Unplugged access - (Is WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) here to stay or merely a passing fad?)

Financial Times ^ | Saturday Feb 15 2003. | Alan Cane

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Is WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) here to stay or merely a passing fad, ripe for replacement by more flexible and capable technologies?

There is no doubt that it is one of the hotter developments of the past year endorsed by a string of leading companies including International Business Machines, Intel and Microsoft. It is expected to a be a powerful talking point at the Cannes 3GSM World Congress this month.

The Boston Consulting Group says it: "threatens to spark a new revolution in the telecommunications industry." WiFi products are already numbered in the hundreds and some pundits predict it could undermine the move to third generation mobile telephony by providing a cheaper, simpler alternative.

Yet it retains some aspects of an intermediate technology, a convenient stop-gap that works for the moment but which will eventually be replaced by more substantial systems.

WiFi allows computer users to connect to and download data from the internet at high speed without a physical connection. Radio technology is used to establish a link between the computer and a base station. The technology is based on a set of industry standards known as 802.11. There are already a number of variations: 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g.

It is comparatively low-cost. Unlike cellular telephony, which involves complex hand-off procedures to ensure calls are not dropped as subscribers move from cell to cell, WiFi users must remain in close proximity to the base station. The hardware and software is consequently much cheaper.

Furthermore WiFi - at least the 802.11b variety - operates in an unregulated region of the spectrum at 2.5GHz, so there are no licence fees to be paid.

Again, unlike cellular telephony where the aim is to ensure radio coverage across the whole country, WiFi base stations are established in "hot spots" such as airport terminals and railway stations. Famously, Starbucks, the US coffee bar group, has installed WiFi links in at least 1200 of its US stores. According to the research group Gartner there could be 89,000 public WiFi base stations by 2006 and more than 99m users worldwide.

WiFi users need a special circuit board and antennae in their computers to connect to the base station. Manufacturers are already beginning to build them in as standard. Proximity to a hot spot is essential, however. Moreover, WiFi is power-hungry and comparatively easy to hack.

Mobile phone enthusiasts will remember that 10 years ago Hutchison introduced a mobile phone service, Rabbit, which required users to make their calls within a few metres of base stations installed in Underground stations and the like.

It was low-cost and worked well but was killed off within months by the greater ease of use and convenience of the fast developing GSM digital phone networks.

Could WiFi become another Rabbit, its life set to be ended prematurely by the spread of 3G networks? The argument is that mobile professionals will need data in all sorts of places which may not be served by a hot point, and that only 3G networks - which are specifically designed for data - can provide that sort of coverage. As 3G systems bed down and expand in capacity and capability, the need for WiFi will diminish.

In practice, it is hard to predict the course of technologies as complex and powerful as 3G and WiFi. Both are evolving. Last week, a working group of the US Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers agreed WiFi standard 802.11g, giving a data rate of 54m bits per second compared with 11m bps for the commonly used 802.11b. Only 2m bps are needed for full colour, moving video images. Security and power constraints are being addressed by the industry.

WiFi comes into its own in local area networking both in the office and at home. It is comparatively easy, for example, to link several home computers wirelessly to a single broadband connection. In the office, however, WiFI and GSM (and 3G) will have to work together seamlessly and the technology to accomplish this will only be ready sometime in the next 18 months.

The most likely future is that a number of different radio standards will co-exist both in the home and in the workplace. It is already accepted that the next generation of mobile phones will have to combine both GSM and 3G capabilities until 3G networks are fully established.

It will create a lively market for the products of companies like RadioFrame Networks which integrates circuitry for several standards - GSM, WCDMA, 802.11 and the Motorola iDEN system - in one communications box.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Looking for comments from those using this!

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ping!

[Jeff Chandler]

I'm using a Linksys wireless access port router in my home network. It uses the 802.11b technology. I havve two pcs hardwired into it using CAT5 cables, plus wireless access for my laptop (Belkin card) and for a PC (Belkin USB satellite station) in another room. All computers have access to each other's files and to the broadband (VDSL) connection. The whole setup cost less than $180. after rebates.

It works great. The 802.11b standard is plenty fast, and with the newer technologies coming on line, it should get even cheaper.

