"All mobile strategies embed assumptions about technology evolution so it?s important to identify the technologies that will evolve quickly in the life span of each strategy," said Nick Jones, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. "The eight mobile technologies that we have pinpointed as ones to watch in 2009 and 2010 will have broad effects and, as such, are likely to pose issues to be addressed by short-term strategies and policies."
Gartner's eight mobile technologies to watch in 2009 and 2010
Bluetooth 3.0 - The Bluetooth 3.0 specification will be released in 2009 (at which point its feature set will be frozen), with devices starting to arrive around 2010. Bluetooth 3.0 will likely include features such as ultra-low-power mode that will enable new devices, such as peripherals and sensors, and new applications, such as health monitoring. Bluetooth originated as a set of protocols operating over a single wireless bearer technology. Bluetooth 3.0 is intended to support three bearers: "classic" Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and ultrawideband (UWB). It's possible that more bearers will be supported in the future. Wi-Fi is likely to be a more important supplementary bearer than UWB in the short term, because of its broad availability. Wi-Fi will allow high-end phones to rapidly transfer large volumes of data.
Mobile User Interfaces (UIs) - UIs have a major effect on device usability and supportability. They will also be an area of intense competition in 2009 and 2010, with manufacturers using UIs to differentiate their handsets and platforms. New and more-diverse UIs will complicate the development and support of business-to-employee (B2E) and business-to-consumer (B2C) applications. Organizations should expect more user demands for support of specific device models driven by interface preferences. Companies should also expect consumer interfaces to drive new expectations of application behavior and performance. Better interfaces will make the mobile Web more accessible on small devices, and will be a better channel to customers and employees.
Location Sensing - Location awareness makes mobile applications more powerful and useful; in the future, location will be a key component of contextual applications. Location sensing will also enhance systems, such as mobile presence and mobile social networking. The growing maturity of on-campus location sensing using Wi-Fi opens up a range of new applications exploiting the location of equipment or people. Organizations delivering business or consumer applications should explore the potential of location sensing; however, exploiting it may create new privacy and security challenges.
802.11n - 802.11n boosts Wi-Fi data rates to between 100 Mbps and 300 Mbps, and the multiple-input, multiple-output technology used by 802.11n offers the potential for better coverage in some situations. 802.11n is likely to be a long-lived standard that will define Wi-Fi performance for several years. High-speed Wi-Fi is desirable to stream media around the home and office. From an organizational perspective, 802.11n is disruptive; it's complex to configure, and is a "rip and replace" technology that requires new access points, new client wireless interfaces, new backbone networks and a new power over Ethernet standard. However, 802.11n is the first Wi-Fi technology to offer performance on a par with the 100 Mbps Ethernet commonly used for wired connections to office PCs. It is, therefore, an enabler for the all-wireless office, and should be considered by companies equipping new offices or replacing older 802.11a/b/g systems in 2009 and 2010.
Display Technologies - Displays constrain many characteristics of both mobile devices and applications. During 2009 and 2010, several new display technologies will impact the marketplace, including active pixel displays, passive displays and pico projectors. Pico projectors enable new mobile use cases (for example, instant presentations projected on a desktop to display information in a brief, face-to-face sales meeting). Battery life improvements are welcome for any user. Good off-axis viewing enables images and information to be shared more easily. Passive displays in devices, such as e-book readers, offer new ways to distribute and consume documents. Display technology will also become an important differentiator and a user selection criterion.
Mobile Web and Widgets - The mobile Web is emerging as a low-cost way to deliver simple mobile applications to a range of devices. It has some limitations that will not be addressed by 2010 (for example, there will be no universal standards for browser access to handset services, such as the camera or GPS). However, the mobile Web offers a compelling total cost of ownership (TCO) advantage over thick-client applications. Widgets (small mobile Web applets) are supported by many mobile browsers, and provide a way to stream simple feeds to handsets and small screens. Mobile Web applications will be a part of most B2C mobile strategies. Thin-client applications are also emerging as a practical solution to on-campus enterprise applications using Wi-Fi or cellular connections.
Cellular Broadband - Wireless broadband exploded in 2008, driven by the availability of technologies such as high-speed downlink packet access and high-speed uplink packet access, combined with attractive pricing from cellular operators. The performance of high-speed packet access (HSPA) provides a megabit or two of bandwidth in uplink and downlink directions, and often more. In many regions, HSPA provides adequate connectivity to replace Wi-Fi "hot spots," and the availability of mature chipsets enables organizations to purchase laptops with built-in cellular modules that provide superior performance to add-on cards or dongles.
Near Field Communication (NFC) - NFC provides a simple and secure way for handsets to communicate over distances of a centimeter or two. NFC is emerging as a leading standard for applications such as mobile payment, with successful trials conducted in several countries. It also has wider applications, such as "touch to exchange information" (for example, to transfer an image from a handset to a digital photo frame, or for a handset to pick up a virtual discount voucher). Gartner does not expect much of the NFC payment or other activities to become common, even by 2010, in mature markets, such as Western Europe and the U.S. NFC is likely to become important sooner in emerging markets, with some deployments starting by 2010. Additional information is available in the Gartner report "Eight Mobile Technologies to Watch in 2009 and 2010." The report is available on Gartner's Web site at http://www.gartner.com/
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Eight Mobile Technologies to Watch in 2009 and 2010
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Wireless Certifications
Wireless certifications are currently being offered by 5 organisations:
Planet3 Wireless offer the Certified Wireless Network Professional (CWNP) program.
