NetStumbler

Troops In Iraq Among Satisfied Customers Of Trango Broadband Wireless

Sherry Jones — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 09:28:00 +0000

Trango Broadband Wireless, a privately-held company founded in San Diego in the 90s, makes connecting to the Internet possible just about anywhere. Trango uses radio spectrum that doesn’t require a license and requires just a base-station radio and a subscriber radio. A base station (access point) runs about $1,000, and a subscriber radio can go as high as $500. The system serves as a relatively inexpensive alternative to laying cables in hard-to-reach areas and in emergency situations, and can reach as many as 300 computers within a 10-mile radius.
Via [signonsandiego.com]

Wireless PCs Motivate Students, Says Study

Sherry Jones — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 11:44:00 +0000

About 23,000 Michigan school children, mostly sixth-graders, were handed wireless HP notebook PCs, instructed to start a self-directed learning program (complete with highly personalized computer instruction), and left to their own devices. 1,500 teachers also joined the experiment, and a survey shows the teachers found the students were more motivated, had better student-teacher interaction, and achieved increased technology skills while using the computers. The surveyed students said the computers increased their interest in learning and made schoolwork easier. The report on these findings, backed by HP, is being analyzed, but earlier findings in similar programs demonstrated improved math and reading scores.
Via [informationweek.com]

Nokia Brings Wi-Fi To Central Park

Sherry Jones — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 08:03:00 +0000

Nokia’s found a great way to sell phones in New York — offer free Wi-Fi Internet access networks in 10 major city parks (including Central Park), and make sure park visitors need one of your phones to tap into the service. Users need a phone like the Nokia N80 and N91 or the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet with built-in wireless Lan capabilities in order to access the free Wi-Fi service. Park representatives feel the service provides park visitors with more options, while Nokia sees it as an opportunity to try out new services with their media industry partners.
Via [vnunet.com]

Intel’s $600 Million WiMax Bet

Sherry Jones — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 13:23:00 +0000

Intel, with hopes of encouraging a nationwide service that equips notebook PCs for fast Internet access and Internet-based calling throughout the US, has invested $600 million in Clearwire. This is Intel’s second investment in the Kirkland (Wash.)-based wireless broadband provider, and a big boost for WiMax. WiMax technology is used to cover large areas with wireless broadband Internet access, and Intel plans to push the market forward by incorporating dual WiFi/WiMax chips into its Centrino platform. The newly-funded Clearwire has recently moved from introducing a WiMax-precursor in 27 small cities across the US to providing service for big cities like Seattle and Honolulu.
Via [businessweek.com]

Showdown In Seoul For Wireless Internet

Sherry Jones — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:23:00 +0000

Seoul’s KT Corporation and SK Telecom are now both operating WiBro networks, a Korean version of the 802.16e mobile subsection of the WiMax standard. Korea’s capital city was already wired via public hotspots, but mobile WiMax is offering more by providing wireless data speeds of several mbps plus a range that exceeds 1km. WiBro’s only real competition is high speed downlink packet access (HSPDA), an enhanced version of the WCDMA mobile phone technology already in place throughout Korea. Speeds for the two methods are similar, but HSPDA is expected to cost a bit more than WiBro. Korean WiBro is accessed via a PC card ($170 to $300), and access for PDAs and smartphones will arrive in the next few months.
Via [vnunet.com]

Wi-Fi Lessons Learned In Tempe

Sherry Jones — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 08:11:00 +0000

To date, no city has managed to make money with a municipal wireless network — but that hasn’t stopped new cities from trying. Those who started early are making the mistakes first, which is something those who follow can benefit from, but proponents insist Wi-Fi will ultimately gain in popularity. Current troubles for citywide networks include spotty coverage, fluctuating bandwidth, and poor indoor connections. Additional access points are usually needed, and dead spots continue to show up long after the initial installation is over. Early-installing cities like Tempe, AZ, hope that once the growing pains are over, they’ll come out ahead in the end.
Via [news.com.com]

Baltimore Proposes ‘Inclusive’ Wi-Fi Plan

Sherry Jones — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 10:45:00 +0000

Baltimore followed in the footsteps of cities across the US when it announced its plan to create an inexpensive citywide Wi-Fi access network. But Baltimore is approaching its network in an unusual way by focusing on the network’s users rather than the network’s technology. The city wants “digital inclusion” — a way to include segments of the population that would normally be without access. New residential development in the city must meet standards for high-speed Internet access if they want municipal funding, and city banks will offer loans to public housing residents so they can afford PCs.
Via [news.com.com]

