in Atlanta, as well as a hotel lobby in Vancouver. If you’ve ever seen someone doing the hippy-hippy shake with their computer in their hands, you’re probably witnessing the problem. Wi-Fi access is limited in both speed and distance. The twisting person was probably trying to get a more consistent signal in the ‘hot-spot’.

Enter WiMax. That’s not Max Smart and his wireless shoe communications, but it is the next generation of Wi-Fi. According to WiMaxxed.com it “will connect you to the Internet at faster speeds and from much longer ranges than current wireless technology allows.” They go on to say “WiMax promises up to a ten mile range without wires, and broadband speeds without cable or T1.”

The result – we are absolved from the penance of viewing way too many hippy-hippy shakes. Well, not so fast, don’t throw out your dancin’ shoes quite yet. It’s not on the Wal-Mart shelves for next Christmas, but there are a lot of indicators that it’s real, and it’s just around the corner.

First of all, it is an acronym for Worldwide Interoperability For Microwave Access, and it has actually been in the works for quite a while now. An article titled ‘FCC Move Could Boost WiMax’, states “A number of vendors and carriers have announced products, testing, or support for the standard in the last month, including Intel, Nokia, AT&T, BellSouth, Sprint, and Motorola.” These companies aren’t akin to Duke’s Pool Room – these are the big boys.

The article continues to say, “Congress has been lobbied for months now to free more frequencies for wireless broadband.”

AlcaTel states that WiMax will “bridge the digital divide by delivering broadband in low-density areas.” If you really study that statement, you can see where we are in the world today. Where governments once ensured that all residents were able to receive phone service in the Ma Bell days, that lingo is now being used in relation to broadband access to the Internet. May everybody have equal access is the refrain, but only if it’s high speed!

So instead of hot-spot hopping, WiMax will provide true wireless mobility. And there’s more. In an article by Al Senia of America’s Network, he states that ‘Phone manufacturers such as Samsung and LG are expected to introduce Wi-Fi handsets compatible with this service by year’s end.”

O.K., so that’s VoIP, except it’s wireless VoIP in hot-spots. Next is WiMax, with wide-area wireless VoIP.

To be sure, there are quality and security issues to be resolved, whether that’s for surfing, voice applications, or a gazillion other Internet applications, before wider market acceptance is achieved. However, I attended a recent presentation by the Gartner Group, where the presenter stated emphatically that security is not an ‘if’ but rather ‘how much’. His meaning was clearly that the level of security required for business applications will be achieved, and that commercial providers will find the economic model that works. Ditto for quality.

We used to trade information at the speed of the Pony Express, when the air was just filled with farm smells. Now when the air is filled with zeros and ones, information is transferred at speeds faster than Clark Kent. If we’re to remain on competitive even ground, we had better pay attention to these applications that are on the horizon. We have to assume that our competitors are paying attention.

It took a century to transform from Alexander Bell’s basic invention to wireless phones. However, in the last decade alone, the Internet has met with wide acceptance by business, VoIP has become more common, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi VoIP is now a reality, and WiMax and wide area wireless VoIP is very nearly on the market.

In the past, I’ve often used an example of future possibilities by alluding to a chip in our eyebrows that can transmit holographic images around the globe. That’s not even that far-fetched anymore, so I guess I’ll have to come up with a better example. I’m going to have to track down the Jetsons and Star Trek reruns.

“Grandpa, why is the sky blue?” That’s always been a puzzler. What on earth are you going to say when the question is “Grandpa, why is the sky zeros and ones?” That’s when you ask yourself, “Wi me?”

That begs another question. Where do all the zeros and ones go when they’re used up? Is there a big Z&O dump somewhere? Or should that be backwards – OZ. Oh, that Wizard, I knew he was up to something.

Dennis Schooley is the Founder of Schooley Mitchell Telecom Consultants, a Professional Services Franchise Company. He writes for publication, as well as for schooleymitchell.blogging.com and franchises.blogging.com, in the subject areas of Franchising, and Technology for the Layman. http://www.schooleymitchell.com, 888-311-6477, dschooley@schooleymitchell.com

JunxionBox -- WiFi Access Everywhere

2008-04-14T06:37:00.002-07:00

Now you can more easily access the Internet wherever mobile phone carriers offer high-speed data service coverage.

The JunxionBox enables multiple computing devices with Ethernet or Wi-Fi (like laptops, desktops, handhelds and remote computers) to connect with the web through your mobile phone service provider's wireless PC Card modem.

You can also use the Junxion Box to share the Internet connection, files or printers among multiple devices.

Mobile work groups, landline back-up, event connectivity, vehicles, telemetry, home or business landline replacement...with Junxion, it's easy to stay connected.

The JunxionBox (www.junxionbox.com) is a unique device that combines a cellular data card with a Wi-Fi router and runs on both 12 volts and 110 volts. This combination of features lets you establish a hotspot nearly anywhere you go and even while you're on your way there.

THE BOX The JunxionBox is pleasingly simple. It has one PCMCIA slot for your cellular data card, a connector for power (both 110 volt and cigarette lighter plugs are included), and two Ethernet ports (one for connecting directly to a computer, and another to connect to an Ethernet LAN). In addition, there are two LEDs, one power indicator, and one cellular connection status indicator.

Even that short list makes the box sound harder than it is. To use the unit, simply plug it in to a power outlet with an activated cellular data card installed. The power LED turns red, and then the connection light changes from blinking to solid green. At that point the unit is active and you're good to go.

USAGE The JunxionBox's $500 - $700 price tag is overkill for a single-user environment where you could just as easily slide the air card into your laptop. But for corporate environments there are several uses that could easily justify the cost of the unit, even for a single-user connection.

Conventions and trade shows are natural targets for the JunxionBox, where the cost of a single dialup line for a three-day show is likely to cost more than the acquisition price of the JunxionBox. Not only would you get the better connection speed to the booth, but you can have multiple connections for the same price.

OTHER APPLICATIONS:

VEHICLE

cars, trucks, RV’s
mobile command units
commercial service/fleet vehicles
shuttles, carpool/vanpool
transit (busses, trains, ferries)
taxis/limos
private/commercial vessels
PORTABLE

landline data/voice service back-up
mobile work teams
events, trade shows, conferences
visitor mobile hotspot
incident response
vacation
FIXED

landline data/voice service back-up
broadband alternative (w/3G service)
dial-up alternative
telemetry
TEMPORARY

interim (waiting for landline)
seasonal hotspots
trial hotspots
kiosks

I'm certain there are more uses that make sense for the JunxionBox, such as providing a backup Internet connection for critical environments like retail stores.

This category of device is still just beginning, and hot spots are likely to emerge wherever user demand and financial incentives exist.

For example, Google Inc. has setup JunxionBoxes in its shuttle buses so its employees can be productive while commuting from the parking lot to the office.

SERVICE The box will accept any air card from any wireless service provider using any connectivity technology such as CDMA, UMTS, EDGE, etc. Travelers needing guaranteed connections can carry a variety of different cards with them and simply slide the appropriate card into the JunxionBox depending on their location and service area.

Most cellular carriers have unlimited data plans for $80 per month. These generally assume single device connections, so it's possible that as this market matures, carriers will begin to offer premium plans that recognize multi-user cellular connections.

Next time you're riding the commuter bus or train, check your laptop for a WiFi connection. You may be able to connect through a JunxionBox riding along with you on the same vehicle.

Visit The JunxionBox Website

Discuss The JunxionBox On The PDA and Mobile Today Forum

Steve Bralovich runs a Pocket PC and Smartphone development company. Visit the weblog at:http://pdatoday.blogspot.com for lots of information on PDAs, Notebooks and SmartPhones

WiFi Hackers and Net-centric Battlespace Security Discussed

2008-04-14T06:37:00.001-07:00

Recently we read about the Hackers annual convention this year in Las Vegas, DEFCON. Indeed there were many people in attendance, including military onlookers who were both concerned about the future and intrigued by the hacking ability and skills of these brilliant and borderline criminals.

In fact the military learned that it was possible to receive a WiFi signal and that someone built a device that could read a signal 125 miles away. This means in wireless technology of this sort is used, whether encrypted or not, the enemy can sense us and locate our transmissions. It is like homing beacon. And before we know they are there they could fire first and we end up with casualties. In the new type of warfare, early detection and accurate firing will win. Just like our Apaches can see those Enemy Tanks and fire on them and they never even saw them?

One interesting issue would be that we could pre-plant WiFi systems in the sand, they think we are there, they fire on a Bluff of a "Mirage Blue Force" MBF, and we see the firing launch locations and shoot them first. Your basic Decoy city, you see sometimes having extra decoy networks can catch the hackers first, detect, track, identify, capture. So, sometimes having a duplication decoy system, you can use the system to catch the bad guys early on. We could deliver these devices and drop them in the sand via homing pigeon, which cannot be detected and they would turn on, on impact.

Hackers are an interesting group, interesting psychological study. Curiosity seems to be an innate human trait, these hackers are not DUMB PEOPLE. In fact they rank extremely high on IQ tests despite their Hollywood Stereotypes and persona. We can learn a lot from the Hackers, if we will listen and it appears they have everyone’s attention at the Pentagon right about now. Think on this.

WiMAx VS Wifi

2008-04-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

WiMax (802.16) is is a newer standard of wireless networking designed to provide the last mile of high speed internet access to the end user. Some people would call Wimax WiFi on steroids but this would be to broad of an assessment. Wifi was and still will be used in LAN environments for the foreseeable future. WiMax was designed to provide (MAN) Metropolitan Area Access, to homes and businesses.

WiMax base stations will have the ability to provide approximately 60 businesses with T1 access and hundreds of homes with DSL/Cable speed access…in theory. Engineers are stating that WiMax has the capability of reaching 30 Miles but real world testing has shown 4-8 mile working radius.

WiMax (MAN) deployments are similar to a WiFi network. First the ISP would have their T3 or higher access. The ISP would then use line of sight antennas (Bridges) to connect to towers that would distribute the non line of sight signal to (MAN) residential/business clients.

WiMax line of sight antennas operate at a higher Frequency up to 60mhz. Distribution antennas do not have to be in the line of sight with their clients. Non – line of sight towers operate on a range similar to WiFi . WiMax can operate right next to cell phone towers with no interference.

WiMax networks are similar to Wifi in deployment. The Wimax Base station/Tower will beam a signal to a WiMax Receiver. Similar to a WiFi access point sending a signal to a laptop. As far as I can tell laptops will be shipping with Wimax receivers in 2006.

QOS (Quality of Service) is an major issue with WiMax because of the number of people accessing a tower at once. Some would think that a tower could be easily overloaded with a lot of people accessing it at once. Built into the WiMax standard is an algorithm that when the tower/base station is nearing capacity then it automatically will transfer the user to another WiMax tower or cell. Unlike a Wifi clients who have to kind of fight to stay associated with a given access point; WiMax will only have to perform this hand shake at the MAC level the first time they access the network.

WiMax is designed for building a network infrastructure when the environment or distance is not favorable to a wired network. Also, WiMax is a cheaper and quicker alternative than having to lay wire. Third world countries will greatly benefit from deploying WiMax networks. WiMax can handle virtually all the same protocols Wifi can including VOIP. African countries are now going to start deploying WiMax networks instead of cell phone networks. Disaster zones can also utilize WiMax giving them the ability to distribute crisis information quickly and cheaply.

Militaries are already using wireless technology to connect remote sites. Logistics will be simplified with the ease of tracking with RF technologies. WiMax can also handle Webcams and streaming video which would give commanders eyes on target capability. Just imagine if planes were able to drop preconfigured self deploying WiMax antennas in strategic areas giving troops real time battlefield intel. Armed with wireless cameras, drones and a GPS one soldier would truly be an Army of One.