SANS offer the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) Assessing Wireless Networks or GAWN
OSSTMM offer the OSSTMM Wireless Security Expert (OWSE) certification
ThinkSECURE offer the Organisational Systems Wireless Auditor (OSWA) and Open Source Wireless Integration Security Professional (OSWISP) certifications.
Cisco offer the Cisco Wireless LAN Specialists program.
AreTec offer the AreTec Wireless Career Certifications (AceWP) program.
NARTE offer the Wireless System Installers Certification program.
Planet 3 currently offer 5 vendor-neutral wireless certifications:
Wireless# an the entry-level wireless certification for the IT industry.
Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA) is a foundation level wireless LAN certification for the CWNP Program.
Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP) designed to give you the knowledge you need to keep hackers out of your wireless network.
Certified Wireless Analysis Professional (CWAP) designed to give you the knowledge to troubleshoot and increase the performance of your wireless network.
Certified Wireless Network Expert (CWNE) designed to give you the skills to administer, install, configure, troubleshoot, and design wireless network systems including: Packet analysis, intrusion detection, performance analysis and advanced design.
Certification homepage: http://www.giac.org/certifications/security/gawn.php
SANS offer GIAC certifications for all of the major IT Security competencies and the GAWN is their Wireless Security offering. The course to accompany the certification is the GIAC Assessing Wireless Networks (SEC-617) which can be studied for with the SANS mentor program or covered in one of their global SANS training events.
Official SANS GIAC Certification overview
"The GAWN certification is designed for technologists who need to assess the security of wireless networks. The certification focuses on the different security mechanisms for wireless networks, the tools and techniques used to evaluate and exploit weaknesses, and techniques used to analyse wireless networks." -SANS
Certification homepage: http://www.isecom.org/projects/owse.shtml
"The OWSE certification program is designed for those who want to learn more about the various ways to technically execute a comprehensive and professional wireless security audit within the internationally recognized Open-Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM) framework." -OSSTMM
The OWSE certification exam is a practical examination requiring a total number of 100 responses within the 4 hour examination period.
Certification homepage: http://securitystartshere.net/page-training-oswisp.htm
ThinkSECURE currently offer the following vendor neutral WLAN certifications:
Organisational Systems Wireless Auditor (OSWA)
Open Source Wireless Integration Security Professional (OSWISP)
"Accredited by the international security institute ISECOM (Institute of Security & Open Methodologies), the OSWiSP™ teaches a vendor-independent approach to practical deployment, auditing and securing of both private and public Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) based on the PRACTICAL WIRELESS DEPLOYMENT METHODOLOGY (PWDM), a peer-reviewed, open-source methodology." -ThinkSECURE
Certification homepage: http://www.cisco.com/
Cisco currently offer 3 wireless certifications:
Cisco Wireless LAN Design Specialist: Associated exam: Wireless LAN for System Engineers (642-577 WLANSE)
Cisco Wireless LAN Sales Specialist designed for Cisco device resellers. Associated exam: Wireless LAN for Account Managers (646-102 WLANAM).
Cisco Wireless LAN Support Specialist: Associated exam: Wireless LAN for Field Engineers exam (642-582 WLANFE).
Certification homepage: http://www.aretechnologies.net/
AreTec currently offer 4 vendor-neutral wireless certifications. All of the AreTec Certifications cover Applications Development, Wireless Telecom Carriers and Networks, Wireless Networking and Security and Wireless Embedded Systems just to an ever increasing level. In order the certifications are:
AreTec Certified Wireless Engineer (ACWE)
AreTec Certified Wireless Developer (ACWD)
AreTec Certified Wireless Architect (ACWA)
Certified AceWP Instructor (CAI): designed for ACE WP program trainers.
Certification homepage: http://www.narte.org/
NARTE offer 2 wireless installer certifications both designed to certify those who install wireless LAN systems, Bluetooth, UNII devices, AVIS, and unlicensed PCS Systems:
Wireless Installer Engineer
Wireless Installer Technician
Friday, February 6, 2009
Strategies for co-locating radios
When more than one antenna is located at a service access point, it may require considerable skill to get maximum performance out of the combined system. This article is intended to point to some of the factors involved. If there is no frequency quiet enough, you must look into:
Selecting an Antenna Site
The best way to deal with co-location problems is to avoid them! When reviewing possible locations for a wireless network access point, you may find some sites that appear to be perfect: They have good visibility of the area, they already have antennas on them (so there will not be issues of land use zoning), and the owner is willing - even eager - to lease you space on an existing antenna tower and equipment shelter. Such an "antenna farm" is likely to be a problem site, and if you can find a well situated building with no other antennas on it, it will probably be a better site.
The fundamental problem of co-location is RF interference. While you may be able to get a good, strong signal from the access point to your subscribers, the response from the subscribers to the access point may not be received correctly even if it comes in at a signal level well above the receiver's sensitivity threshold if there is another signal from some other system that reaches your receiver on the same or a nearby frequency channel. When there are competing signals in the same band, your received signal has to be heard above the radio noise.
