ISP's are facing a problem. Dial-up is dying and broadband is levelling off. How do you get new customers to continue growth? Well, for Earthlink, they are betting thier chips in WiFi in San Francisco, hoping that they can make a go of it. After many years of renting other companies infrastructure, it will be...
In the good old days of 5 years ago, WiFi was touted as the 'it' product that would provide internet service to thousands and start a revolution. Well, it did'nt really happen that way. Alot of early municipal wireless installations never got the market penetration that was expected. However not all was lost as many...
People like free stuff, and that goes for WiFi services too. A survey of users show that 58% of users only use public hotspots when they are free. The rest presumably are willing to pay. Another interesting fact is that lack of necessity to go online and lack of equipment are bigger reason than price...
It's rough out there in the wireless world. Keeping things secure should be a top priority for everyone dealing with WLANs. Thinking about security from the outset makes the job easier. Thinking about end to end security makes it safer. Via [computerworld.com]
Even WiMax has it's alphabet soup. 802.16d and 802.16e are both WiMax standards, .16d is fixed, .16e is mobile, and they don't play nicely together. There are advantages to both, but anyone investing in WiMax should look at 802.16e for a whole host of reasons. Via [computerworld.com]
People seem to want to use the internet everywhere, and businesses are listening. In California, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system has put out a request for proposals on WiFi enabling the 105 mile system. No excuse not to have your presentation for the morning meeting now. Via [mercurynews.com]
Aperto, manufacturer of WiMax chipsets, has recieved another $26 Million in funding, making it the most well funded start-up in the WiMax field. With very little delivered so far in terms of product, it will be interesting to see how the market handles this disruptive technology. Via [redherring.com]
As with any new project nowadays, privacy is becoming a concern with the Google-Earthlink plan to provide free WiFi to San Francisco. The debate stems from Google's plan to pay for the service with targeted ads based on the users location. Since the system will know who's signed on through user ID's and will also...
HiPath Wireless Advanced, the latest management package for Siemens' Wi-Fi LAN products, comes with compliance technology built right in; predefined business rules automatically check data for government regulations conformity. Advanced also comes with built-in intrusion and protection capabilities, but rather than a denial of service each time a rogue AP is mistakenly accessed, the Siemens...
Fort Wayne, Indiana, is now a "hot zone," thanks to the Indiana Data Center, an ISP that serves Fort Wayne and its surrounding communities. The wireless distribution system, developed by Colubris Networks, uses dual-radio access points, situated on water towers, hospital rooftops, and fire stations, to cover the downtown area as well as the local...
The goal of mobile Wi-Fi is, of course, mobility, but seamless connectivity for users who wander about isn't always completely seamless. In a world where roaming delays exceeding 100 milliseconds aren't tolerated (wireless voice), and where giving up on one access point before finally finding another can take up to 5 seconds, users should take...
Airspace, by its very definition, seems boundless, but apparently it's not. Next-generation 802.11n WiFi links, in order to achieve top data rates, would be forced to hog already congested bandwidth channels or to "bond" two channels into one, a practice that is already illegal in Japan. Systems using the new standard would be faster even...
Siemens Communications has introduced HiPath Wireless Advanced, a centrally managed WLAN security controller comprised of integrated components rather than separately purchased ones. The system, with prices starting at $6,000, includes an intrusion detection and prevention system capable of sniffing out rogue access points and blocking their users. Other companies offering intrusion detection and prevention tools...
Security needs for a wireless LAN lie somewhere between business needs and business risks, and the challenge is in knowing how far to go and which methods to use. Hackers, freeloaders, and virus spreaders have a multitude of tools at their disposal, and weak WEP encryption doesn't offer much protection. Newer security technologies can be...
You can run, but you can't hide. WiFi location tracking devices, whether external asset tags or embedded WiFi, use WiFi access points to determine the location of items such as laptops, scanners and phones. Interest in WiFi location tracking applications is growing, and is especially high for healthcare items such as wheelchairs and patient monitoring...