As WiMax is deployed in more areas theory and real life capabilities of WiMax will come to light. The differences between WiMax and Wifi are simple. Think of a WiMax network as an ISP with out wires, with the signal providing your internet access to your business/ home. Wifi will be used within in your LAN for the near future.

Sign up for the most popular wireless networking news letter on the internet. Receive the inside scoop on wireless technology for the home and work place at http://www.wirelessninja.com

WiFi Security

2008-04-07T03:29:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest concerns as the wireless world grows is that of security of data; especially personal data. Many people do what they call war-driving to find an open WiFi network to get their emails while traveling, although this is a common practice, it is against the law. There are hacker groups and IT security conferences that people go to, where the retailer type IT people also show up and discuss these issues. The ramifications of company data falling in the hands of a competitor or snooping opportunist hacker are extremely great. Many of us take several Wireless Online Newsletters and read the white papers on the security issues as well. Indeed this is a problematic issue for companies.

I seem to recall sitting in a Wal-Mart parking lot with a Starbucks next door in a strip center in my motor home and getting the Grocery Store Across the street, the gas station and a Mail Boxes Etc. Indeed I got a couple of others too, which seem to be encoded, but most were completely open, meaning I could begin surfing anytime I had felt like it. Having T-Mobile Service I logged on legally to the system as usual, but I could have easily took up free bandwidth elsewhere that day.

I believe that many people buy these OTC peripherals and Linksys type systems and then simply put them in and turn them on. I understand that one large Home Improvement Sore did this and has fixed their units, but they were wide open. Many small businesses all around are open, but probably do not care. Some purposely blast WiFi to increase customer base and do so on different separate air-gapped systems from their store operations, if you take Bitpipe online you can get the latest white papers on these things. You should sign up for online security white papers.

The FCW.com White Paper Library is powered by Bitpipe, Inc., the leading syndicator of in-depth Information Technology Literature.

http://www.bitpipe.com

There was recently a case in Florida where someone was "War Driving" to pick up WiFi signals and stopped in front of someone's house turns out he inadvertently loaded some programs and the icons ended up on the host computer as well. The police came and arrested him. In Silicon Valley this went on quite a bit, two-guys who kind of invented the idea went from company to company and did just that and then went into the company to pitch their services. Although this was good and a win/win, today the FBI High-Tech Crimes Division is all over it.

In fact one recent GAO report and several articles in Federal Computer Weekly, GovExec.com and other oversight newsletters are quite worried as over 1/3 of all government wireless networks are somewhat unsecured. I have discussed this and had a conversation with a hacker turned security computer consultant. Apparently WEP or other such encryption is not even close to secure.

My theory on all of this is to catch the International Terrorists Cells in the United States is that we get full time WiMax in every city and have an algorithm which looks for anomalies to see if you can catch those who surf all day Jihad websites, and see who they are? Now there is a thought “Reverse WiFi Hacking” to catch International Terrorists, why didn’t I think of that? Think on it.

WiFi Wireless Systems in Robotic Factories Case Study

2008-04-07T03:28:00.000-07:00

With all the WiFi hacking going on these days and the widespread use of wireless systems, is it wise for Factories to run al their robotic equipment off WiFi systems? Sure encryption would prevent most problems, but materials and parts are expensive and one robotic mess up is a real problem. You have a complete assembly line shut down, because of some two-bit hacker.

Did you know that there are some WiFi security analysts, which purposely “war drive” to find holes in systems in corporations and then use this knowledge to go to the company and sell them Wireless Computer Security Services? Can you imagine if you did this type of sales technique you might find your self explaining what you are doing to the police when the company called them for fear you were a hacker rather than a IT Security Solutions Provider.

In a Robotic Manufacturing Plant it is of concern that such people are out there, even if semi-good intentions. It might be smart to scramble signals leaving the building and watch out for insiders with hand helds. Indeed, even with a WEP setup, you might find yourself in a problematic situation from a hacker or electronics guy who is getting laid off and losing their job in the factory to a robot and completely disgruntled. (see movie; iRobot, A.I. and read Issac Asimov).

Human nature, revenge is a powerful motivation of humans, watch out on that one, Unions can do some pretty criminally irresponsible things. A factory of this type could use a scrambler system between walls, and windows or double paned with air or music running thru them. Still there are many pointer type units you can buy for direction sound attainment and you know the hackers have those too, if they do not make them just to test the range like they did recently at Defcon Hacker Convention in Las Vegas. This is something to think of too and a robotic factory electronic computer IT engineer must be thinking here. Are you? WiFi security is not a luxury it is a necessity, think on this.

WiFi Security Consultant Sales Techniques Watch out

2008-04-07T03:27:00.000-07:00

Some WiFi professional folks are considering becoming wireless security consultants and start their own businesses. The business idea itself is a good one because it solves a problem for the company. What they do is find open wireless networks by war driving and then go show the company that vulnerability, easy sale right? Wait one minute there, it maybe a good sales technique granted, but is a disaster on the other hand because you are running on fine line of legality.

Intent is the issues, but one could say you are intentionally stealing a signal with the intent of using the information for financial gain. What is interesting is that Lawyers do this all the time, search records to find people with issues or companies and then contact them to fix it. Silly double standards really, but these are the laws we all agree to.

Let me give all you IT Wireless Security Consultants and easier way to do it and one which will not get you into any trouble; How about this, "Dear Store Manager" would you like a free systems security test? There are many new tactics being used by hackers these days. If so, I will give you a complimentary test and print out the results. If you come up flying colors, I will print you a certificate for your store.

"Signed; Bob Smith - Wireless Security Solutions Provider" yes, advertising indeed, and hanging on the wall for all to see.

Mr. Store Manager - "You can do what ever you want with the results, it will remain confidential" If you send the information to Corporate, I am willing to make a bid out to fix it on a Per Store basis? Then fix their store branch at no charge, everyone wins. Think on this.

WiFi Government and Military Security Consultants

2008-03-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

It would be wise to read up on the latest WiFi security, IT, Wireless case studies and white papers pertaining to military security if you are going to consider a job as a WiFi security consultant. Over the past year I have accumulated literature and research on this subject and indeed, much of it is very interesting to read. Personally I have more than 50 white papers and case studies, as my primary objective in this is to study how to keep our "Blue Force" safe from a military enemy. In the future our enemies will use hacking techniques and try to turn our blue force (friendlies, allies and out own team) into "Red Force" (enemy forces) on the Net Centric driven battlespace composites and 4 dimensional screens. This of course causing us to kill our own soldiers, airmen and Marines in the fog of war with friendly fire; not exactly something you want to explain to the fallen soldiers next of kin. All military technology teams and war planners must be thinking here or we will end up destroying ourselves from within as Sun Tzu strategy predicts. Indeed it may just be the Chinese video game player today who becomes an enemy military hacker tomorrow.

There is also another sinister concept afoot and it is intent on taking the future of WiMax as a strategy to gap the digital divide, to do harm to the human body or alter states of mind. Yet others are looking at ways to prevent the WiMax blast wireless system to all without causing signals, which might cause adverse effects and free radicals to the human biosystem.

Some say government agencies are clueless, in fact a study done by the GAO determined that 60% of all Government Wireless Systems were not able to keep the data safe. Those who say the government is clueless, well you are correct, this is a completely serious issue and most people as you state have "NO CLUE." Let’s hope the Military and NSA do, otherwise we will need more body bags for the next conflict, think on this.

WiFi Hotspots Gaming Battle Intensifies

2008-03-19T05:44:00.000-07:00

The city of Philadelphia in the US has recently announced some plans to implement WiFi access throughout the municipality.

This would prove fortuitous indeed for Pocket PC gamers in the vicinity.

Quality wireless multiplayer enabled PDA games, however, prove to be elusive save for real-time strategy releases like Warfare Incorporated that allow for it.

Such an initiative will quickly overcome relative WiFi indifference by Pocket PC game developers.

A wireless internet provision scale the likes of this has yet to be seen, ranging of some 135 square miles.

This will be put firmly in reach of the lower economic tiers at the low price of $10 US ($11.77 CDN at the time of this news release).

Google suddenly silenced other party bids with an offer to provide the WiFi hotspot internet service gratis albeit with commercials.

Of course, this raised the appropriate hue and cry by some myopic Congress representatives as described in the WiFi Cities Spark Hotspot Debate BBC news article.

This is on the heels of a joint McDonald's and Nintendo venture also recently announced.

This purported to offer wireless access to Nintendo DS handheld gaming console owners in the popular fast food franchises.

If you're really going to consume 24.9 grams of fat in one Big Mac sitting, you may as well burn calories with some furious Mario Kart DS and Tony Hawk's American SK8Land, the initial offerings to the Nintendo DS crowd.

I'm still waiting for more public offerings besides Starbucks and select Second Cup WiFi access for my iPAQ once I head further away from the downtown Toronto core.

Such an offering would be a socio-economic blessing to any city, making WiFi more attainable for lower social tiers.

Pending bills in Congress, we may see this come to pass. Once it does, the Palm and Pocket PC gaming market will follow.

This latest Nintendo DS initiative may be a tough act to follow for the PDA gamer crowd.

Windows Mobile 2003 served up wireless improvements to the Pocket PC operating system, but Microsoft still hasn't managed to make WiFi as simple as a McDeal.

DS owners will basically select Nintendo WiFi Connection Mode after launching the game, and they're off to the races.

Regardless of my relative disadvantage, I look forward to this if it means seeing more quality WiFi-enabled games available for my PDA.

Damian Julien is a Pocket PC gaming authority and long time general gaming hobbyist and reviewer.

He is an IT specialist by trade and has posted numerous articles on Pocket PC emulators, gaming and trends in the industry.

http://www.pdagameguide.com/

How Do You Become a WiFi Hotspot?

2008-02-13T22:08:00.000-08:00

WiFi is a very hot commodity worldwide...for both users & those wanting to cash in on the business potential. Below you'll find some things to consider if you're one of those interested in the business potential of WiFi. If you have more to add....please do.

I'll try to keep this as simple as possible.

Here's some simple ideas you should consider for becoming a WiFi Hotspot.

* To turn your business into a hotspot, you really only need 2 things:

- Hotspot Kit (which should include hardware, software, and remote monitoring)

- High Speed Internet (whatever is appropriate for your situation....DSL, T1, or DS3 connectivity)

* Before you order your hotspot kit, you need to first determine what type of service you will need:

- Single Access Point OR

- Multiple Access Point

The number of connection points you need is determined by the amount of area that you wish to make available for wireless internet access. For example....larger hotels will require one access point per every 20 rooms (on average) while a coffee shop can adequately service their clientele with just a single access point.

* The last decision you will need to make is whether or not to bill your clients for wireless internet access. Today, more and more enterprises are offering wireless internet access as a value-added service in an effort to attract more visitors to their hotels/shops. In today's competitive environment, offering complimentary hot zones can be the determining factor when customers weigh your offering against that of your competitors.

However, should you find that billing your customers is what you want to do, find a provider who can help you do that. Your hotspot kit should come with software that will enable you to take credit cards right over your gateway (the page the users 'see' when they try to access the web using your hotspot). You'll likely partner with that provider in that revenues would be shared by both you and "them". Thae provider you choose will make sure the hotspot is running efficiently. This allows you to focus on your key business and to receive a profit-share check each and every month your customers log on to the net in your hotspot.

The above is a simplistic description of what you'll need to think about before becoming a WiFi hotspot. Do your homework along these lines and you'll have a decent foundation to make a good business sense decision.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

WiFi Hotspots News is PDA Game Boon

2008-02-13T22:07:00.002-08:00

I came across some intriguing WiFi access news on the TechNewsWorld site.