Resolving Problems
There are several avenues to explore in resolving interference problems.
Analyze the problem:
The first step should always be to survey the problem. If your radio is a UC Wireless LongRanger or WinRouter system, you should do a spectrum scan to determine the frequencies and signal levels of existing RF systems. Once you review the spectrum chart, you can hope to find one or more channels that are free of interference. Be sure to run the spectrum scan several times with a dwell time of 500 ms per channel in order to catch brief occupancies by frequency hopping modems.
When you observe a competing signal, try to identify the source of it. Is it on the site where you are located, or is it a signal being sent to the site by a directional antenna at another site?
Calculate your incoming signal strength
The system that you are trying to establish will have one end on the shared site, and one or more peers distant from the site. For each remote peer, compute the expected strength of their signal when it reaches the shared site. Verify that with the antenna you were planning to use, the desired signal is above the other signals that you see at that frequency. If not, change frequency until you find one that has low enough noise that the signal can get in.
Can you find a better spot on the tower?
If the interference is from other antennas on the same tower, you may be able to reduce it or eliminate it by moving to a different spot on the tower. If the interference is coming in through the backside of a directive antenna, this helps two ways:
Can you find a better antenna pattern?
Where the number of links to be served from a location is limited, it helps to use the most restrictive antenna pattern that will still cover the subscribers. If there are only two links, you may be able to fit your antenna port with a splitter and use two directional antennas, so long as their beams don't overlap. Likewise, changing a multipoint hub from an omni antenna to a sector or panel antenna improves gain and reduces paths for noise ingress. Note in particular, that flat panel antennas often have very good backside rejection.
Make sure YOU don't create interference for someone else.
Once your own system is working, you need to confirm with the owners of other systems at the site that their systems are still working. It is possible that your transmission is on the frequency that they are receiving on.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
How many systems can one co-locate?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Line of Sight (LOS)
Line of Sight can be broken into 2 categories:
Visual Line of Sight:
Visual line of sight must be achieved. When standing at the antenna position, you must be able to see the remote antenna.
Radio Line of Sight:
Radio line of sight must be achieved. It is defined as a football-shaped pattern known as the Fresnel Zone, which must be kept clear of obstructions. If you are unable to maintain radio line of sight, you must realign or increase mast height of both antennas until you achieve a quality RF Link.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Lightning Protection?
Whenever you are installing equipment on a tower, you always need to give some thought to lightning protection. A lightning strike on your tower can take out not only your radio, but every computer connected to your network! It is not possible to completely eliminate the risk (a direct strike on your antenna will probably kill your radio no matter how good your protection), but with some precautions, you can reduce it significantly.
During a thunderstorm, electrical charge fields of several thousand volts can build up in an area that can be several kilometers wide. The goal of your lightning protection devices is to discharge this field to ground without going through your radio equipment. This is generally done by a spark gap that starts conducting when subjected to to a voltage above about 500 V, at which point it continues to conduct until the voltage goes away. These protection devices are rated according to how much energy they can discharge in a single incident, and whether they are reusable. The best protectors are gas discharge tubes; they are also quite expensive.
Our radios have a basic lightning protection circuit incorporated, but we strongly recommend that you install the additional protection device that we offer for each model.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Selecting the Proper Antenna
Antenna Gain
The ability of the antenna to shape the signal and focus it in a particular direction is called "antenna gain" and is expressed in terms of how much stronger the signal in the desired direction is, compared to the worst possible antenna, which distributes the signal evenly in all directions (an "isotropic radiator"). To express the relationship to the isotropic reference, this is abbreviated dBi. The typical omni-directional "stick" antenna is rated at 6-8 dBi, indicating that by redirecting the signal that would have gone straight up or down to the horizontal level, 4 times as much signal is available horizontally. A parabolic reflector design can easily achieve 24 dBi.
The antenna gain factor applies to the received signal as well as to the transmitted signal. By focusing the incoming signal from a particular direction onto the radiating element, the antenna also shields the receiver from interference from noise sources outside of the amplified angle.
Point-to-Point Applications
For point-to-point applications, you generally want to use high-gain directional antennas. The tight beam gives you better signal strength, and it also helps lock out potential sources of noise and interference in the environment.
Remember to adjust your transmit power to comply with FCC regulations in the 2.4GHz band: With a 24 dBi antenna, the maximum transmit power in the USA is 24 dBm. (In the 900 MHz band, the limit is 36 dBm EIRP, so with a 24 dBi antenna, max output power is 12 dBm.) A 24 dBi parabolic grid antenna has a beam width of about 10 degrees both horizontally and vertically. Align the beam carefully, and make sure that the mast does not sway more than 4-5 degrees under maximum wind load.
Multi-Point Applications
Multipoint systems have a hub node, and a number of subscriber nodes. Each of the subscriber nodes communicates directly only with its hub, so select directional antennas as for a point-to-point application (see above). For the hub of a multipoint application, the picture is much more complicated. The hub must have a beam open enough to encompass all the subscriber nodes. In most cases, this means an omnidirectional or a sector antenna, which needs to be mounted at an elevated point. It is tempting to select the highest possible gain antenna you can find, but if you are in hilly terrain, that may not be the best solution.
