NetStumbler

Network Neutrality Does Wireless

Eliza Villarino — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 05:51:04 +0000

The issue of network neutrality is now a hot topic in view of the upcoming spectrum auction by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is required to sell airwaves vacated by broadcasters as a result of the digital television transition, mainly to wireless broadband carriers, by the end of 2007. It is due to announce the rules for the auction in the coming weeks.

The worry of many incumbent telephone and cable broadband providers is that the FCC will impose network-neutrality mandates on the spectrum auction. At the June 14 hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee, Verizon Wireless’ executive vice president and CTO Richard J. Lynch called on the agency to “set auction rules that allow for full and fair competition by qualified bidders, without artificial and unwarranted constraints.” According to Lynch, “such discriminatory eligibility restrictions are aimed at the companies most ready to deploy next-generation broadband networks.”

Michael Small, CEO of New Jersey-based Centennial Communications and a member of the executive board of CTIA, saw “no economic basis to impose open access or other intrusive forms of regulatory intervention on the wireless industry.” He believes “the auction should proceed with few, if any, encumbrances, and the market should determine which business plans and competitors will prevail.”

Meanwhile, Amol Sarva, one of Virgin Mobile’s founders, hopes the FCC will reserve an “open access” block of spectrum to allow for “innovation at Internet speed.” Sarva is not against incumbents getting large chunks of spectrum so long as bidders with other ideas on how to use the airwaves will still get some.
Via [internetnews.com]

Going To Town With WiFi

Kristin Abraham — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:55:48 +0000

A new WiFi alternative may be on the horizon. Local governments are looking at companies that can provide wireless throughout their entire city or county with the use of wireless transmitters in the public right away. Some customers will be able to use their existing wireless receivers but people who are more than 100 feet from the transmitters will need to purchase a special receiver. The cost per user for this service is similar to DSL and dial up but the service is significantly faster, offering downloads and uploads of 1 million bits per second.
Via [washingtonpost.com]

Could The French Hinder Draft N In Europe?

Eliza Villarino — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 09:32:00 +0000

A French regulation could impede the adoption of 802.11 Draft N standard in Europe. France was the first country to demand compliance with the latest version of the dynamic frequency selection – a mechanism enabling a WiFi system to move away from a channel once radar is detected – that European regulator ETSI released in October 2006. The European Commission ruling 2005/513/EC requires Europe to have unified regulations for 5 GHz spectrum and equipment makers to comply with EN 301 893 version 1.3.1 by March 2008. As such, selling of devices supporting the 1.2.3 of the DFS specification – basically all existing 5GHz WiFi equipment – is prohibited in France.

At present, industry groups like the EICTA, are working hard to change France’s stance. Tony Graziano, EICTA’s director of technical and regulatory affairs, said his group “is of the view that the position from France is in conflict with Community law.” He called on France to stick to the earlier version of EN 301 893 and throw away its demand on the newer variant.
Via [techworld.com]

The Ins And Outs Of Using A Wi-Fi Smart Phone

Kristin Abraham — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:02:00 +0000

Technology has now made gaps in cell phone coverage a thing of the past, that is if there is a Wi-Fi Hotspot nearby. Smart phones, complete with Wi-Fi capabilities are hitting the market, albeit slowly, and allow you to make VoIP phone calls, check email, read the latest news and other activities via the internet. As with all new technology, there are plusses and minuses to using smart phone but the biggest plus is you have the option of using the phone in a traditional cellular mode or switching to a Wi-Fi connection. Look for future improvements to include more options that are less expensive.
Via [computerworld.com]

Thank You Superhacker, You Saved My Computer

Kristin Abraham — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 19:42:00 +0000

You can actually be setting yourself up for identity theft. A recent report entitled Internet Safety: The State of the Nation found that one in five, or 21%, of British households that use wireless broadband connections do not have password protection. These open portals leave users open to fraud, identity theft or worse. To combat this, in comes the ethical hackers. They’re a roving band of virtual vigilantes who are cruising neighborhoods and telling individuals that they are vulnerable. Some of them are even fixing the problem and showing people how to better protect their assets. But don’t wait for a hacker to hit your house, update your internet security immediately and protect yourself from identity theft.
Via [technology.timesonline.co.uk]

Wi-Fi: How Do You Eat Yours?