Seattle residents in the US are partaking of WiFi access made available by the King County Metro Transit.

While some folks in Seattle may be thinking of checking their email on the go and similar mundanities, I'll be thinking along distinctly different lines if the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) suddenly adopts it.

Snails, Warfare Incorporated and some Stuntcar Extreme to whet my Pocket PC wireless multiplayer gaming appetite, for starters.

The only real problem would be convincing even the most dedicated PDA gamers in light of a recent, ill-timed bus shooting in the city.

Paranoia would presumably detract from the whole gaming experience.

Fortunately for Pocket PC and Palm gamers, there's been an enormous push towards WiFi hotspot availability recently.

My WiFi Hotspots gaming article spoke of the city of Philadelphia's talks to implement municipality-wide hotspot access.

It also mentions the recent WiFi access game agreement between McDonald's and Nintendo for Nintendo DS users.

It may be for the best.

It's advantageous to burn off some of the 1300 calories of a quarter pounder with cheese, large fries and large shake, albeit via rapid thumb movement.

With WiFi access becoming so prevalent, let's get ready for the plethora of WiFi PDA game goodness that will hopefully follow.

Damian Julien is a Pocket PC gaming authority and long time general gaming hobbyist and reviewer.

He is an IT specialist by trade and has posted numerous articles on Pocket PC emulators, gaming and trends in the industry.

http://www.pdagameguide.com/

Nintendo Outpacing PDA WiFi Gaming

2008-02-13T22:07:00.001-08:00

Nintendo's WiFi plan for Nintendo DS handheld gaming is pushing it a few leagues ahead of the pack.

According to the TechNewsWorld site, Nintendo DS WiFi gamers on the move will partake of free online WiFi gaming in areas of Asia and Europe.

This will allow Nintendo DS owners to find online users at WiFi hotspots, even jumping in with home-based wireless configurations.

Nintendo has already one-upped Pocket PC WiFi gamers with their recent wireless access deal for McDonald's patrons.

The former delivered a knockout punch in the industry by making 7,500 available hotspots in the UK.

Some free access to fortunate Nintendo DS owners who are probably thanking the gaming gods at the moment.

It'll be sheer WiFi hotspot overload for WiFi PDA gamers who were already there, technology-wise.

Nintendo DS users are not only gaining ground-- they're passing the WiFi PDA game community. At least for the moment.

Selecting the wireless connection mode on this handheld is simple next to the comparatively encryption-saddled Pocket PC.

Third-party PDA apps help somewhat, but base WiFi configuration on the Pocket PC can be an exercise in frustration to some users.

It seems to get easier with each subsequent Winows Mobile release.

It's for these reasons that some say Pocket PC gaming is for the more technically savvy.

Let's instead hold out for easier WiFi gaming on Pocket PCs to level out the playing field.

Damian Julien is a Pocket PC gaming authority and long time general gaming hobbyist and reviewer.

He is an IT specialist by trade and has posted numerous articles on Pocket PC emulators, gaming and trends in the industry.

http://www.pdagameguide.com/

Connect to the Internet Through Wifi

2008-02-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

Wifi known as Wireless Fidelity allows a user to connect to the internet without using network cabling. Whether it’s from your bedroom, couch, indoors or outdoors data can be sent and received within the range of a wireless base station. Wifi uses 802.11a or 802.11b technologies to provide a very reliable connection that is also fast and secure.

Wifi is available to every type of internet user and allows multiple users to connect to each other, other devices and the internet. However, your connecting device will need to have a Wifi certified card (PC Card or PCMCIA card) and it will connect to other certified products such as a base station or access point. It also saves on the cost and distance limitations of using cables, not to mention the unsightly look of running cables throughout an area.

These networks are very useful in the business and sales industry as they allow salespeople and travelers to connect to the network with ease and not be confined to one location to access applications such as email and databases. They allow business networks to easily expand and grow making a Wifi network a very useful technology in the business world. Businesses no longer need to abandon current network infrastructures and start over, they can simply use this wireless technology to easily change the network and allow for rapid growth.

Wifi networks work at the 2.4 or 5 GHz bands and possible speeds of 11 or 54 Mbps. Their speeds are very comparable to 10baseT networks and allow for easy network access. A Wifi network is essentially plug and play as you can turn on a certified device and connect to the wireless network providing you have the proper authentication and security credentials.

Wifi networks have security in the form of WEP (Wired Equivalent Protocol) that can provide the same level of security as that of a wired LAN. Wireless networks that are transmitted over radio waves are more susceptible to security problems, but WEP aims to provide security by encrypting the data sent over the radio waves.

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at http://www.wifi-central.info

NetGear Skype WiFi Phone Review

2008-02-13T22:05:00.000-08:00

Stealing the show at CES 2006 in Las Vegas for the Hyper Cell Phone Category was the NetGear - Skype WiFi Phone. In reviewing this technology it is unbelievable the amount of technology going into this little handheld 3-in-one advice.

This phone only needs a WiFi network to use VoIP or surf. Meanwhile you can use it like a regular cell phone too. We are entering a new age of cell phones which are portable juke boxes, MP3 Players, video games, PDAs, watches, video phones, surfing units, VoIP phones, holographic displays, email enabled and full GPS capabilities too. This a beginning of a new era.

The NetGear Corporation and Skype also announced that the NetGear RangeMax Wireless Router (WPN824) with Smart MIMO technology at the CES Show and it will allow you obviously when working together to turn your walk-around house phone into a WiFi VoIP phone around the house.

You can sit by the pool or BBQ with your telephone and send emails and surf using these systems together. Or you can go out and about and anytime you are in range with a WiFi system you can use your phone for whatever you wish. Looks as if NetGear is on the leading edge of handheld devices, which can do multi-functions. Think on this in 2006.

Huntsville, AL Offers Municipal WiFi Offering That Makes Sense

2008-02-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

For the past several years, municipalities across the country have talked about and even begun implementing free WiFi offering. Many critics of these plans have claimed that cities have no business offering free high-speed wireless access as it competes with local telephone companies, cable providers of broadband, cellular companies and even local small business owners that use free wireless access to attract customers.

Proponents of free municipal provided WiFi say that it will bring internet access to lower-income households, improve tourism and benefit businesses. There are benefits, but many of these do not pass even the most basic cost-benefit analysis.

Even with free internet access, the cost for a computer and wireless card are still a large barrier for many low-income households, but the “digital divide” is one that does need continued attention. A better program would include a program for providing refurbished computers, training and fixed line broadband at no cost.

General businesses use a tremendous amount of bandwidth and currently pay large fees for these services. If a municipality offers free access WiFi, business will begin to transition to the free service. With the increased load on the municipal network and decreased service provider revenue from the businesses, the service fees the municipality pays will increase drastically. As these costs increase, the general tax base will need to cover these services, which fundamentally spreads the costs among all, even those people and businesses that are not using the internet.

Some municipalities have proposed offering WiFi for a cost and simply providing free services for low-income households, but this still leaves the cost of the initial computer hardware as a barrier to internet access and moves the city into the position of a utility/service provider.

There is a noticeable benefit to tourism, especially business travel, when advertised, but most municipalities have only proposed these all encompassing wireless offerings.

Enter a simple but novel approach from Huntsville, Alabama. Many do not think of Alabama as a technology front mover, but Huntsville is home to 1) one of the country’s two U.S. Space Camps 2) Intergraph Corporation, 3) sizeable offices for Boeing, Northrop Grumman, LG Electronics and Lockheed Martin 4) Redstone Arsenal which houses several military and NASA installations, plus external associate firms 5) many other large technical installations and smaller R&D houses.

Huntsville’s approach to WiFi is to partner with Traveller Internet Solutions to offer a limited free WiFi solution to visitors of the Big Spring International Park, which covers the Von Braun Convention Center (170,000+ square foot center) and much of downtown.

Technicians are still fine tuning the service and will fully activate the links shortly. When completed, each user will be given three free house of service per month, with the ability to pay for extended service.

This three hour free offering will serve the need of most business and personal travelers and are projected to be a great new benefit for the convention center. In exchange for the right to offer and charge for extended services, Traveller provides the WiFi network, under municipal supervision, at no cost to the city. This arrangement also allows businesses and even the convention center the ability to work with Traveller to provide additional complimentary hours.

Other municipalities would do well to copy this arrangement from Huntsville. It provides wireless data access to visitors and residents for basic needs at little cost to tax payers, may even become a revenue stream from commissions on extended plans sold by the service provider and leaves open the possibility of helping low-income households access the internet.

Kurt Uhlir, a Chicago technologist and regular commentator on video games by day, oversees products and strategy for Extremely Sharp Swords, Knives & Martial Arts. Visit ES at http://www.extremely-sharp.com

ARP, MAC, Poisoning, & WiFi

2008-02-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

In this paper we will cover the basics on Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), Media Access Control Addresses (MAC), Wireless (WiFi), and layer 2 communications. I hope to explain how a “Man in the Middle Attack” works. The common name for this is ARP poisoning, MAC poisoning, or Spoofing. Before we can get into how the poisoning works we need to learn about how the OSI model works and what happens at layer 2 of the OSI Model. To keep this basic we will only scratch the surface on the OSI model to get the idea of how protocols work and communicate with each other.

The OSI (open Systems interconnection) model was developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in 1984 in an attempt to provide some standard to the way networking should work. It is a theoretical layered model in which the notion of networking is divided into several layers, each of which defines specific functions and/or features. However this model is only general guidelines for developing usable network interfaces and protocols. Sometimes it may become very difficult to distinguish between each layer as some vendors do not adhere to the model completely. Despite all this the OSI model has earned the honor of being "the model" upon which all good network protocols are based.

The OSI Model

The OSI Model is based upon 7 layers (Application layer, Presentation Layer, Session Layer, Transport Layer, Network Layer, Data Link Layer and the Physical layer). For our proposes we will review layer 2 (data link layer), Data Link layer defines the format of data on the network. A network data frame, aka packet, includes checksum, source and destination address, and data. The data link layer handles the physical and logical connections to the packet's destination, using a network interface. A host connected to an Ethernet network would have an Ethernet interface (NIC) to handle connections to the outside world, and a loop back interface to send packets to itself.

Ethernet addressing uses a unique, 48-bit address called its Ethernet address or Media Access Control (MAC) address. MAC addresses are usually represented as six colon-separated pairs of hex digits, e.g., 8A:0B:20:11:AC:85. This number is unique and is associated with a particular Ethernet device. The data link layer's protocol-specific header specifies the MAC address of the packet's source and destination. When a packet is sent to all hosts (broadcast), a special MAC address (ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff) is used. Now with this concept covered we need to explain what APR is and how is corresponds to the MAC address.

The Address Resolution Protocol is used to dynamically discover the mapping between a layer 3 (protocol) and a layer 2 (hardware) address. ARP is used to dynamically build and maintain a mapping database between link local layer 2 addresses and layer 3 addresses. In the common case this table is for mapping Ethernet to IP addresses. This database is called the ARP Table. The ARP Table is the true source when it comes to routing traffic on a Switch (layer 2 device).

ARP Table

Now that we have explored MAC addresses and APR Tables we need to talk about poisoning. APR Poisoning; also referred to as ARP poison routing (APR), ARP cache poisoning, & spoofing. A method of attacking an Ethernet LAN by updating the target computer’s ARP cache/table with both a forged ARP request and reply packets in an effort to change the Layer 2 Ethernet MAC address (i.e., the address of the network card) to one that the attacker can monitor.