Intel To Talk Up ‘Rosedale 2′ WiMAX Chip

Sherry Jones — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 13:16:00 +0000

Intel Corp. representatives have plans to ship the “Rosedale 2″ WiMAX chip within the next 6 to 9 months, according to a company spokesperson. Unlike the current chip, Rosedale 2 will support both the current fixed version (802.16d) and the new mobile version of the 802.16 WiMAX specifications. “Nomadic” or “portable CPEs,” which are similar to a home router, can be carried from location to location, but the next step (802.16e) is for WiMAX capabilities to be shipped inside devices. At its release, the Rosedale 2 technology will work with customer premise equipment (CPEs) only — individual devices will have to wait.
Via [extremetech.com]

Boeing Connexion Service Fails To Take Off

Sherry Jones — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 10:17:00 +0000

It appears airline passengers aren’t as eager for in-flight Wi-Fi as proponents thought they would be. Boeing, creator of Connexion in-flight Wi-Fi service, has put a hold on future expansion of the service and may even sell or terminate the program. Connexion currently offers wireless service onboard 72 extended-flight planes, but the fee of up to $29.95 (depending on flight time) has kept some passengers unconnected. In a similar move, US telecoms provider Verizon ended its 20-year Airfone service on commercial flights.
Via [vnunet.com]

An Eye For Muni Wi-Fi

Sherry Jones — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:16:00 +0000

Front Porch, a messaging solutions provider, has created PorchLight, a TCP/IP appliance that manages a network’s content insertion while users are browsing the Internet. Alerts and paid advertising such as payment-due notices and credit card renewal messages show up as pop-ups or redirections, grabbing the attention of users in a way that e-mail just can’t match. The messages appear directly in the browser window, and the program can even be set to “freeze” a browser until the message is acknowledged. Front Porch hopes to attract revenue-seeking municipal Wi-Fi networks trying to make their new “free” networks pay off.
Via [internetnews.com]

Wireless Crusader FON In $5 Wi-Fi Router Giveaway

Sherry Jones — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 08:08:00 +0000

If you can spare 5 bucks for a $60 router and you don’t mind sharing your wireless connection with other users, you might want to become a “fonero.” Foneros are folks who agree to install $5 routers from Spanish start-up FON and then agree to allow other FON users to share the wireless access point for at least 12 months. FON hopes to hand out 1 million routers and create a network of hotspots via home users and small businesses. Their goal is a worldwide block-by-block network of shared wireless connections, accessible by PC users as well as roaming mobile phones and portable gaming devices. So far, 54,000 people across the globe have signed up to become foneros.
Via [today.reuters.com]

Municipal WiFi Networks May Provide Broadband To Millions

Sherry Jones — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 10:14:00 +0000

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, and experts predict most households will use municipal WiFi only as a supplement for their cable or DSL. Regardless, Chicago is forging ahead with plans to blanket its metropolitan areas with hotspots, and Philadelphia, San Francisco, Anaheim, and Portland are following suit.
Via [technewsworld.com]

WiFi Freeloader Arrested In Washington

Sherry Jones — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 12:18:00 +0000

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 (without entering or making a purchase). Rather than being charged with unauthorized use of a computer network, the 20-year-old, a convicted sex offender, was charged with theft of services. An Illinois man was fined $250 earlier this year for remotely accessing another computer system without permission, and a Florida man was convicted for a similar offense in 2005. For now, perhaps it’s best to buy your own access.
Via [arstechnica.com]

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

Sherry Jones — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 16:39:00 +0000

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 all areas equally can put cities at risk of neglecting other needs, but leaving them alone can leave segments of the population outside the access area. Citywide installers are running into literal barriers as well — stucco, elevators, brick, buildings, and walls. New hardware is being developed to avoid the “hit and miss” method of access to all, but costs rise along with accuracy. “Free” citywide access may soon suffer from a short shelf-life.
Via [pcmag.com]

Cisco Pushes The Wireless Enterprise

Sherry Jones — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:47:00 +0000

At about $20,000, Cisco’s new Catalyst 3750g is a bargain if merging your wired and wireless networks into one will simplify your business life. Merging systems via Catalyst allows not only wireless laptop use but also dual-mode mobile phones and uniform security settings. Cisco has also released version 4 of their Unified Wireless Network software supporting the not-yet-certified 802.11w standard. Catalyst 3750g is available now and can be upgraded immediately with free Unified Wireless Network software.
Via [vnunet.com]