Eliza Villarino — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 08:01:00 +0000

The U.S. leads countries in Wi-Fi usage, accounting for 59 percent of the global total, according to the latest research by iPass. Ahead of Germany, Japan and Singapore, is the U.K., which took the second spot with 11 percent. London emerged in front of Singapore, New York and San Francisco as the city with the highest Wi-Fi use. According to iPass, user education drives Wi-Fi growth as more people recognize the advantages of having Internet access wherever they are.
Via [networks.silicon.com]

Your Wi-Fi Can Tell People A Lot About You

Eliza Villarino — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:35:00 +0000

According to David Maynor, chief technology officer at Errata Security, computers are “leaking all kinds of information that an attacker can use” once they connect to a Wi-Fi network, particularly in public areas such as airports. Existing tools can obtain important details like usernames and passwords for e-mail accounts and instant messengers. To address this situation, Errata announced it will release a tool called Ferret that informs users how much information they are making available to the public once their computers start searching for wireless networks and network services. The Errata sniffer, which will be released on the company’s website, can run on any wireless card. Robert Graham, the firm’s chief executive, promised to publish the sniffer’s code on the Black Hat website soon.

In the case of a Windows computer, Ferret can generate a roster of wireless networks to which the PC secured connection previously, provided the user has not taken out the entries from the preferred networks list in Windows. The Bonjour feature reveals the version of the operating system used by Apple Mac OS X computers. The sniffer also shows the past Internet Protocol address and information on networked drives or devices like printers that the computer tried to access earlier.
Via [news.zdnet.com]

The Killing Of Wi-Fi

Eliza Villarino — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 09:22:00 +0000

According to John C. Dvorak, cellular service companies are out to kill Wi-Fi, being their largest threat in the long term. The technology’s popularity, as indicated by a Pew Internet & American Life Project survey, has grown significantly over the last two years: about 34 percent of Internet users secure online access via Wi-Fi connections, as compared to only 22 percent in 2005, and 19 percent now have home wireless networks, a 9 percent jump from a year ago.

The largest concern for cellphone service carriers is the emerging trend of free municipal or citywide Wi-Fi coverage. Wireless networks can deliver speeds of 54 Mbps and can easily go up to 100 Mbps, with pre-802.11n. Cellophone connections are slower — speeds only range from 384 Kbps with EDGE to 2 Mbps on EV-DO — and costlier, with plans amounting to $50, $60, or $70 per month.
Via [pcmag.com]

Dual-mode Service Won’t Interest US Consumers

Eliza Villarino — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 08:55:00 +0000

Research firm Ovum expects the uptake of dual-mode phones to be minimal – only about 2 percent or 5.5 million people in the U.S. As such, it is urging equipment vendors and carriers to concentrate more on other opportunities for fixed-mobile convergence such as identity convergence and remote access. Identity convergence enables customers to keep the same phone number, e-mail address, and usernames/passwords regardless of their location or the device that they are using at the time. Remote access, meanwhile, allows users to control household devices like home security or DVR systems via their mobile phones.

In spite of Ovum’s warning, T-Mobile is proceeding with its @Home service, which lets subscribers to switch between cell and WiFi networks without having to change phones or phone numbers. The company started offering this service in select test markets during the latter part of last year.
Via [arstechnica.com]

NetStumbler: The Best Wi-Fi Tool Money Can’t Buy

Eliza Villarino — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 07:15:00 +0000

Kirk Kirksey, author of Computer Factoids: Tales From the High-Tech Underbelly, called NetStumbler as “one of the greatest freebies of all time.” The downloadable program is a tool that sniffs WiFi signals and informs users if their wireless network is properly configured.

But prior to downloading, users need to check if their wireless cards are compatible with NetStumbler and this can be done by visiting their wireless card’s Web site or the NetStumbler forum. The next step is to disable the automatic configuration service of the said device. Users of Windows machines, for example, must turn off the Windows Wireless Zero Configuration service, which can be located in the the Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services.