The Attack

Because the ARP replies have been forged, the target computer sends frames that were meant for the original destination to the attacker’s computer first so the frames can be read. A successful APR attempt is invisible to the user. Since the end user never sees the ARP poisoning they will surf online like normal while the attacker is collecting data from the session. The data collected can be passwords to e-mail, banking accounts, or websites. This kind of attack is also known as “Man in the Middle Attack”. This kind of attack basically works like this: attackers PC sends poisoned ARP request to the gateway device (router), The gateway device now thinks the route to any PC on the subnet needs to go though the attackers PC. All hosts on the subnet thinks the attackers IP/MAC is the gateway and they send all traffic though that computer and the attacking PC forwards the data to the gateway. So what you end up having is one PC (attacker) sees all traffic on the network. If this attach is aimed at one user the Attack can just spoof the victims MAC to his own and only affect that MAC on the subnet. Keep in mind that the gateway (router) is designed to have lager routing tables and many sessions connected to it at once. Most PC’s can not handle too many routes and sessions so the attackers PC has to be a fast PC (this depends on the volume of traffic on the subnet) to keep up with the flow of data. In some cases a network can crash or freeze if the attacker’s PC is unable to route the data effectively. The network Crashes because the number packets dropping due to the fact the Attackers PC is unable to keep up with the flow of data.

Wardriving Anyone?

Now a lot of people think there safe because there home network is inside there house. Well this is not true you first should always have a firewall on any internet connection. An attacker can just as easy spoof the ISP’s devices (Cable modem or DLS router) to get all your out bound data. If you are using wireless remember to setup encryption or you have just invited Attackers into you home with no firewall to block them. I have drove in many cities with my wireless card on seeing over 60% of all AP’s open with no security. There is a sport called Wardriving witch involves driving in your car with a wireless network card to find wireless networks. Most Wardrivers do not get onto the networks they find but they do document them (normally with GPS). The idea behind Wardriving is just to see how many AP’s you can find and this sport has caught on big in the US. It would be very easy to get an IP on a Wireless network and then ARP Poison the subnet.

This can be done in less than 2 minutes on an open wireless access point. Once the attacker is on your subnet they can start receiving all your data so if you buy anything online the attacker now has you credit card info. There are ways to prevent this kind of attack but most switches are vulnerable to this kind of attack. To prevent ARP Poisoning you need a Switch that supports security features and most vendors’ equipment can handle this but theses kinds of switch devices normally cost more money. Keep in mind that there are many free tools on the internet that perform ARP Poisoning/Spoofing. It is not hard to use the tools and with more and more home users going wireless the risk of an attacker getting you data keeps rising. The best thing to do for protection is to understand the basics of your network and if you want wireless make sure you have WEP enabled.

The Good Guys

So far we have covered how attackers use APR Poisoning to intercept user’s data but there are also good reasons to ARP Poison a network. Most network engineers need to sniff the protocols on a network to make sure the data is flowing correct. The problem with sniffing on a switch network is that you can only see data bound to your interface and broadcast traffic. On unmanageable switches there is no way to see all host traffic to inspect it. With ARP Poisoning you can now divert all traffic to pass though the sniffers interface and see all data on the network and analyze the traffic for possible issues.

Admins & Engineers maybe trouble shooting speed issues on a subnet and need to see all the traffic. Once you spoof the subnet to sniff the traffic you will be able to see if viruses or a bad NIC card is causing a broadcast storm on the subnet. With any tool there are always good and bad uses and the thing to remember is be careful of what you do online line because anyone could be monitoring you. If you have any question about poisoning feel free to send me an e-mail at slimjim100@gmail.com.

By Slimjim100 (Brian Wilson)
http://www.middlegeorgia.org
http://www.middlegeorgia.info

Automobile Pedestrian Radar Hurt WiFi Performance

2008-02-13T22:01:00.000-08:00

And for those of us to have WiFi enabled computers, we know it is very important to get a good line of site connection when we use our computers or laptops from our vehicles. Unfortunately some of the new pedestrian high-tech radars being installed in modern automobiles will cut the signal.

So if you are a real estate agent downloading your e-mails on your computer in the parking lot at Starbucks or in front of the best Western hotel or even the parking lot outside your office, you may become very frustrated with someone in a new SUV with high-tech everything electronics balances in the parking lot and over the speed bump, as their pedestrian radar will cut your signal short.

Recently I talked with some Honda engineers at a trade show and I asked them if I am inside Starbucks using their WiFi and one of your cars with the special pedestrian radar parks out front facing in through the glass; will it cut my signal? They said that is entirely possible, however if the key is out of the ignition to pedestrian radar is turned off.

They did tell me that the new Volvo pedestrian radars do have a stronger signal and they would definitely cut my signal. At the SEMA autoshow there were several new prototypes of aftermarket pedestrian radars, which hooked into the dashboard or directly to the battery and they would go off even if the car was parked in the key was out of the ignition. This poses a problem also for those who are trying to pick up a WiFi signal from across the street and a delivery truck drives by with one of those aftermarket pedestrian radars. Bummer.

WiFi and You - A First Look

2008-02-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

Just about everyone remotely interested in computers has heard of Wi-Fi. Much less people know of what it is, what it stands for, or what it does. It has many applications in home and business life- so it is important to know about this bit of technology.

The Wi-Fi revolution started when the branded name was used to describe the wireless local area network technology that was being developed. It has been used in keyboards, phones, cars, televisions, and many more applications. It is the technology that lets two or more electrical devices ‘communicate’ with one another.

Modernly, the term is used to describe internet access- but it should be noted it has many other uses. (The Nintendo Wii being named after the technology, being a good example of gaming applications)

Typically, the process involves setting up an access point, or AP. The AP will transmit information to computer in range of its frequency, and usually can do so with great speed. This lets you set up LAN’s without the dreadful wiring, and take advantage of ‘hot spots’, or public internet access points.

The only drawback is that it drains batteries, if they are being used. Information can sometimes be intercepted, if you are running it on an un-secure transmission. If you have experience, and can properly set up your own Wi-Fi point, you should be perfectly fine. Otherwise, get a professional to do it- no need to risk an intrusion.

The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, and in the future it seems that Wi-Fi will become a standard. It is good to get to know the technology now, rather than wait until later and be lost. If you are tech savvy, this is the perfect way to clear the messy, tangled wires at your next LAN.

Eric Hartwell oversees "The World's Best Homepage" intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on computers and the internet and visit our associated site articles for free.

What Can WiFi Technology Do For You?

2008-02-11T23:23:00.000-08:00

Wifi (wireless fidelity) has brought a new dimension in the field of wireless networking. The transmission of data is done through the radio waves in the free space. It cuts down the cost of laying down the cables for network connections. Wi-Fi allows the user to access the Internet anywhere in or around the given location, but requires a separate Internet service.

These days Wifi hotspots are installed in various public places, where people can connect to the network such as, Libraries, Hotels, college campuses, office buildings, coffee shops, and many other public areas. That made business users who can gain extra work time, by squeezing in Internet time at various Wifi hotspots in need for the service.

Having a good Wi-Fi experience directly translates into a satisfying Internet experience. Hence we see that wifi has numerous advantages. If we consider the present world, we find that the demands for the wifi connections are increasing. People are beginning to appreciate the advanced features wifi network provides to the user. Due to its increasing demand the scope of the wifi network is also on the rise.

You can have a better speed of Internet connection by using wifi network. Since the bandwidth provided by wireless cutwork is large connection speed between two nodes is faster. It is also faster to transmit data between two devices connected through wifi. Wifi cuts down the cost of laying down the cable for network connection. With no wires attached it is possible that the sender node can be mobile. The equipments required to fully establishing the wifi network anywhere is relatively cheap. So the cost incurred in establishing the wireless wifi connection is cheaper and also very easy to install. Wifi established in small place do not even need the wireless routers.

Wifi is rather amazing, you can surf the world, download songs, send email and transfer files conveniently at high speed and at some distance away from your Internet connection. In addition you do not have to call or pay electrician to string the Internet network wiring in your home. If you wish to move your computer, you can just pick it up and make the move. Wifi is actually quite simple, useful and most of all convenient.

M.Awara onlineweblibrary.com
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Brief Write Up On WiFi

2008-02-11T23:22:00.000-08:00

With the worlds technology booming so fast it was inevitable that the means of networking and connecting to the internet would become more advanced and way more convenient. Wired connections of networks and a means to connect to the internet have been here for quite some time and will still be around for a very long time. This is because it provides a relatively fast connection and a more secure connection than wireless. But if we look at the needs and wants of all consumers of internet, we all want convenience, and to be tied down to phone lines is not the answer to the problem. This is the very reason why wireless connection has come out. However with convenience comes a big price; and that is none other than security. We all look for privacy and security. We all would like to think that we can be rest assured that our emails are not being read by others or that our online banking is safe and secure. This is not always the case; any computer connecting to the internet runs the risk of being hacked or hijacked. However this is just done more easily when using a wireless network or connecting to internet wirelessly.

It's like having a huge supermarket that has no walls just few security guards around the stock. It's clear that the stock of the supermarket can be stolen easily just by outsmarting the security or by moving around them so that you don't get caught.

Similarly; when using wi-fi, your packets of data is like the stock of the supermarket. Your packets of data is protected by an encryption; however, just the same as the guards being outsmarted so can this encryption be broken or cracked. Last, is the fact that your data is moving through the air, that is why it's called wireless; this is seen as the whole supermarket that has no walls.

The steps a hacker would take are very easily done and anyone with a computer is capable of doing it. There are three main steps.

The first step would be to look for your "supermarket". In other words, searching and picking up a connection in your range; this can be done by simply keeping your laptop on and walking or driving around till you find a network.

The second step would be to locate the "stock of the supermarket". In other words, sniffing through the air, using simple hacking programs, to find data packets.

Once these packets of data is located and sniffed for important data, then it's on to the final step. The final step would be to crack the password or encryption of the data that you have found. This can be easily done with another hackers program that allows a brute force attack on the encryption. This simply means that the program will try every possible combination to crack the password.

That's all it takes to hack another persons wi-fi to get important data or just to use the victims network so that the hacker has free internet. However, one may take simple steps to make ones data more secure and make the hackers job more harder to do and possibly stop him/her from even trying.

These steps may help

1) Use a good firewall and antivirus
2) Change the admin and users passwords
3) Keep you WEP or WPA encryption on
4) Turn the auto connect feature off (only connect when trusted!!)
5) Turn off WiFi off completely when not in use
6) Surf using a VPN (virtual private network)

These are just some steps to take to keep yourself a bit more secure. But the main thing to know is that "NOTHING IS HACK PROOF". If you can keep that in mind then you might understand the importance of security.

WiFi Turns Internet Into Hideout for Criminals

2008-02-11T23:19:00.000-08:00

In February of this year, the Washington Post ran a story that made Americans aware that with all the strides that have been made to keep criminals away from children online, the effort is far from over. The previous summer, detectives arrived at a high rise building in Arlington County to arrest a suspected pedophile who had been traced to an apartment from his online trading of child pornography.

When detectives arrived at the apartment, they found an elderly woman who lived alone. It did not take long to realize that the problem was her wireless router which, obviously, one of her unscrupulous neighbors had tapped into in order to conduct his online pedophilia. Anybody in any apartment in the elderly woman?s 10 story building could have accessed the internet through the woman?s router. The detectives had to go back to the drawing board on this crime.

The authorities were aware that one of the neighbors probably were uploading photographs of nude children via the woman?s router, and doing so made the perpetrator virtually untraceable.

There are almost 46,000 WiFi access points across the nation. Quite a few of these are free. Hundreds of thousands of people are logging in to wireless networks every day from places like restaurants, rest stops, hotels, and in some cases, even park benches. Although the majority of those people are simply checking their e-mail and surfing the Web or shopping online, authorities said an increasing number of criminals are taking advantage of the anonymity offered by the wireless signals to commit a raft of serious crimes -- from identity theft to the sexual solicitation of children.