I can use the laptop and stay connected halfway down the street. I'm told that if I were to raise the base unit higher (to the roof with an auxiliary antenna)the signal would go much farther. Right night the base unit is sitting on top of a computer tower. I'm also told that an antenna can be Jerry-rigged using a Pringles tube and some Radio Shack parts that can tune in from far away, but could also mess up everyone's TV reception.

A word of caution. When I first set up the LAN and started enbling file sharing, I found myself being attacked by hackers, a problem I never had before. I have programs to deal with that, but it created a hassle, so watch your security.

[Jeff Chandler]

night = now

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the reply!

[Jeff Chandler]

Thanks for the reply!

My pleasure. I love my wireless network, and I don't mind bragging about it. The only problem is the fact that the laptop, over which, previously, I had had an exclusive interest, has now become very popular. My daughters are always looking things up on it, and my wife takes care of all the finances over the internet on it. They like the idea of having access to the internet while sitting in the living room, or in the kitchen, or at the next door neighbors' house, etc.. I can't get my hands on it!

[eno_]

802.11 WiFi has a number of interesting possibilities:

Mesh networks that replace centralized DSL and cable broadband with cooperative networks that connect to multiple competitive providers. Too many greedheads are trying to "own" the last mile. It would be pretty funny if the telco and cable monopolies became worthless.

For many of the same reasons WiFi would be competitive with DSL and cable, it would also compete effectively with 3G. 2.5G+WiFi, especially if mesh networks take off, may replace 3G before 3G ever gets off the ground.

Cooperative networks will make bandwidth misers loosen their purse strings. 384kbs is "broadband" like $1 burger at McD's is "meat." In Japan and Korea, you get Kobe beef for what we pay for 384kbps - 10Mb or even 100Mb.

Hollywood is scared s--tless about Americans getting serious bandwidth, not because of IP theft, but because it would be the end of centrally controlled media. FR would become as powerful as CNN with Freepers' video posts of government wrong-doing, and home-made porn would displace pseudo-porn "reality" TV.

[usconservative]

WiFi users need a special circuit board and antennae in their computers to connect to the base station. Manufacturers are already beginning to build them in as standard. Proximity to a hot spot is essential, however. Moreover, WiFi is power-hungry and comparatively easy to hack.

I've been a WiFi internet user for the last 3 years now and I simply love it. I live 32 miles SW of Chicago and have a small 12" diamond shaped antenna on my roof that points to Sears Tower in Chicago. The only problem with WiFi currently is that you must have line-of-site between the antenna's. I'm lucky enough that I live in a high-spot to see Sears Tower from 32 miles away.

My download speeds average in the 5mb/sec range (that's 500k+ a second) and my upload speeds are usually between 128k/sec and 256k/sec. My WiFi company is Sprint Broadband, and I have 128k encryption with my service. For simple web browsing, email, music, video's etc.. it's great. If you wanted to use WiFi for IP Telephony or online gaming, the latency is a drawback.

I've run websites on my wifi and the speed was acceptable. No reports of hacking the WiFi connection or my network, but then I'm anal about security and employ three-layer network security.

I use a long-distance service via the 'internet to make my long distance calls and the people I talk to have no idea that I'm using my computer and calling them via the 'net.

I've experienced very little downtime over the last 3 years, certainly less than I had with my crappy AT&T Cable Modem Service, which typically ran about the same speed as a 56k modem. DSL wasn't an option for me when I was looking to dump AT&T and kick them out of my house, and this solution has worked wonderfully for me in the last 3 years I've had it. IMO, this isn't a fad, it's here to stay.

Sprint is reportedly getting ready to roll-out a new version of their wireless service which would DOUBLE the speed that I have now by simply replacing the WiFi "modem" I'm using and increasing the bandwidth. Can't wait to see that.

I pay $49.95/mo. for the service with "all you can eat" bandwidth and no restrictions. That's less than the crappy AT&T Cable Modem Service which frankly sucked, and faster than the 1.5mb DSL restrictions we have in our area - if you can get DSL that is.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Very interesting!