NetStumber features several columns that provide useful information on detected signals. The media access control column or MAC reflects signal strengths as indicated by the color of the dots that represent each entry. A padlock symbol inside the dot suggests that the access point is encrypted. The SSID or service set identifier column locates the network from which the wireless packets come from. The Chan (channel) heading shows which channel the network access point is tapping for signal broadcasting and beside that is the column for channel speed, which is expressed in Mbps. The vendor heading reveals the name of device manufacturers like Linksys, Netgear, D-link, and 2Wire while the Signal-to-Noise Ratio column indicates the quality of WiFi signal.
Via [webserver.computoredge.com]

S.F. Should Not Rush Free Wi-Fi Deal

Eliza Villarino — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 07:13:00 +0000

Jake McGoldrick, a supervisor for San Francisco’s First District, raised concerns over the city’s deal with EarthLink and Google to build a citywide Wi-Fi network. He cited a report by a Budget Analyst for the Board of Supervisors recommending that the city explore several business models. This move, the report said, “would encourage creativity and innovation” and enable the city to select the best proposal that would suit its financial needs. McGoldrick believes the city government should not rush the deal and still consider viable options that could result to offering free or universally accessible service. He said the deal provides little money for “digital inclusion,” which would make WiFi accessible to poor residents of San Francisico. McGoldrick also proposed that a municipally-owned enterprise run the network because this could ensure cheaper rates if not free Wi-Fi connection.

Via [examiner.com]

Wireless Internet For All, Without The Towers

Eliza Villarino — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:13:00 +0000

Meraki Networks is testing a WiFi network that aims to provide affordable wireless Internet connection. In several neighborhoods, the Mountain View, California-based start-up has installed $49 boxes, which is equipped with a Wi-Fi router-on-a-chip and software that supports a “mesh network”. This network redirects signals when boxes are removed or added and when network performance fluctuates due to environmental conditions. Michael Burmeister-Brown, a director of Portland, Oregon-based non-profit group NetEquality, put the Meraki Ã¢â‚¬Å“miniÃ¢â‚¬ï¿½ to a test in several low-income communities. The service delivered a bandwidth that is similar to DSL but was reduced to dissuade bandwidth-consuming downloads. According to Burmeister-Brown, web browsing was quite fast and, privacy is not compromised if standard Wi-Fi security protocols are enabled.
Via [nytimes.com]

Beginner’s Guide To Internet Phoning

Eliza Villarino — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 10:33:00 +0000

There are several ways to make calls online. Vonage allows unlimited calls from anywhere in the U.S. to Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Britain for a monthly fee of $25. But a user needs to plug an existing home telephone handset into a little adapter box — worth $60 after rebate — and plug this into a broadband Internet jack such as a cable modem. The company also offers V-Phone and this would do away with the use of a telephone line. The service, however, requires an additional fee of $25 per month. Skype Out, meanwhile, enables a Mac or PC to call normal telephones for $30 a year. But Skype charges another $38 if users would opt to have a phone number for incoming calls.
Via [iht.com]

Ignore The Skype Hype

Eliza Villarino — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 16:11:00 +0000

People who find using Skype to contact landline or mobile phones expensive can use other methods to save on call fees.

Both parties can call for free if they have instant messaging applications such as MSN Messenger downloaded on their computers, plus a headset with microphone. Jajah.com, meanwhile, allows anyone from North America, Australasia and Europe to make calls using normal phones so long as both parties have subscribed to the hybrid “web-activated” service. One of the users just needs to type both phone numbers onto the web page and this will let the parties talk for free. In addition, by loading Â£10 into their account every few months, users of VoIP Stunt and VoIP Cheap can make web-to-phone calls to most of Europe, North America, Australasia and southeast Asia for free.
Via [business.timesonline.co.uk]

Firms May Find 802.11n Kit Too Hot To Handle

Eliza Villarino — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:05:00 +0000

With the release of the Next-Gen Wireless-N component for Centrino laptops, Intel became the latest company to unveil a product supporting IEEE 802.11n. Other vendors like Asus, Belkin, Buffalo, D-Link and Netgear have also shipped 802.11n hardware, which would require a firmware upgrade to be fully consistent with the specification when it is ratified. A spokesman for WLAN security supplier AirDefense warned that 802.11n equipment, though unlikely to deliver speeds of 300-400Mbit/s as claimed by companies, can experience problems even with rates of 10/100Mbit/s. He said that 802.11n access points supporting 100Mbit/s data streams across a corporate network could cause problems, particularly for services like IP telephony.
Via [computing.co.uk]