Monthly Archives: June 2006

Mobile WiMax Roams The Outback

The lack of certification has not deterred the deployment of Mobile WiMax, as indicated by what is happening in Australia. Around 50,000 Unwired Australia users and several subscribers of TV operator AUSTER in the city of Wagga Wagga are now roaming seamlessly between two Mobile WiMax networks equipped by Navini Networks. The Texas-based company hasContinue Reading

Municipal WiFi Networks May Provide Broadband To Millions

Municipal wireless broadband networks may be offering their citizens free or inexpensive Internet access, but they aren’t expected to win over the broadband market. While citywide networks may be better than dial-up, they might not match the speed and quality of only slightly more expensive DSL. Telecom and cable companies still have an edge, andContinue Reading

Wi-Fi Drivers Open Laptops To Hackers

Wireless security just got a whole lot more complicated. Researchers from ISS, using freely available tools, have found that the drivers for some wireless devices are vulnerable to attack. Using lorcon, a wireless packet fuzzer, they were able to get wireless cars to fail in interesting and sometimes frightening ways. They are holding back detailsContinue Reading

Samsung Promises WiMax/GSM Phone

Samsung is getting ready in a big way to jump on WiMax. They are preparing a GSM/WiMax phone as well as PCMCIA cards and base stations for fixed and mobile WiMax. The first products should be seen in the first half of 2007. Via [techworld.com]Continue Reading

WiMAX Poised For Global Domination

WiMax seems poised to dominate the mobile wireless market in the coming years. CDMA and 3G chip developers are getting serious interest from thier customers about WiMax. The keys seems to be the diverse ownership of WiMax technology patents, many companies own them, rather than just one as is the case with CDMA. Given theContinue Reading

WiMax Seen Getting A Slow Start

Despite the excitement over WiMax, the technology is not expected to enjoy a large initial uptake. According to Motorola Asia-Pacific chief Simon Leung, WiMax users in Asia will number 3.8 million, most of them in Japan and South Korea, by 2009. One concern is how this technology, which promises to be faster and more extensiveContinue Reading

WiFi Freeloader Arrested In Washington

Wardriving may be a thing of the past once WiFi access points are scattered throughout the country and Internet access is free to all, but until then, moochers beware. A man was arrested in Vancouver, WA, after periodically parking in front of a coffee shop over a three-month period to use the shop’s WAP (withoutContinue Reading

First Dual-Mode WiMax And CDMA Phone Revealed

Samsung is first out of the gate with a dual mode CDMA/WiMax phone. Details are scarce, but it appears to use a Korean variant of WiMax called WiBro. No details on availablity but it is a step in the direction of convergance. Via [vnunet.com]Continue Reading

Cisco Introduces Stackable WLAN Controller

Cisco has released a new line of stackable WLAN controllers to it’s catalyst line. The new controllers bring cisco back into competition with companies like Aruba in terms of features like wireless roaming. The new switches will hopefully help fill the demand for more port density in the wiring closet for the increased user demand.Continue Reading

Aruba To Speed Up User Authentication

Aruba Networks is set to release some new gear to greatly increase the speed of authentication for large wireless networks. The technology moves authentication away from a central server into the hardware of the network controller, offering up to 1000 authentications a second with EAP. Other announced improvements include features to allow for WLAN authenticationContinue Reading

IEEE Suspends Wireless Group

The IEEE has suspended the 802.20 working group that was working on alternatives to WiMax. The group was suspended after infighting over which companies technology would be adopted. This delay means that WiMax should be the clear front runner for high speed wireless for the forseeable future. Via [news.zdnet.co.uk]Continue Reading

Locking The Wireless Network

Securing wireless networks in homes and small businesses is no longer a big problem today as the market is teeming with products and solutions to address this concern. One such product is Kaspersky Lab’s Internet Security 6.0, which includes an anti-hacker application and software that can scan wireless and wired networks and restrict access toContinue Reading

Is Municipal Wi-Fi A Right? If So, Who Pays?

For many cities, a municipal wireless network is no longer just a someday proposition — in fact, Wi-Fi access is either already in place or in the planning stages for cities across the US. The new question to ask is “who.” Who will have access to “free citywide access?” Updating wireless networks to reach allContinue Reading

Google Details Mountain View Wi-Fi Service

Google has no plan to profit from the the free Wi-Fi service that it is providing to Mountain View, California, the city where it is based. “The reason it is free is because…we want to get a lot of people on it,” Google’s Larry Alder said at the Supernova 2006 conference in San Francisco. ThoughContinue Reading

Wireless Network Companies To Watch

In the fast paced world of wireless development, there are a number of companies to watch. It could be using wireless for equipment monitoring, convergance phones, location tracking, customer relations software, or high speed data. Whatever the application there are some interesting times ahead. Via [networkworld.com]Continue Reading