"We're not sure yet how to combat that," said Kevin R. West, a federal agent who oversees the computer crimes unit in North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation. "Free wireless spots are everywhere, and it makes it easy for people . . . to sit there and do their nefarious acts. The fear is that if we talk about it, people will learn about it and say, 'I can go to a parking lot, and no one will catch me.' But we need to talk about it so that we can figure out how to solve it."

Most newer computers come equipped with a wireless card, and many users of even older models are buying wireless cards for their machines. Anyone with this device can access the Internet from any of the public WiFi "hotspots," as they're called. People with wireless cards who live in close proximity to others who have unsecured wireless routers can also access the internet through their neighbors? networks. This renders offenders of internet crimes almost untraceable, and causes major headaches for law abiding citizens.

"It's frustrating for officers," said Todd Shipley, director of training services at the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics. "If a suspect is going from coffee shop to coffee shop and using free signals to commit crimes, the police probably aren't going to catch him. That's the reality." Authorities say that businesses and cities that offer free connections need some way to track the users, such as filtering measures that could scan to see who is accessing the network.

West tells about a recent case, where a truck driver used free wireless signals at motels across the country to post and view pornographic images of children at a web site. By pure luck, the man was caught, West says. When the suspect got online from his home computer, authorities were able to trace his computer's Internet Protocol address, or the unique set of numbers assigned to every computer that uses the Internet. That number, which serves as a virtual street address, often leads authorities to the offender's physical residence.

"Otherwise he would've slipped through the cracks," West said. "We wouldn't have been able to identify him."

Nowadays, the Internet is as much a part of an officer's arsenal as his gun and handcuffs. A growing number of officers are being assigned to patrol cyberspace. Across the nation, 46 multi-jurisdictional Internet Crimes Against Children task forces have been created to carry out online sting operations aimed at ensnaring sex offenders, because a man tapping away on a computer in Delaware might very well be soliciting a child in California. Every week, federal and local authorities cast their nets.

Those assigned to the task forces patrol the virtual streets for pedophiles and others who are attempting to commit crimes against children. Using tracking devices, the officers trace a suspect's IP address. But as technology improves, so also do the tactics of criminals. Closing cases is more difficult if the IP address originated from a wireless signal because it often leads back to the owner of the network instead of the criminal, much like the case where the officers were led to the home of the elderly woman. The network's owner's only "involvement" might have simply been possessing an unsecured network.

The problem is going to get worse, authorities said. Every day, more homes, businesses and entire jurisdictions are outfitted with wireless networks, creating an almost seamless patchwork of available Internet connections to anyone with a laptop and the desire to get online.

"This is part of the future . . . and we're working to catch up and educate the public," said Capt. Tommy Turner of the Virginia State Police.

For information about keeping your kid safe on the internet, visit http://www.geocities.com/questionmarque/parents_peace_of_mind.html

WiFi and You: A First Look

2008-02-11T23:18:00.000-08:00

Modernly, the term is used to describe internet access- but it should be noted it has many other uses. (The Nintendo Wii being named after the technology, being a good example of gaming applications)

Typically, the process involves setting up an access point, or AP. The AP will transmit information to computer in range of its frequency, and usually can do so with great speed. This lets you set up LAN?s without the dreadful wiring, and take advantage of ?hot spots?, or public internet access points.

Truck Stops and WiFi and In Motion Internet Access

2008-02-11T23:17:00.000-08:00

With most Truck Stops now being WiFi enabled truck drivers can turn in daily reports, contact dispatchers, file reports, find return loads, shipping and receiving departments and stay efficient while on the road. They can be in constant communication throughout their travels and each night while parked at the truck stop.

This is a major efficiency enhancement for the Independent Truck Driver who is on the road so much he basically lives in his truck. Before truck driver's would rent phone-lines at the truck stops and try to access the internet by dial-up, can you imagine the hassles? Then some had plug in lines with DSL or Cable. Now all real serious truck stops have WiFi blasting away and truck drivers are in heaven.

Of course many truck drivers also use 3G Wireless Internet Access and pay the extra fee on their phone bill each month. It is also great to have and if they are a driving team often one person can sit in the back on the Internet while the other person drives and that is a great benefit as well. Most services like that run about $75.00 per month for access, but we have noted recently some only cost $39.00 per month.

The WiFi at the truck stops depending on which service run about $25.00 per month. There are also systems available that allow trucks to have their own link directly to the satellite. In fact I had the opportunity of Beta Testing one of the first of these types of systems while working with a company, which had a strategic alliance with GM Hughes, which later became DirectPC. These are pretty cool but the up front costs are high.

L. Winslow is an Internet, Communication and Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

The Archos 604 WiFi is a Versatile Device

2008-02-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

One of the great benefits of a lot of the new technologies coming out these days is the fact that so many devices are so versatile when it comes to what they do. Consider for a moment what the well connected traveler would have needed twenty years ago in order to communicate with the outside world during a trip and stay entertained in a variety of mediums. For music, they would have needed a portable cassette player like a walk man. For photographs, they probably would have had some kind of an old fashioned thirty five millimeter film camera. For video, they would have needed one of those huge camcorders that recorded on VHS. While a mobile phone of some sort probably would have been useful, such technology didn't really exist at that time, and the same thing would have been true for the Internet. In any case, that translates into a lot of luggage.

Now we have technology that allows people to have all of those needs taken care of by a few compact devices.

One example of such a device that handles a wide variety of technological needs is the Archos 604 WiFi. This device is basically a portable video device that's had a lot of features added on top the basics for such a device. Like other portable video devices the Archos 604 WiFi has a color LCD screen and a high capacity hard drive combined into a compact casing. The screen is 4.3 inches wide with a 16:9 aspect ratio and the hard drive stores up to thirty gigabytes of data. It can play video, play audio, and display digital photos.

All of the above is pretty standard for a portable video, but the Archos 604 WiFi goes well beyond the features of other portable video devices. For example, in addition to playing video, it can also record video. This alone opens up a lot of possibilities for this device. For example, with the proper docking stations, the Archos 604 WiFi becomes a full fledged digital video recorder that can replace a home TV set top model. Plus, with the fact that it can record in MPEG-4 video compression format, the Archos 604 WiFi can record over one hundred hours of video. That video can then be played back on the device itself or back over the TV set. Thus the Archos 604 WiFi can serve as a truly functional digital video recorder.

Archos also supplies a number of optional accessories that can expand the uses of the Archos 604 WiFi even further. One great accessory is a special helmet camera that can be connected to Archos 604 WiFi. Together, the two can be used as a full action camcorder that's great for recording everything from family vacations to extreme action sports. The resulting video can then be played on the unit's screen, a normal TV, or be uploaded onto the Internet to share with others.

Add all of these video features to wireless web browsing and optional accessories that can turn the Archos 604 WiFi into a car stereo system, and you have a seriously versatile piece of electronics.

You will find only the best technology information in J. Hall's articles. Check back frequently for new submissions from Hall about new technological advances and how you can find the best technology info for your home and family.

Night Vision WiFi Cameras - Extremely Useful And Versatile

2008-02-11T23:15:00.000-08:00

The Grand WiFi Camera Pro Model II Night Vision camera is an extremely versatile system with the ability to serve as a webcam, security cam or to record multimedia content.

The camera is totally wireless and can be used to monitor or watch a baby from anywhere in the world. It can do the same for a door, or barn or swimming pool, to help deal with children sneaking in to use private pools and prevent drownings or other injuries. The camera sells with everything needed for installation to a network and the manual is downloadable from the internet.

The camera is compatible with wireless LAN 802.11g (54Mbps), and also supports 802.11b (11Mbps). The camera can support 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 176 x 144 formats. The camera will also easily switch from USB to IP cam modes with provided cables for IP mode and a button on the camera itself.

The bundled software allows MPEG 4 capture, automatic replacement of the oldest saved video files when space is no longer available and a motion detector which can sound an alarm when motion is detected.

The camera does have requirements. These are a router (with DDNS or PPPoE function), 10Base-T Ethernet or 100Base TX Fast Ethernet, Intel Pentium3 800 MHz, AMD 800 MHz or Faster processor, 64M RAM or above, VGA card with 8MB memory or above, Microsoft DirectX 9 and Internet Explorer 5.0 or above. The system does not come with a self contained power source, and thus requires a power connection.

There are six infrared LED?s to allow the use of the night vision mode.

The camera currently sells for $136 and ships around the world. The camera operates in Operating Systems in several languages, English, Spanish, Dutch, German, Italian, Russian, French, Japanese and Traditional Chinese while the manual is available in English, German, Dutch and French.

The obvious uses of the camera include serving as a movable security camera, as part of a web conference system to allow the camera to be moved easily about a physical conference room to facilitate the view of people at other sites or even as a means of keeping an eye on something from far away, from the baby mentioned above to a display at a zoo or even a soft drink machine. These cameras can be used to watch outdoors pets at night, or farmers can use this system and a signal repeater to keep watch on barns or fields. For webconference use, this camera appears desirable due to the ease of moving around a conference room, allowing the users to switch from one location to another for the convenience of the off-site participants.

In theory, a user can even use this camera to create a home security system, not up to professional standards, but certainly capable of seeing what is stealing the dogfood or knocking over the trash cans at night. It might even be used to see how squirrels are breaking into the squirrel-proof bird feeders.

Practical Solutions provides complete GPS, mobile navigation/mapping and other hi-tech solutions! Check us out at: http://www.ps-gps.com

Grand WiFi Camera PRO Model II

2008-02-11T23:14:00.001-08:00

The Grand Wi-Fi Camera PRO can be used in a wireless environment. You can use Internet Explorer browser to remotely view and monitor your home or baby room from anywhere in the world via the internet or the local wireless network. Coupled with an embedded web server, Grand Wi-Fi Camera PRO is more than just a camera. There are many applications for The Grand Wi-Fi Camera PRO - Grand Wi-Fi Camera PRO can be used in a wireless environment. You can use Internet Explorer browser to remotely view and monitor your home or baby room from anywhere via internet. Features built-in 6 infrared LEDs, let you can also see the excellent image in the dark. (only for night version) Supports 4, 9, 16 cameras MPEG-4 recording.

Product Features * Sensor * Omni Vision (USA) * IP Address Auto Detect and Setup * Model 2: 4 in 1 ( IP CAM + PC CAM + Wi-Fi CAM + Divx MPEG4 capture). * Wi-Fi camera with wireless LAN 802.11g (54Mbps), and also supports 802.11b (11Mbps). * High Resolution Image Processor ( 640 x 480 320 x 240 176 x 144 ). * Ethernet RJ-45,10/100 Base-T auto-sense. * Remote view through the IE browser using an IP address * Supports multi languages OSD: English, Spanish, Dutch, German, Italian, Russian, French, Japanese, Traditional Chinese * Supports multi languages manual: English, German, Netherlands, French. * 6 infrared LEDs and special lens supports the night vision function. ( only for night version ) * Supports many valuable Internet services: Email, FTP, PPPoE, Dynamic DNS, NTP service, User Management, and Image Quality Control. * USB 1.1 Interface, compatible with Microsoft MSN and NetMeeting. Bundled Surveillance Software with the following functions: * DIVX MPEG 4 capture * MPEG 4 Video File Management: Video File DataBase and Playback Control * Storage Recyclable: When running out of disk space, files with the earliest date will be overwrite automatically * Motion Detection: Detect any movement in the mask area and invoke the alarm as soon as movement is detected. System Requirements: * Router( with DDNS or PPPoE function ) is required * 10Base-T Ethernet or 100Base TX Fast Ethernet * Intel Pentium3 800 MHz, AMD 800 MHz or Faster * 64M RAM or above * VGA card with 8MB memory or above * Microsoft DirectX 9 * Internet Explorer 5.0 or above

Are you interested in the Grand WiFi Camera PRO? Visit ps-gps.com and make the most of our offer. All products are internationally free shipping have an insurance and a tracking number. For 10% off any product use the following discount code: ctrend

Bluetooth and WiFi Comparisons

2008-02-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

Bluetooth can be defined as a wireless form of communication that enables devices to send and receive communication. It is a global initiative set up by manufacturers such as IBM, Intel, Ericsson, Toshiba and Nokia to create a standard for linking up devices such as mobile phones, mobile PCs, handheld computers and other peripherals. Bluetooth relies on short-range radio technology to allow the wireless connectivity. The key features of Bluetooth are robustness, low power and low cost. Both data and voice transmissions can be handled simultaneously. Examples of innovative solutions which users can perform include printing or faxing capabilities, synchronising PDA, laptop or computer and making or receiving calls from a mobile phone, with many more applications available.