Omnidirectional antennas achieve a high gain by shaping their beam to a flat disk. The higher the gain, the flatter the disk. A 6 dBi omni antenna may have a vertical beamwidth of 16 degrees, but a 10 dBi omni is typically only about 8 degrees, and a 12 dBi omni is only 4 degrees. If the antenna is mounted on a tower in a valley, subscribers on a hillside looking down on the tower may be outside the beam. (This is exacerbated by the fact that the antenna designer typically expects the antenna to be on a tower above the subscribers and therefore may have tilted the beam down, shaping it like a flat cone.)
In a mountainous area, the best location for the hub is often on a mountaintop to one side of the coverage area, with a low-gain directional antenna such as a 12 dBi Yagi which is likely to have an beamwidth of about 45 degrees both vertically and horizontally. Panel antennas of similar beam shape and gain are also readily available.
Inexperienced system installers often design for the nodes farthest out, and assume that subscriber nodes at shorter distances will work. "They may be outside the core of the beam, but they have less loss due to distance, and that will make up for it." This is not true. Outside the main beam, signal strength does not decrease evenly towards the backside. Rather, the edge of the beam consists of a complex pattern of side lobes with nulls (areas of no signal whatsoever) in between. Usually, the first null is at an angle twice as far from the center of the beam as the 3 dB dropoff point normally counted as the edge of the beam.
How to Read a Specification Sheet
Because there are many tradeoffs between different performance parameters, it is useful to review the manufacturer's specification sheet before committing to an antenna. The following are some of the data you will find:
Frequency Range - The frequency range that the manufacturer specifies for the antenna is typically larger than the band you intend to operate in. Make sure that the stated specifications are valid for the entire listed range, or at least in the part of it that you will be using. Watch out for a footnote that the stated values are "typical mid band values" unless the stated range is MUCH wider than the band you will be using.
Beamwidth - Two times the angle of deviation from the center of the beam where the signal strength drops 3 dB below the peak value. The higher the gain the narrower the angle.
Gain - The signal level measured in the direction at which it is strongest.
Front/Back ratio - How well does the antenna suppress signal from sidelobes on the back of the antenna. A high front/back ratio is important for sites with multiple antennas.
Cross polarization discrimination - How well can you separate signals at the same frequency with opposite polarizations?
Rated wind velocity/Horizontal thrust at rated wind - Make sure your mounting hardware will handle the load!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Lower-Powered 802.11n Chipset Makes Necessary Compromises
By Frank Bulk
Powering the new enterprise-grade 802.11n access points continues to be one of the necessary talking points for vendors and an item of concern for enterprises. That's interesting because, before 802.11n, powering APs hasn't really been a significant discussion item. Some dual-radio APs (i.e., Cisco's 1200 series) have pushed the limits of some PoE (power over Ethernet) switches, but the AP always was well within IEEE 802.3af specifications.
With multiple radio chains and enhanced CPU and network processor requirements, power consumption has become a real consideration in 802.11n access point design and, inevitably, marketing. The same holds true in client designs. Rather than 3x3 designs, many clients use 2x3 or 2x2. Fewer transmitting radio chains mean less power consumed. And while chipset manufacturers have been able to apply expertise gained in 802.11a/b/g design to their 802.11n chipsets, current designs won't be nearly as optimal as those even a year from now. With no new mass-market battery technologies for portable devices on the horizon (except for perhaps this), Wi-Fi chipset vendors looking to stuff the latest and greatest into mobile gadgets are taking drastic measures to meet the run time requirements of consumers. The simplest approach is to reduce the number of radio chains, which is exactly what Redpine Signals has done with its RS9110.
Redpine uses a 1x1 (one transmit, one receive) design with a single spatial stream. That means it derives none of the robustness and performance benefits via MIMO, but depends almost wholly on STBC (Space Time Block Codes). That said, it still retains 802.11n higher PHY rates and it can't be blamed for dragging down performance in the same way that legacy 802.11 gear will do in 802.11n networks. It also supports features such as frame concatenation.
Redpine’s RS9110 1x1 design is clearly designed for power-consumption sensitive devices, claiming to extend battery life for beyond what’s capable with 802.11b/g products on the market today. That's a nontrivial claim, because Broadcom, but especially Atheros, continue to make significant advances with their 802.11b/g chipsets. When I pressed an Atheros spokesperson in a briefing, he admitted that he wasn't sure if any single future revision could duplicate or surpass the "70% less power than competitive solutions on the market in active mode while downloading content." It's interesting that Redpine isn't afraid to mix apples with oranges by comparing mature 802.11b/g product against its new 802.11n chipset.
Redpine claims its improvements were obtained through a system approach:
"The Lite-Fi(TM) RS9110 utilizes advanced power management techniques spread over system, algorithm, and circuit levels. "Unlike the conventional implementations which focus on silicon geometry to get lower power, we took system approaches to optimize the total average power," said Venkat Mattela, Redpine's Chief Executive Officer.”
Atheros states something very similar:
"Atheros' expert design of the AR6002 minimizes power consumption through a combination of advanced hardware and software power-saving protocols and techniques."