[usconservative]

BTW: I also use a Wireless Network @ home to connect to my WiFi Internet Access Service. Using a 4 port Linksys Wireless, my servers are all plugged in via 100mb connections to the 4 ports, my desktops & laptops are all wireless. As long as users setup the security on their home WiFi networks and generate 128bit keys, they're going to be secure. Unfortunately MANY people have NO IDEA how to setup their WiFi networks.

I drove around my own neighborhood with my laptop and Wireless Network card in it on my dashboard last summer, and picked up IP addresses from at least 10 different sources simply driving around. I had full Internet access from each too.

Methinks there's an untapped Service market here in securing home networks and teaching basic internet security to the masses...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Just checked on Sprint Broadband service and got this:

We are suspending our effort to acquire new residential and commercial Sprint Broadband Direct customers.

If you are a current Sprint Broadband Direct customer, this will not affect you.

For additional information regarding the status of Sprint Broadband Direct, please click here.

[forsnax5]

I have an SMC 802.11a access point in my home-office network that I'm using for my laptop. I have an 802.11a PCMCIA card in the laptop, and it works well.

I went with the "a" rather than the "b" to avoid the 2.4mhz range, where the microwave oven causes interference. It's also faster, and shorter-range, which means it stays within my property lines.

My business partner has the same setup, so we can visit each other and be on the same network with no connections necessary.

[IncPen]

I live in the Chicago 'burbs and use an AirPort (Mac wireless) system on DSL for my laptop. I loop the AirPort back to my wife's PC through a $10 hub, and I'm about to hookup two additional PCs to the network.

The AirPort is simple to use (true plug-n-play) and recognized the PCs without any help from me.

My AirPort is a year old; they've just gone to AirPort Extreme using 802.11g and it's now going for $100 less than I paid.

But being able to sit anywhere in the house (or yard) to work is worth the money, IMHO.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks, learned something there, we use the microwave heavily.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I am a PC guy and have a Linksys router so think I will check out Linksys wireless!

[LearnsFromMistakes]

Ditto what Jeff said. Similar setup to mine. My router is in the basement(the home-school classroom), so I don't have the range he has, but the setup is similar(pcmcia nic on my laptop). Price was similar(over a year ago). Win 95 was a pain to set up, XP was automagic. Surfin from the porchswing to be continued when the snow melts...

[TechJunkYard]

WiFi has certainly changed life around here. We have 5 computers around the house on the 100Base-TX ethernet, and 5 laptops, two of which are fixed workstations (one in the Radio Room and one in the kitchen) so they're also hard-wired. The remaining 3 laptops and a Handspring Visor PDA with a Xircom 802.11b module are wireless and "mobile".

I don't use an access point -- I installed a WiFi card into my Linux gateway box, and thus the wireless LAN is firewalled and encrypted twice. It only cost me the price of the cards. The gateway's card runs to an antenna in the attic, and covers the house, yard, and half of the neighborhood with the full 11Mbps bandwidth. We run an Ad-Hoc configuration on Channel 1 and have no problems with interference from the other access points in the neighborhood. All keys get changed at least every 60 days and I monitor the firewall logs. I did have someone trying to get into my network last summer, but they gave up after a few weeks and moved on.

I typically have my Thinkpad 600E with several browser sessions open (one on FR), e-mail client, Xastir session running over VNC, a streaming audio session from my scanner or a radio show or perhaps monitoring a channel on EchoLink. High-bandwidth streamed video works fine too. Anything you can do with 10Base-T you can do with WiFi.

I have not had much luck with RedHat Linux 8.0 and my Orinoco cards, as the driver performance is terrible. I've kept the laptops on RedHat 7.3 for now.

[Jeff Chandler]

We've never had a problem with the microwave running. Of course, we only use it for warming vegetables and leftovers, or cooking popcorn.

I have a television that gets its signal from the cable box to the set through a similar RF technology, and that gets some static from the microwave. Small price to pay to not have to crawl around the attic to move the cable every time my wife wants to rearrange the furniture.

[Psycho_Bunny]

"Unplugged access - (Is WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) here to stay or merely a passing fad?)"

Uh....it's here to stay. Someone who thinks there's any question as to whether it's a fad or not, isn't competent enough to write an article about it.