Wifi is short for 'wireless fidelity' and is a limited-range wireless networking code which is used in many airports, hotels or other services, who offer public access to Wifi networks, to allow people to log on to the Internet and receive emails whilst on the move. As Wifi is a reasonably fast method of transmitting information in wave form, it is often used in computers and also notebooks. In future, it will become possible to access the Internet from just about anywhere, without the use of any wires. The advantages of using Wifi are that the networks are fairly cheap and straight-forward to set up. Wifi is also quite inconspicuous and can hardly be noticed unless it is being looked for specifically, whilst in a Wifi 'hotspot.' For a wireless network to be created, communication is transferred like a two way radio, using radio waves.

Both Bluetooth and Wifi have both been in the news more especially in recent years. Both technologies are relatively new on the market and, with time, a trend may be seen favouring one or the other. As more and more Bluetooth devices become available, most people will own devices for Bluetooth and Wifi. There are several advantages for opting for Bluetooth networking over Wifi and vice-versa. WiFi and Bluetooth are actually very different technologies with very different reasons to exist. The question should not be Bluetooth versus Wifi but more how Bluetooth can work with Wifi.

Advantages of Bluetooth

Bluetooth can connect devices from point-to-point and probably better on security than Wifi, as it can cover shorter distances. In addition, Bluetooth offers an optional two levels of password protection. Up to seven devices can be connected at any one time which makes it easier to find and connect the device being searched for, as Bluetooth highlights itself to the other devices. Bluetooth technology is also more ideal for consumer electronics devices as it has a smaller power requirement. Microsoft have also recently announced that Bluetooth support will be built into a future version of windows XP. Another advantage is concerning voice communication. For an office or home environment, Bluetooth can be used in a cordless phone within a 10m range, without the need to be passed around. It is not likely that Wifi technologies will have a required voice-over-IP to support voice communication, within the near future. Bluetooth was also introduced much earlier in the market and is installed in much more user devices and products, in comparison to Wifi products.

Advantages of Wifi

The most prominent advantage which Wifi has over Bluetooth is that Wifi operates at a much faster rate - of about 11mbps, whereas Bluetooth only operates at a much slower rate of around 720kbps. This makes Bluetooth too slow for video transfers or for moving large amounts of large photo images from a digital camera. Wifi is also designed to link up entire networks, rather than computer to computer. Wifi can achieve this too but it is not its real purpose. Originally intended to be used for mobile computing devices, such as laptops, it is now often being used for increasingly more applications, such as Internet access, gaming and basic connectivity for home electronic appliances such as televisions or DVD players. Wi-Fi may be used by cars in highways, as standards rise in development, in support of an Intelligent Transportation System to increase safety, gather statistics, and enable mobile commerce.
Having taking in the advantages of both forms of communication, it can not be said that one is better than the other. The two wireless protocols can be used to perform separate things and it is not essential to opt for one, rather than the other. Bluetooth should be the first choice for when connecting single devices, only when speed is not an issue. It has a short range of approximately 30 to 60 feet and common applications can include sharing printers, syncing PDAs or using a mobile phone as a modem. As time goes by it will be very interesting to see how both Bluetooth and Wifi develop and what new uses they will have and for what devices.

Think4 supplies consumers and businesses with a vast spectrum of IT and technology products encompassing systems, components, peripherals and consumables, such as Bluetooth / WiFi networks, PCs /servers, handheld PDAs, laptops, computer memory, MP3 players, sat nav systems, LCD and plasma TVs. We focus on supplying the latest products available at competitive prices with prompt delivery. Find all IT, electronics products and accessories at Think4.com - the home of informed technology shopping.

Municipal WiFi - A Free Public Utility

2008-02-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

Municipal WiFi networks ("MuniNets") are city-wide 802.11x (b,e,g,n) (wireless) mesh networks that can run an average city $10-15 million. Wireless transmitters are positioned throughout the city in public right-of-ways like atop street poles, traffic lights, and pedestrian traffic areas. The mesh network creates a "fabric" of connectivity that allows anybody with a wireless device to see the network, attach to it, and, subsequently, use the Internet for free.

The state of Muni-WiFi currently look like this: 159 existing and operational networks; 54 networks under construction; and 78 Mini-WiFi's under RFP (request for proposal). Muni-WiFi is a big deal - some big names are getting into the picture like Google, Microsoft, Earthlink, Cisco, and Motorola; example - Portland, Oregon is getting their MuniNet up by the end of 2007 through a partnership with Microsoft and a company called MetroFi; Google's in San Francisco in partnership with Earthlink.

Okay, so everybody wants a piece of the action but if the connectivity is free, you might wonder, "er-what action"? Well, in Portland, MetroFi will push banner ads at the top of the browser for free connectivity, and if you want connectivity with no ads, that'd be a cool $20/month paid to the local municipality, please.

Think of it: a free, public domain hot spot the size of downtown.

If you're into finding unique ways to fund city government, this is looking pretty compelling: suddenly you're an ISP and capable of directly competing with local teleco's, LEC's, and ISP's. You've got economy of scale on your side - a literal city of interconnected users - and a bunch of advertisers salivating over a steady stream of narrow-targeted ads to WiFi owners.

On the other hand, if you're not about open services and are into private enterprise, the explosion of "MuniNets" must look pretty scary. Think how LEC's and ISP's are going to find it even harder to compete against a public utility. Further, think of all of the hardware investments made by thousands of individuals and businesses to setup their own hotspots throughout town - key to their strategy to attract and retain customers, now people can wifi whereever they want and they don't need to be sipping your coffee.

And if you're a technology service provider, you've got to be in a downright panic. No more wifi routers to configure within the home or office; no more problems with privacy and security; no more threatening scare tactics about who may be sniffing your wireless packets. Why? Connectivity on a "MuniNet" is professionally managed and available from the street... just like water. Crap - there goes next year's business plan.

There's a lot of risk here, though. MuniNet's are being implemented with current standards of wifi that don't hold a candle to the next generation of technology - 802.16 WiFiMax: 75mbps throughput in a 30-mile radius operating at 2.5-2.7ghz. Providers of this technology might be able to leapfrog the MuniNet and tap right into suburban areas that are beyond the municipal reach, rendering the MuniNet obsolete.

Regardless, the writing's on the wall: WiFi as a utility is here. If you're not preparing for a mass consumer exodus from privatized services like cable, xDSL, or ISP's to a nearly costless public utility, or, if your business depends on any of those services (like router hardware and software sales, service and support relationships, installation and deployments), or, if you're not planning on how to leverage free bandwidth to lower your own operating expenses, ouch - it's going to leave a mark after it whacks you upside the head next year.

Russell Mickler works a technology consultant in Battle Ground, WA. With over thirteen years of experience, Mickler holds a CISSP, MCSE, and a Masters Degree in Information Technology, and teaches graduate and undergraduate technology curriculum. His website can be found at http://www.micklerandassociates.com and he can be contacted at 360.600.9508; mickler@micklerandassociates.com

When RFID Meets WiFi; Now that is Good Use of Technology

2008-02-11T23:10:00.000-08:00

With RFID Tags (radio frequency identification) there are active tags, which have enough power to transmit to the system. But now RFID Tag developers have gone one step further using RFID tags and interfaced WiFi enablers to them so the active RFID Tag can transmit in the 2.45 Ghz range using end user or destination companies wireless 802.11 WiFi network.

Pretty cool beans indeed and these new systems have been talked about in Industry White Papers, but only in theory, but now they exist and there was a write up about them in the May/June Issue of RFID Journal. The developers of the active RFID RTLS (real-time locating systems) are happy with the interest in the market place.

Some industry analysts are already calling them the World?s Most Expensive RFID tags at $50.00 to $60.00 per pop, yet that is not really true as the solar charging active RFID tags cost more than that currently. Still as the industry is trying to get the price for RFID tags under $.20 and eventually down to $.15 and then $.10 and then $.05 you can see why they are barking about the costs.

However for high-end goods for AeroSpace, Weapons Systems, Health-Care Equipment, etc. the price of $50.00 is not so bad and these tags are reusable of course. So far two companies are braving this new field; AeroScout.com and Ekahau.com and these little units look pretty neat, maybe you might want to check it out yourself? Consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

To WIFI or Not to WIFI

2008-02-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

Many people are confused with the huge amount of contradicting information on WIFI. I want to make this as simple as possible.

There are two main types of network setups. One is wired and the other is Wireless. WIFI is great for homes and small offices wanting a fast way to build a new network setup or upgrade an existing one. WIFI is especially good for families with multiple PCs wanting to share an Internet connection. But keep in mind that even though WIFI producing companies state that WIFI is secure, they don't hold a candle when it comes to cable based networks. Cable based networks are much more secure and offer higher transfer rates. On the other hand cabling needs additional work and planning to fully implement like trucking and In-wall Installation.

So if you want to install a WIFI DSL router for the soul purpose of sharing your internet connection amongst family members, then make sure to turn off File & Printing Sharing. This can be accessed from network connections located in the Control Panel.

In conclusion; data sensitive companies should stir away from WIFI for present time and the near future. But if WIFI is used just for sharing the internet connection, there would be no problem there. Home users can safely use WIFI but must make sure that no sensitive data resides on the PC (E.g. data from work) and secure the connection with a user name and password.

Another thing; always choose a Router over a Switch and a Switch over a Hub for cable based networks. The three devices mentioned earlier are all used to connect different computers together. But the Router is the most secure, smart and highly customizable of the three. The Switch on the other hand is easy to use with no configuration needed and costs so much less than a Router. Forget about Hubs they are plain stupid.

**You are free to publish this article by any delivery method you see fit. But you are kindly asked keep the article intact and as is.

Riad Haddad is a Software Developer and Internet Marketer specializing in state of the art custom solutions; from database development to website marketing.

www.fitsoftinc.com

RV Internet Service: How about WiFi?

2008-02-11T23:07:00.000-08:00

For those high-tech individuals who love the internet, they may be wondering if RV internet service is a suitable option for them while they are out on the road. Both full time RVers and those who are only on the road a few weeks or months out of the year may find that the convenience of RV internet service is worth it. You can use it to work or simply for personal reasons such as e-mailing and surfing the internet. WiFi is a popular fairly low-cost choice for RV internet service.

What is WiFi? It is short for Wireless Fidelity. It uses unlicensed 2.4 GHz radio frequencies to broadcast to your computer either through a wireless device that is integrated into your portable computer (such as a laptop) or a wireless device that is plugged into your desktop computer. Speeds for WiFi RV internet service are generally 11Mbps (on a 802.11b) or 54 Mbps (on a 802.11g.) The signals are broadcast from an access point (which is usually a tower of some type.)