Redpine appears to be making a jab at those who reduce their package size, but to say that's their competitors' primary approach would be an oversimplification. No Wi-Fi vendor focuses solely on reducing silicon geometry, but tackles those optimization techniques which offer the greatest savings for the engineering dollar. Besides the obvious hardware considerations, software optimizations such as the timing of transmissions and controlling what components of the chipset are on during certain phases in communication can and do offer significant performance benefits.
Redpine won't hold an indefinite exclusive on mobile-targeted 802.11n chipsets -- you can be sure the other market leaders are working hard to bring their own to market.
Legacy Equipment And 802.11n
By Frank Bulk Organizations apprehensive about 802.11n have pointed to the lack of IEEE ratification and interoperability with legacy devices as two significant concerns. While the first concern won't likely be satisfactorily addressed for another year, thankfully the IEEE has made interoperability a key component of the IEEE 802.11n draft. But it's one thing for engineers to agree to something on paper; the rubber doesn't really hit the road until the devices are installed into production systems and put into everyday use. Without completely stealing my colleagues' thunder, let me just say that Network Computing RealWorld labs already identified an issue between a leading Wi-Fi client vendor and equally estimable AP vendor. It was discovered when comparing the coverage and performance between the client vendor's 802.11n client and their legacy client. Essentially, the 802.11n client and 802.11n AP stopped passing traffic between each other, even though both sides perceived they were associated. Fortunately, the AP vendor was able to reproduce the problem and provide us a patch. One of my colleagues made this point: What does it mean for these products to have Wi-Fi Alliance 802.11n draft 2.0 certification if a test that 'basic' fails? It wasn't as if it was a sophisticated or artificially construed test requiring lots of measuring equipment. If an interoperability issue was found with a simple test, how many more flaws will be found but in only more complex scenarios, and how many more will go on undiscovered, leading to underperforming wireless networks and esoteric issues that the help desk will attribute to "user error" or the "black science of RF"? I'm tempted to point my finger at the Wi-Fi Alliance, but I have to admit that they're somewhat off the hook. The alliance has never promised perfect interoperability, and it never will. This vendor-driven body doesn't test products against each element of the relevant IEEE standard and is just as much a marketing arm for the vendors and tool to instill confidence into consumers' buying decisions. So the Wi-Fi Alliance has been careful to limit its interoperability claims and promises. Basically, the Wi-Fi Alliance will do some backwards interoperability testing, but it's not exhaustive and will not be re-testing all the previously certified legacy gear against the new 802.11n equipment. In fact, it's not even promising to use all the testbed equipment it used for its legacy (802.11a, b, or g) certifications in the 802.11n draft 2.0 certification tests. Even though I wish the Wi-Fi Alliance performed more thorough and transparent testing, it's unlikely to happen. The alliance always has been about basic interoperability testing, and the most enterprise buyers could hope for is a higher-grade, perhaps "enterprise-grade," certification. In the meantime, it will be up to customers in the field and vendors in their QA labs to discover the incompatibilities and deal with them as they arise.
"The test bed for Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 incorporates legacy devices for verifying backwards interoperability of the device under test. Legacy devices, 802.11a/b/g, also can be tested in the 802.11n draft 2.0 test bed to verify forward compatibility with 802.11n. The forward compatibility testing isn't required and can be performed at the vendor's discretion."
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Wireless Network Tips
Office Wireless Network
A wireless network is ideal is an office environment. There is no need to worry about running cables, drilling holes, or having large closets or rooms full of cables for the office. It is cheaper to run a wireless network due to lower start up costs. If employees have laptops, it increases productivity as they can work in several locations and clients can easily hook up to the network. An office will also look more professional due to the lack of cables and wires running across the office floor.
Wireless Network and Your Health
There have been no scientific studies to indicate that wireless signals can affect your health in a negative manner. A wireless network uses radio waves to transmit information and transmit less then an average cell phone.
Wireless Network: WLAN vs. LAN
A LAN is also known as a local area network. A WLAN is a wireless local area network. If your home or office currently uses a LAN, it can easily be converted over to a wireless network, or a wireless network can be added onto the LAN to increase portability, functionality and productivity.
Running Windows XP on a Wireless Network
If you are running Windows XP and having issues with your wireless network connection, check to see what service pack you are running. Most problems can be fixed by upgrading to service pack 2. Service pack 2 addressed an issue with it’s Wireless Zero Configuration, which affects your wireless network connection ability.
Peer to Peer Wireless Network
A peer to peer network is a network where computers talk directly to one another for the purpose of sharing files and resources. This form of network is also known as an ad hoc network. This can be set up on a wireless network without the use of an access point or router. All the computers and devices will need to have a wireless internet card and be configured to run on an ad hoc basis. You will not be able to share an internet connection on a peer to peer network.
Wireless Network Equipment
Setting up a wireless network is simple, and the equipment you will need depend on the kind of wireless network you decide to set up. For a peer to peer network, you will simply need wireless network cards for all the computers. If you are also sharing a network connection, you will need a wireless router and maybe a wireless hub, depending on the amount of devices on the network. You will also need an access point, which can be a dedicated piece of hardware, or a computer with specific software.
Benefits to a Wireless Network
There are several benefits to a wireless network, the main focus being portability. It is common for notebook computer users to use a wireless network card, which will allow them to access the internet, other computers on the network, devices, etc from anywhere within the range of the wireless network. Wireless network management can be simpler then a wired network, because adding new systems does not require wiring of an office or home, plus there are no unsightly cables to troubleshoot.
Trouble Shooting Wireless Network Problems
If your wireless network is acting sluggish or not working properly, check to make sure that all batteries are charged and working properly in your wireless devices. This includes laptop computers as well. Next, check to make sure you are within range of the access points and/or wireless router and that it is not covered with unnecessary objects. Check to make sure that all configurations are set properly and that there are no objects, such as cordless phones or microwaves in the area that can interfere with the signal.
Wireless Antenna
A wireless antenna is used to boost the increase the range of a wireless network. However, be sure to check the hardware of the wireless router or access point that you have, because not all are compatible with a wireless antenna. An alternative to boost the range is to add additional access points to the network.
Wireless Network without a Laptop
Even if you do currently own a laptop, there are benefits to considering a wireless network in your home or office. It is easy to expand and add additional computers and devices without having to special wire cables. There are no unsightly cables to look at or trip over. If you ever do purchase a laptop, it will be easy to add into the network. There are no holes to drill, no cables to string, and a wireless network can potentially be less expensive to start up and maintain then a wired one.
Switching to Wireless Network
There are several benefits to running a wireless network. You do not have the costs of running and maintaining cables and you do not need to worry about cables when designing the layout of an office area. Wireless network equipment is comparable in cost to wired equipment. Changing from a wired to a wireless network will give your employees greater freedom and can increase productivity. Clients can stop by the office and access the network, making transfer of files and data easier. Finally, wireless network management can be less complex and costly then that of a wired network.
Trouble with Access Point on Wireless Network
If you are sure that you have configured the wireless access point/wireless router exactly as stated per manufactures instructions, there is a chance the hardware is defective. While this does not happen often, make sure you save all receipts and contact customer service and tech support of the manufacture to attempt to fix the problem.
Wireless Network: Access Point Definition
An access point is a station that broadcasts wireless internet to other computers in the wireless network. An access point can be a router, computer, or special access point equipment. It can also be called a base station or hot spot.
Wireless Network: Hot Spot
A hot spot is essentially the same as an access point, but is usually found in restaurants, stores, etc, where people with Wi-Fi laptops can access the internet. Sometimes this service is free, but sometimes it is a paid service.
Wireless Network Kits
There are several wireless network kits available for setting up computers on a wireless network. These kits include a wireless router and network card.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wireless Printer Tips
Wireless Printer Benefits
Having a wireless network printer has several benefits. There is the obvious benefit of not needing wires to connect to the printer. While it is possible to share a printer via a network connection, having a wireless printer connection adds flexibility to the network. In a traditional computer sharing the printer, the host computer for the printer would need to be turned on in order to use the printer. You do not have this restriction with a wireless network printer.
Wireless Printer Adapter
A wireless printer adapter is a device which allows your printer to be linked on a wireless network. The printer involved will need to be a USB printer. The most common technology used with wireless printer adapters is Bluetooth. There are a variety of adapters available, depending on the needed range and number of computers needed to network with the printer.
Setting up a wireless printer
Adding a printer to a wireless network is the same as adding any other device. You will need to have a wireless printer adapter which is compatible with your printer. Generally speaking, you will need a USB printer. If your printer comes with a built in wireless Ethernet adapter, then you will not need to use a wireless printer adapter You will need to use a wireless print server to connect to the rest of the network..
Wireless Inkjet Printer
Almost any printer can become a wireless printer. If your printer has a USB connector, there are several wireless printer adapters that you can purchase that simply plug into the printer and you are instantly on the wireless network!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wireless Router Tips
What to look for when buying a wireless router
There are a wide variety of wireless routers on the market today. The features you need will depend on the extent of your network. In general it is good to look for one that has a built in firewall for security, decent speed and the ability to act as both a wired and wireless router, and good range. Belkin routers and Linksys routers are two popular brands. For the best range and speed, look for a wireless router which uses 802.11g technology.
Sharing an internet connection with a wireless router
A wireless router hooks up directly to your cable or DSL modem via a cable. The wireless router will then transmit the broadband single to the computers with a wireless card in the range of the network. You will need to make sure that the cards are configured for the home network, same as with a wired network, but after that, you will be wire free!
Linksys wireless router
Linksys wireless routers are an excellent brand which offers many benefits to users. Linksys makes routers which use 802.11g technology, which offers increased speed and range over older standards. They offer wireless routers in a variety of price ranges so they are affordable and functional for a wide variety of wireless networks. You can also purchase a linksys router with speed booster technology to further increase network speed and productivity.
Wireless Router
A router is a device which connects one network to another. It is most used for connecting the internet (one large network) with a home or business network. Wireless routers allow you to share a broadband internet connection between several computers.
Wireless Router with Firewall
Not all wireless routers come equipped with a firewall, but it is worth investing in a router that has one. Linksys wireless routers come in a variety of prices with a variety of firewall capabilities. Depending on the security needs of your wireless network, you may want to consider getting a wireless router with sophisticated firewall technology.