If you are not sure what speed of RV internet connection to get, you should keep in mind that most RV resorts and parks offer 801.11b service and if you get ?g? it will only run as fast as the ?b? operating speed. Your speed will never be faster than the park?s speed if you choose to use their WiFi provider.

For better quality service, there are several things you can do. When you register for a site at the park, ask to be put where there are the fewest obstructions in between you and the WiFi tower. Get a strong external antenna to pick up the signal better. Use your internet during the time of day when microwaves and portable phones are less likely to be used because they will cause frequency interference.

Julie Jacobs writes articles about RVs, and how to finance them. For more information about getting RV internet visit dscrvs.com

FON - Worlds Largest WiFi Community

2008-02-11T23:06:00.000-08:00

I guess most of you have heard of FON, if not, then it?s about time you do. FON is the largest WiFi coomunity in the world.

The FON community consists of users spread out across the globe that make their wireless internet access available to others and in exchange they gain access to FON hotspots wherever they go.

Different levels of community membership:

- Linus: Being a Linus means that you share your WiFi at home and in return you get free WiFi wherever you go.

- Bills: Bills want to make money from their WiFi and instead of free roaming they get 50% of the fee that Aliens pay to access their hotspot.

- Alien: Aliens are people who don?t share their WiFi or don?t have a WiFi yet. They are charged $3/day to access the WiFi of Bills.

FON?s homepage contains an implementation of Google Earth where all FON users have marked where their hotspot is. This means you can have a look at the map and find where you have free internet access on your business or vacation trip.

FON also sell a wireless router, La Fonera, at a very reduced price. It?s currently just $5/5 euro! The router is a social router with 2 wireless signals, one private and one public. The private signal is encrypted and offers complete privacy. The other signal is the public signal that is accessible to other Foneros. La Fonera supports the 802.11 standard for speeds up to 54 Mbps.

So, what are you waiting for? Join FON today and gain access to WiFi almost anywhere on the globe or monetize on your own FON hotspot! Become a Fonero!

Greg Thomson is working on building his own FON Hotspot. You can read about his progress at his blog wireless-internet-provider-laptop.blogspot.com. Do you have questions about wireless internet and different providers, have a look at internet laptop services wireless. See you!

Skypestyle.com is the first UK company to begin shipping Skype WiFi Phones!!

2008-02-11T23:05:00.000-08:00

With the release of 4 Skype WiFi Phones, Skypestyle.com has added the 'big four' to their already existing wide range of Skype Phones and Skype accessories and is the first UK store to have 3 out of the 4 phones in stock and begun shipping pre-orders.

The Skype WiFi Phones allow you to make a Skype or Skype IN/OUT call through the phone via the wireless network. As the phones work directly off the WiFi network it also means that there is no need to have a computer switched on in order to use Skype.

Although NetGear was the first to release a prototype of their Skype WiFi Phone, they have had the release date delayed several times and the phone has only now begun shipping in the UK, thus facing increased competition from other manufacturers such as SMC and Edge-Core.

Despite the availability of these phones, many consumers are still waiting for the highly anticipated release of the Belkin Skype WiFi Phone. Both the Belkin and Edge-Core phones provide stiff competition to NetGear as both are very competitively priced with rumors that the Belkin phone will retail for under ?100.

This aside, Skypestyle.com has been particularly impressed with the Edge-Core Skype WiFi Phone in terms of its functionality, usability, sleek design and cost.

All of the above Skype WiFi Phones are available from www.skypestyle.com - an ecommerce store that specialises in providing Skype Phones, USB Phones and VoIP Phones throughout the UK and Europe.

For more info and high res images please contact Mike Williams.

Mike Williams is responsible for Skypestyle.com's PR. Skypestyle.com speacialise in selling Internet Phones such as, Skype Phones, USB Phones and VoIP Phones.

What Is Wifi , What Are Wifi Hotspots & What Can They Do For Me?

2008-02-11T23:04:00.000-08:00

What Do I Need To Use My Computer In A Wifi Hotspot?

Well first of all you will need a wirelesss LAN network card installed in your laptop. This can be bought in your local computer store or in an online computer store and is not very expensive to buy. The other thing you will need is an account with a Wifi internet access provider so that you can connect to the net when in a Wifi hotspot. One thing to note is that there are several different Wifi internet access providers and that not all Wifi hotspots can be accessed by all the different Wifi internet access provider?s networks. This means that if you want to have maximum choice of Wifi hotspots to use, then it is a good idea to sign up with more than one Wifi internet access provider. The other thing you need to know is that most Wifi service providers charge you an hourly fee for using their service. These charges can add up, so if you are a regular or heavy user then it might work out cheaper for you to sign up for a monthly service plan which some providers offer and this could save you a lot of money as you will be paying a fixed monthly fee regardless of the amount of time you access the internet through Wifi hotspots.

Miguel Poza runs a website about broadband & broadband service providers with many reviews of UK and US broadband services, a guide to broadband technology and links to cool broadband content. You can check it out at http://www.broadbandassistant.com

What Is Wifi , What Are Wifi Hotspots and What Can They Do For Me?

2008-02-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

Wifi is an internet technology which allows you to access the internet within a local area without the need to physically connect your computer to a computer network, instead a wireless broadband signal is sent around the local area allowing computer users to connect to the internet in that area wirelessly. In case you were wondering Wifi stands for Wireless Fidelity and Wifi hotspots are public areas where you can access one of these wireless broadband signals. Public places where you can find Wifi hotspots these days are hotels, airports, restaurants, cafes, bars and railway stations. All this means you can travel around pretty much anywhere in the world and find Wifi hotspots from which you can wirelessly and easily access the internet, meaning you can keep up to date with your emails, surf the internet and do all the other useful things you do on the internet whilst on your travels. This technology is particularly good for business users who can gain extra work time by squeezing in internet time at various Wifi hotspots.

What Do I Need To Use My Computer In A Wifi Hotspot?

Well first of all you will need a wirelesss LAN network card installed in your laptop. This can be bought in your local computer store or in an online computer store and is not very expensive to buy. The other thing you will need is an account with a Wifi internet access provider so that you can connect to the net when in a Wifi hotspot. One thing to note is that there are several different Wifi internet access providers and that not all Wifi hotspots can be accessed by all the different Wifi internet access provider?s networks. This means that if you want to have maximum choice of Wifi hotspots to use, then it is a good idea to sign up with more than one Wifi internet access provider. The other thing you need to know is that most Wifi service providers charge you an hourly fee for using their service. These charges can add up, so if you are a regular or heavy user then it might work out cheaper for you to sign up for a monthly service plan which some providers offer and this could save you a lot of money as you will be paying a fixed monthly fee regardless of the amount of time you access the internet through Wifi hotspots.

The WiFi Blues

2008-02-01T03:45:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love has it. Many in San Francisco want it.

Wireless broadband Internet access (WiFi) seems too good to be true. At relatively low cost, anyone can get on the Internet anywhere in a city. All the city needs to do is install WiFi antennas.

An argument in favor of citywide WiFi is that it will reduce the digital divide: the poorer you are, the more limited your access to the Internet and its information resources. Cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco are actively trying to close the digital divide. One option is WiFi.

Yet in weighing the options, virtually nothing is heard about the potential health risks. Saturating an entire city with WiFi adds to the existing burden of nonionizing radiation. That burden, called electrosmog by some, consists of long-term exposure to low-level concentrations of nonionizing radiation from familiar sources like radio and TV signals, electronic and electrical devices, and the ubiquitous cell phone.

Wireless Internet Access

Local area networks (LANs) link computers, printers, modems, and other devices. Traditional LANs make the links physically using wire cable. Messages between computers and the other devices on the network are managed by a device called a router.

A wireless LAN does away with the wire cable by using a router that transmits and receives radio signals. To use a wired LAN, you have to plug the computer or other device into a wall socket. A wire leads from the socket to the router, which manages signal traffic between the devices on the network.

With a wireless LAN, each device on the network is built so that it can send a signal to the router and receive signals back. Wireless routers typically have a range of a hundred to several hundred feet. The range can be increased by adding a booster that increases the signal strength.
As with all radio signals, the closer you are to the transmitter (the router) the stronger the signal. Cell phones work on the same principle. The difference is that cell phones work at a different frequency and put out a stronger signal than wireless LANs.

Radio Frequencies

Cell phones operate at frequencies in the 3 to 30 GHz range, similar to microwave ovens. Wireless LANs operate at one tenth of that range?0.3 to 3 GHz, the range of UHF television broadcasts. GHz stands for gigaHertz, a standard measure of radio frequency radiation (RFR)?electromagnetic radiation created by sending an alternating electrical current through an antenna. The higher the GHz, the faster the current alternates.

Frequency by itself does not measure the potential effect of RFR. As you would guess, the strength of the signal also matters. The strength of a signal is measured in watts, a standard measure of electrical energy. For example, a 100 watt light bulb is brighter because it puts out more energy than a 60 watt bulb.

Think of the effect of waves at the beach: small waves far apart (low strength, low frequency) versus large wave close together (high strength, high frequency). The former is likely to have less of an effect than the latter.

The exposure to RFR is measured using SAR?specific absorption rate. SAR is expressed either in milliwatts/kilogram (mW/kg) of body weight or milliwatts/cubic centimeter (mW/cm2) of exposed body area: the size of the wave and how much of your body it strikes.

Health Risks

WiFi enthusiasts dismiss health risk concerns because the power output and SAR exposure is significantly below the minimum standard set for cell phones. But cell phone standards are set for the short term exposure of a cell phone in use pressed to your head. In addition, the standards are set based on the thermal (heating) effect of the radiation.

Nonthermal effects of cell phones are documented at exposures below the current US standards, including

- memory loss,
- sleep disruption,
- slowed motor skills and reaction time,
- decreased immune function,
- spatial disorientation and dizziness,
- headaches,
- lowered sperm count,
- increased blood pressure and pulse,
- DNA breakage and reduced DNA repair capacity, and
- cell proliferation.

A second problem is that cell phone exposure is intermittent, whereas WiFi exposure is constant. A more accurate comparison is to the effect of cell phone broadcast antennas. These antennas send and receive radio frequency signals constantly.

The signal strength from an antenna is comparable to a cell phone only at very close range. The exposure is not a cell phone?s brief blast but a persistent bath of low-strength RFR. In addition to the health effects documented for cell phone use, exposure to cell phone antennas include

- increased blood pressure and pulse,
- sleep disruption,
- emotional effects such as increased depression and irritability,
- memory loss and mental fog,
- fatique and vertigo, and
- increased cancer risk.

Because of these effects, the International Association of Fire Fighters (AFL-CIO) decided in 2004 that they will not permit cell phone antennas on fire houses.

RFR Hypersensitivity

Much of the discussion of RFR health effects is framed as a concern with people who are hypersensitive. Hypersensitivity is the technical term for allergies and similar immune system overreactions. But instead of pollen, RFR hypersensitivity is a reaction to nonionizing radiation. It seems that an unlucky few are affected while the rest of us are off the hook.

Research by Olle Johansson and ?rjan Halberg of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm suggests otherwise. They looked at the incidence of cancer in Europe and the US and found a striking association between the increase in certain cancers during the 20th Century and exposure RFR as measured by radio and TV broadcasts.

What the hypersensitive really represent is one extreme in a complex landscape of effects and risks. Just like any other environmental stressor, RFR will affect some people more than others. And as with other environmental stressors, the greater the overall burden, the greater the risk of becoming one of the the ?unlucky few.?

Wireless LANs add to the existing burden of RFR. Just as burning more fossil fuels adds more smog, adding more RFR adds more electrosmog. You don?t have to expose your home or your city to the increased burden created by WiFi. There?s a viable alternative: a wired LAN. The hype might make it seem less convenient and more expensive. But what?s a good night?s sleep worth? Or reducing your risk of cancer?