Belkin wireless router
Belkin wireless routers offer excellent range and speed. One of their newest routers, the Belkin Pre-N has 8 times the range and 6 times the speed of regular 802.11g technology routers. They offer a variety of other wireless routers to meet the needs of small and large wireless network administrators.
Best Wireless Router
The best wireless router will depend on your wireless network. If you have a small network within a small range of one another, it may not be necessary to purchase the latest and greatest wireless router on the market. However, if you run an office or business and want to maintain quality speed and performance, it is in your best interest to purchase the latest technology for the wireless router.
Wireless Router Password
Most wireless routers come with a default password of admin. To maintain optimal wireless network security, it is a good idea to change this password so others will not be able to access the router, firewall, etc and hack your wireless network.
Wired and wireless router
Many wireless routers offer the ability to use both a wired and wireless network. If you are not ready, and cannot make the switch fully to a wireless network, consider purchasing a wireless router which offers both options.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Wireless Security
Wireless Security: Encryption
Encryption is widely used for security of data, including wireless network security. Encryption is where data is translated into code for transmission via the radio waves. An encryption key, similar to a password, is needed to encrypt the code for transfer. If you are only minimally concerned with security, such as in wireless home network security, you may consider WEP encryption, which some find easier to configure with their current equipment.
Wireless Security: Protecting your password
Your passwords are crucial to your wireless network security and should not be revealed to unauthorized individuals. Do not leave your password lying around or written in an obvious location. When entering your username and/or password, make sure people are not milling around and looking over your shoulder. Be very careful of responding to emails asking for passwords. Most legitimate companies do not ask for passwords via email due to the lack of security. These tips are useful for both wireless security and wired security.
Wireless Security: File Sharing
Wireless network security is important. Always make sure to require a password from users connecting to your computer. Be careful about what folders you allow others to have access to. You can also set passwords on specific folders to further increase security.
Deciding on a Firewall
The firewall you choose should be based primarily on the level of needed security, budget, reliability and the potential need to expand the wireless network. The most basic firewall, with minimal security is one that is part of a basic wireless router. The next level up is a dedicated firewall. After that comes a dedicated firewall device with a gateway. Finally, the highest level of wireless security is a dedicated firewall device (such as a computer) with a combination of proxy firewall and full packet filtering.
Wireless Security Encryption:
WEP, wired equivalent privacy, is the standard encryption security that is built into all Wi-Fi devices. WEP does not provide as good of wireless security as WPA does, but is adequate for minimal security purposes.
Wireless Security: MAC filtering
All devices on a wireless network have a MAC (media access control) address. This is a unique identification number that is part of the individual hardware. MAC filtering is where the access points on a wireless network will only speak with devices that you specify. MAC filtering is an excellent tool to use to enhance wireless security. This works great for wireless home network security, because the number of wireless devices will be manageable to work with.
Wireless Security: Firewall
A firewall is either a piece of hardware or software which is used to block outsiders from accessing a network. Firewalls are an essential part of wireless network security. It works by controlling traffic between given zones of trust. A user has the ability to determine what is trustworthy and what is not. If you are running a wireless network, you may want to consider using a firewall which is built into a wireless router.
Wireless Security: Securing your laptop
One of the benefits of a wireless network is the portability of computers. However, this can also lead to a serious wireless security risk and theft of computer. If you are traveling and using your computer in a hot spot area, do not leave it lying around outside of your eyesight. Consider investing in a cable lock, which will secure your laptop (or desktop) to a stationary object. There are higher levels of security you can look into, such as cards that sound an alarm with unauthorized movement.
Using more then one firewall
You should only run one firewall on your network. This is true for both office and wireless home network security. If you run additional firewalls, you run the risk of conflicts. However, for wireless security, you can run one hardware firewall and one software firewall. For example, you can use a wireless router for the hardware firewall and firewall software on the computer.
Wireless Security: Setting Password
Remember that your wireless home network is broadcast via radio waves, and can be accessible to anyone with range. If you do not set a password on your ad hoc network, then anyone within range can access the network. For this reason, it is crucial to set a password to protect your systems and to increase your wireless network security.
Basic Wireless Network Security
There are several basic steps that everyone should do to help ensure wireless network security. When configuring your network, change the default names on the computers and set the SSID not to broadcast. Use wired equivalent privacy (WEP) encryption at a minimum. Change all default passwords for software and hardware. Finally, make sure to run antivirus software and antispyware software on all your computers.
Choosing a good password for wireless security
There are several tips to keep in mind when choosing a good password for wireless security. Do not use your name, initials or easy to guess numbers, such as address, birthday, etc. Any password based on personal information is a poor choice. Passwords should be at least eight characters long, and includes both numbers and characters. And remember, no matter how clever your password is, if you write it down where it is easily found, it won't be very secure.
Wireless Security Encryption: WPA
WPA, Wi-Fi protected access, is an upgraded version of WEP. This newer protocol is more secure then WEP and, if you use a good password, is much tougher to crack. WPA devices are backwards compatible with WEP; however, in order to use WPA for wireless network security, all devices need to have WPA.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Wireless Internet
Wireless Internet Sharing
If you plan on sharing your wireless internet access, you will need to have that option turned on in your settings. However, if you do not have other computers hooked up to the network at this time, for security purposes, you should leave the setting turned off until the need arises to share the wireless internet access.
Wireless Internet Speeds
Coming in at the slowest is Bluetooth, followed by 802.11b, 802.11a and topping the charts currently is 802.11g. 802.11b is roughly equivalent to the traditional wired 10BaseT Wired Ethernet networks. Therefore, switching to Wi-Fi should not considerably slow down your wireless internet connection.
Wireless Network Equipment While Traveling
You will need to have a wireless network card, either an adapter or integrated in your laptop. If you do not have an available slot on your PC, there are adapters you can purchase that plug into a USB port on the computer.
Finding a Wireless Internet Hot Spot
There are several stores and restaurants that offer wireless internet access, such as Starbucks. If you have a particular destination in mind, you can call the hotels to see if they offer the service. There are also hot spot directories that you can search to find wireless internet access.
Wireless internet - WiFi Standards
802.11 is the Wi-Fi standard, however there are other standards which are variations of the 802.11. These include:
- 802.11a
- 802.11b
- 802.11g
- 802.11i.
The differences among these standards includes speed, transmission frequency, and price. 802.11g is backwards compatible with previous products, but that is not the case with 802.11a. Make sure you check on compatibility issues prior to purchasing products.
Wireless Internet and Dial up
It is possible to share a wireless internet connection with dial up, but it is not a very good idea. Some access points, such as the airport extreme base station from Apple, will allow this. However, there is some slow down time with sharing a wireless internet connection, and if you decide to share a dial up connection, you won't be surfing anything fast.
Finding a Wireless Internet Hot Spot in a Chain
If you are traveling and know that you will be stopping at Starbucks, for example, and want to access the internet, you can check out their website to see what specific franchises offer wireless internet access.
Paying for Wireless Internet Access
Most likely, you will need to pay for the high speed wireless internet access when you travel. Starbucks for example uses T-mobile as their wireless internet provider. You will need to have a t-mobile account in order to access wi-fi at Starbucks. There are some restaurants that may advertise free Wi-Fi, but in general, you should expect to pay a fee.
Nationwide Wireless Internet Service
There are a plethora of national wireless high speed internet services available. AT&T, Sprint PCS, T-mobile, and Verizon are a few which offer nationwide service. You will want to check out various pricing, roaming policies and fees for the various networks.
Mixing Apples and PC's to Share Wireless Internet Connection
You can mix apple and PC on a wireless network and share a wireless internet access. For example, Apple makes an access point called the AirPort Extreme Base station. Even though it is made by Apple, it still uses the Wi-Fi standard, and PC computers with a wireless adapter on the network will be able to share the wireless internet connection
Mixing Wireless Internet and Wired Internet
You can easily share a wireless internet access while still maintaining a wired network. There are many wireless routers on the market which offer both wired and wireless network capabilities. It is also possible to add on an access point after a wired router for wireless access.
Configuring Wireless Access Point to Share Wireless Internet Connection
Once you install the drivers on your computer for the access point, you will be able to open up the configuration software that comes with the router. The IP address 192.168.0.0 is the lowest in the network and should be dedicated to the router. Make sure to follow the specific configuration instructions that come with your wireless router, as each product will be slightly different from one another.
Wireless Internet Equipment
The beauty of the WI-FI is that it set a standard for wireless networking. Because of this, you do not need to have equipment from all the same venders in order to run a successful wireless network. You will be able to share wireless internet access as well without having equipment from all the same venders.
Configuring Wireless Internet Card
You will need to use the configuration software that comes with your network card to configure your computer to work at various hot spots. Simply type in the hotspot network name (various depending on the service you are using) and state the type of network, such as access point. You can also scan available wireless broadband internet access in the area and choose which network you wish to connect with.
Wireless Internet WIFI
WI-FI, the 802.11 standard, is important for a variety of reasons. Having a standard in the industry ensures that anyone using wi-fi will be using the same standard, therefore equipment and connections are interchangeable. Having a set standard makes setting up wireless networks, sharing wireless internet access and working with wireless equipment more users friendly.
Monday, January 12, 2009
WiMAX Wireless Broadband
WiMAX stands for World Interoperability for Microwave Access that enables the actual broadband wireless network with high speed. WiMAX operate same like WiFi but WiFi operate with some limitation like it is base band technology and cover only 100 feet radius with slow speed. WiMAX covers a radius of 50 Km and work with the speed of 70 Mbps. WiMAX is the replacement of the wired broadband. In wired broadband connection, we can transmit data with 512 Kbps to 10 Mbps speed and more, for example DSL broadband and cable broadband. In future all new desktop and notebook computers will be incorporated with WiMAX technology. With this technology you will be connected to the internet even you are driving your car with the speed of 120 Km.
Objective of WiMAX
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Superior Performance
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Flexibility
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Advanced IP-Based Architecture
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Attractive Economics
IEEE 802.16 Specifications
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Range 30 mile radius from the base station for LOS (line-of-sight).
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Range 4-6 miles radius from the base station for NLOS (Non-line-of-sight)
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Maximum data speed supported as 70 Mbps.
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Licensed frequency band: 2- 11 GHz
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Un-licensed frequency band: 10- 66 GHz
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Line of sight is not needed between user and the base station unless very high date rates are required at the user premises.