Resources
International Association of Fire Fighters. 2004. Position on the Health Effects from Radio Frequency/Microwave (RF/MW) Radiation in Fire Department Facilities from Base Stations for Antennas and Towers for the Conduction of Cell Phone Transmissions. Access at http://www.iaff.org/safe/content/celltower/celltowerfinal.htm.
Johansson, Olle and Doug Loranger. 2005. Electrosmog. Your Own Health And Fitness. Broadcast November 29, 2005.
Sage, Cindy. 2005. Comment on San Francisco TechConnect Community Wireless Broadband Initiative. Sage Associates: September 2005.

Jeffry Fawcett, PhD is a writer, health educator, and political economist who publishes the quarterly health newsletter the Progressive Health Observer and co-produces the weekly radio show Your Own Health And Fitness. Information at http://www.yourownhealthandfitness.org.

Wifi - So What Is It?

2008-02-01T03:44:00.000-08:00

In this article we're going to begin to define what wifi is and just how it works.

Relatively speaking, wifi is a new technology, created within the last couple of years at the time of this writing. However, the basis on which is created is not really new. Wifi is short for wireless fidelity as applied to connecting multiple computers. Or in other words, wireless networking.

The reason this is not really new is because we've had wireless forms of communication for some time now. One needs to look no further than ones own hi fidelity stereo system. The signal from the ration station transceiver travels wireless through the air until it reaches the antenna connected to your radio. This technology has been around for ages. But as applied to computers, yes, this is something very new.

So, how does wireless networking work?

The 802.11 standard, on which networks are based, defines two modes which are infrastructure mode and ad hoc mode. With infrastructure mode, the wireless network is composed of at least one access point which is connected to the wired network infrastructure which includes a set of wireless end stations. This particular configuration is called a Basic Service Set or BSS. An extended service set, or ESS, is a set of multiple BSS sets which form a single subnetwork. Because most WLANs require access to a wired LAN for services such as file servers, printers and Internet links, they usually operate in infrastructure mode.

The difference between Ad Hoc mode and Infrastructure mode is that Ad Hoc mode is just a set of 802.11 wireless stations that communicate directly with each other without using an access point or any connection to a network that is wired. This mode is great for quickly and easily setting up a wireless network where a wireless infrastructure doesn't exist or is simply not needed for services. Some places where this would be true are hotel rooms, convention centers and airports or any place where wired networks are forbidden.

While connected to a wireless network, you can do most basic things that are not too intensive such as check email, browse the Internet, connect to conferences, access your home directory, use programs such a network word processor and use printing services. You should not use wireless networks for streaming audio or video, downloading anything that is large or viewing web sites that are intense in graphics.

Even though wireless networks are nice to look at you will still get the best performance and highest speeds from wired networks. Generally speaking, a wireless connection works the same way as an Ethernet connection. The speed of a wireless network is about 11 megabits per second. The problem is that with a wireless network you have to share the bandwidth with all the users connected to the wireless network in a given network. This is what slows the network down and makes intensive operations difficult to perform. It is because of this that wireless networks will never be as fast as a wired Ethernet network.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Wifi

Tips for Securing your Home Wifi Network

2008-01-25T03:50:00.000-08:00

Tips for Securing your Home Wifi Network

As consumers upgrade their computers and laptops and are discovering the convenience of wireless computing, they may also be opening themselves up to attacks from random hackers. If you have a home network and it has wireless capabilities one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself, your computers and most importantly your data, is to secure your network. You may think you are doing a good thing leaving your wireless network open for your neighbors to use, but you may also be allowing people to use your network to download pirated music or movies (which you will be responsible for), send unsolicited commercial email (aka spam) or launch viruses.

Securing your network is fairly easy and can be done by just about anyone, even if you aren't computer savvy. If you are using a laptop you may want to connect your computer via ethernet cable to your router, while you are making the configuration changes. The first thing you should do is log into your wireless router and change the administration password and username if possible. Leaving the default settings is like locking your door and hiding a key under the mat. Next you want to enable WEP (wireless equivalent privacy) security on your router. If your router has 128 bit encryption use it, it's more secure than 40 bit encryption. If you have an older router you may only have 40 bit encryption, 40 bit encryption is better than no encryption so if that's all you have use it. You will need to enter the corresponding WEP encryption key on all of your computers that connect wirelessly. Reboot the router and verify you can still connect with the network cable removed. It would be easier to make all of the changes at once and the reboot, but if you make a mistake doing it step by step helps you find your mistakes easier.

The next step is changing the SSID (Service Set Identifier). The first thing you should do is change the name from its default setting. If your router lets you disable the SSID broadcast you should. Again make the corresponding changes on each of the computers that connect wirelessly and reboot the router. Once the router reboots make sure you can still connect to the network.

Your next step is to allow access via Mac addresses. Every computer has a unique Mac address that looks like 0A-3C-2A-55-E4-A0. Get all of the MAC addresses of all of the computers that connect wirelessly and restrict access on the router to only those Mac addresses. Reboot the router and verify you can still connect.

While these tips won't keep out sophisticated professional hackers they will keep out casual snoopers. Lastly on each computer make sure you are sharing only the folders that you want other people to be able to see.

Computers.6ln.com

Jim Faller is an author for http://computers.6ln.com which has information about computer security, viruses, spyware, data recovery and backups

The Latest Technology, Wifi And Digital Cameras

2008-01-25T03:49:00.000-08:00

We were all use to the idea of sending in our film for developing and waiting for our pictures to come back. It takes days before we can see those developed photos.

Then along came digital cameras and the world was taken by storm with this cool new technology. Suddenly you could take a picture and see the results immediately. At first these cameras were slow and not such great quality but still kind of cool. Then things heated up and now we have fantastic digital cameras of all sizes and shapes that can take wonderful images which can be shared instantly with your family, or the rest of the world for that matter.

The latest now in technology integration is WiFi and digital cameras. No need to even plug your camera memory card into a computer, or a printer at all. Now you can buy a digital camera that transmits the images via wireless technology. Yes, that is right, a wireless connection for your image uploads.

Now, you may be among those in the population that have not even gotten their hands around the whole digital image sharing thing yet. But this promising new technology may lead us to a world of fewer cables to plug in, quicker transfer of our images, and in the case of events in the world, the ability to share images of news almost instantly.

As we saw in the recent bombings in London, folks with cell phone cameras recorded the devastation they saw in the underground and shared it with the world in almost real time fashion. These new cameras may be able to take that sort of thing to an all new level. Imagine cities that implement widespread WiFi access and photographers with WiFi cameras capturing images of news and other special events. They could transmit those images right away and let the world see them. You may concern how it works? Here is am eaxmaple:

Nikon has released two models of digital cameras that are WiFi enabled. The idea is to be able to transmit your pictures straight from the camera to your computer or printer through a wireless adaptor. You bring up the images to transfer, hit ?go?, and they get sent through the air to your printer. The Coolpix P1 and P2 will be in the $400-$550 range in pricing and the adaptor is extra. They are competing with Kodak which released its own version of the WiFi camera in their Easy Share line of cameras this year. Kodak has already gone to making it easy to share photos by transmitting them at so called "wireless hot spots", usually cafes or stores where wireless access is sold or given away to customers. These efforts by the leading camera makers seem aimed at adding value to their already impressive digital technology.

Digital cameras continue to be hot sellers despite what some in the industry thought would be a slowing of sales this year. Many had predicted that cell phone cameras would slow digital camera sales, but this is not happening.

George Williams maintains many websites about network security, including Wireless Technology, and Wireless Transmitter. Please visit his websites and find more interesting issues about network.

WIFI Hot Spots

2008-01-25T03:48:00.000-08:00

Wifi Hotspots

If you have a computer and live in the city then you have seen people sitting in caf?'s searching the internet on their own computers all over town. You might be thinking to yourself, I don't see any wires connected to their computer, how can they be connected to the internet? Wifi is the answer.

Wifi is a relatively new technology that enables a person with a computer (usually laptop) with a Wifi card to send and receive information through the air. Most Wifi cards can send and receive signals within a short distance of less than 100 feet, but that is usually enough for patrons to enjoy their coffee and check their email at the same time.

There is new technology that will be out shortly that drastically expands the reach of the Wifi signal to more than half a mile. This can help bring more people onto the internet without the expense of laying heavy infrastructure underground.

Many smaller to mid size cities are now planning on adding Wifi throughout the entire city. Just recently Philadelphia has made a deal with a telecommunications company to cover the whole city with Wifi signals. Other cities such as San Francisco are looking to cover their entire city with Wifi signals as well.

Jay is the web owner of http://www.dsl-in.com DSL, a website that provides information and resources on DSL, DSL Service, and DSL Service Providers. You can also visit his website at: http://www.dsl-service.us DSL Service

Issues Surrounding WiFi Security

2008-01-25T03:47:00.000-08:00

For years, one of the most worrying problems with wireless broadband internet access was the issue of keeping data secure during the split second of transfer. If one does not take the proper security precautions, a clever hacker could intercept the signal to steal passwords or even financial information.

Fortunately, WiFi security has seen much notable advancement in the past few years. Encryption technology has become more and more sophisticated, and is now readily available in most devices. Some of the most common security encryption standards are Wired Equivalency Privacy (WEP) and WiFi Protected Access (WPA).

Jeremy Maddock is the webmaster of TeleClick.ca, a trusted source of telecommunications news.

Finding WiFi Hotspots

2008-01-21T02:42:00.000-08:00

If you are taking a trip, but need to check your email and keep up to date with business, on the go, then a WiFi enabled laptop might be the perfect solution for you. Of course, the trick to WiFi laptops is finding hotspots in which to use them.

Before taking a trip, it is often a good idea to research businesses in your destination ahead of time, and find the best WiFi locations in the area. Some of the places you might want to look are hotels, libraries, and coffee shops, as such establishments often offer a free or low cost wireless broadband service to their customers.

Jeremy Maddock is the webmaster of TeleClick.ca, a trusted source of telecommunications news.

WiFi Range: What are the Limits?

2008-01-21T02:41:00.000-08:00

Because of the fact that the WiFi networking standard uses very high frequency (2.4 GHz) radio signals to transmit data, its access range is usually quite limited. How limited, of course, depends on the type of WiFi hardware being used.

A single family home or small office, for example, could easily be covered by a single access point, but larger WiFi locations, such as universities and corporate headquarters often need a criss-cross of several different access points in order to serve the entire area.

In theory, this method of adding multiple access points can be expanded limitlessly, to the point of creating citywide blanket network. Such networks have been built, or are being built, in several major American cities.

Creating wide-area wireless broadband networks can lead to numerous advantages, including more mobility for users of WiFi laptops, WiFi phones, and WiFi PDAs.

Jeremy Maddock is the webmaster of TeleClick.ca, a trusted source of telecommunications news.

WiFi: What is it?

2008-01-17T01:28:00.000-08:00

Most people have heard of it, but the obvious question often seems to come to mind: what exactly is WiFi technology?

The answer is that it's a way to transfer data wirelessly, using the IEEE 802.11 networking standard. It allows users to access the internet at high-speeds, without the inconvenience of being plugged into a cable or DSL connection.

The one limitation of WiFi is that it's primarily a short-range technology, so you do need to be close to a wireless access point or "hotspot" to use it. Because of its immense popularity, however, WiFi locations are relatively easy to find.

A good WiFi directory will show you that there are hotspots located in most high traffic areas, including airports, hotels, malls, libraries, and coffee shops. With the proper hardware, you can generally get internet access at little or no cost, if you know the right places to look.

Jeremy Maddock is the webmaster of TeleClick.ca, a trusted source of telecommunications news.