Who Uses Wireless Technology?

Some of the largest users of wireless technology can be seen in the transportation and shipping industry; Federal Express and United Parcel are good examples. Another area is that of automated vehicle location systems that are supported through a combination of satellite and landline systems coupled with the Internet.

Consumer Applications

A good example of a consumer-level system can be seen in the OnStar product being offered as an option with some high-end General Motors products, such as their Cadillac automobile product line. The OnStar system is combined with a cellular service and the GPS tracking system. The system provides a series of end-user services that includes travel directions, emergency road services, automobile enabling services, personal notification, and theft notification.

The OnStar system uses a GPS tracking device that is installed on the vehicle and allows the OnStar control center to locate a subscriber's vehicle. Through a cellular link with an on-board computer, the control center can detect if the car's airbags have been deployed. If so, the control center detects a change, and a call to the subscriber is made to determine if there is a need for assistance. The control center also can remotely open the car doors if the subscriber has locked himself out of the car.

Transportation

Qualcomm offers a multilevel vehicle location and monitoring service for large trucking and transport companies. This service is supported through a combination of satellite, cellular, and landline services. Trucks with special roof-mounted units can be tracked and monitored anywhere within the United States and Canada. Monitoring includes truck system performance, loading and unloading events, as well as redirection of vehicles for new load pickups. Drivers are able to communicate with the control center via messaging or cellular wireless contact. Through landline contact with the Qualcomm control center, dispatchers are able to dispatch and manage all company assets deployed on the nation's highway network.

Health Care

A surprisingly large number of health care service providers have taken advantage of wireless technology. Good examples of the application of wireless technology can be seen at Austin Regional Clinic, Indiana Methodist Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital, Wausau Hospital, and Winthrop-University Hospital, to name a few. All of these facilities have essentially the same problem: getting to patient information, where and when needed. Many found that they had to take handwritten notes to the nearest nurse station and enter the information manually into a computer terminal. As a result, administrators had to come up with a more-efficient way to operate.

Austin Regional Clinic elected to supply its medical professionals with mobile handheld computers to record and retrieve patient information in real-time. These terminals were linked to the clinic's Novell Netware LAN using PCMCIA modem cards. A series of wireless distributed access points located throughout the clinic provided a direct link to the LAN via a corresponding link in the clinic's communications server. The portable computers used were grid pad, pen-based portables configured with application screens, and allowed medical professionals simplified data entry and retrieval. This system eliminated large amounts of paperwork, thus allowing the professionals to function in a paperless environment.

Manufacturing

In some manufacturing plants, sensors and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are used to control many of the processes related to product manufacturing. In many places, these devices are hardwired into high-maintenance networks that need frequent attention. In many plants, these networks have been fitted with Ethernet interfaces as part of a plantwide LAN. However, many plant managers have found that they can refit with wireless adapter cards that provide an RF link to wireless access points located around the plant. These arrangements link the PLCs directly into the wired LAN and the server, ensuring timely monitoring of all devices.

Avon Products, Inc. faced an expensive problem in extending the LAN in a Chicago-area plant's factory floor. In this facility, production lines were not static and subject to regular reconfiguration. Furthermore, operator mobility required to support 50 production lines along 500 linear feet confounded the problem of rewiring print stations to support the operators with barcode labels. Instead of rewiring, a series of printers configured with wireless modems were set up to receive barcode label files from print servers. The plant has a series of distributed base stations (terminal servers) that are linked to the LAN and a host system that supports the wireless link between the wireless printers and the LAN. The print servers, which are linked to the LAN Ethernet, receive barcode files from a VAX computer. As product is being manufactured, barcode information can be sent to the appropriate print server, where it can then be routed to the proper remote wireless printer.

Financial

The Pacific Exchange (on the West Coast) and Hull Trading (headquartered in Chicago) both opted to deploy wireless terminals on the trading floor to simplify the trading process. Instead of walking to a static terminal to enter trade information, traders can now do that from their handheld terminals. This innovation permits much faster trades, while eliminating many manual steps and the reliance on handwritten notes.

WLAN Modes of Operation

The Anritsu MT8860C is the only WLAN Test Set with Network and Direct modes for testing WLAN devices conforming to IEEE 802.11 standards.

The MT8860C is an integrated one-box test set dedicated to testing 802.11 WLAN devices. It provides a high-speed measurement solution that is suitable for both production testing and design proving.

The MT8860C replaces existing test systems that typically require power meters, spectrum analyzers, and Gold Radios with external attenuators. The result is a test instrument with faster integration into production, offers a universal solution for all WLAN chip sets, and is simpler to maintain and calibrate. The MT8860C also reduces test system costs, increases production throughput, and delivers the most flexible WLAN testing available.

The MT8860C has two modes of operation: Network and Direct. The "Network" mode uses standard WLAN signaling and can be used for testing both the transmitter and receiver of DUTs. In "Direct" mode, the MT8860C tests DUT receivers by generating and transmitting WLAN packets, and tests DUT transmitters with its built-in transmitter analyzer. In Direct mode, the DUT must be controlled by the test mode software utility from the chipset vendor. The user interface is implemented through the supplied LANLook software package. LANLook runs on a standard PC and uses a conventional Windows®, based interface for both instrument configuration and results displays in clear numerical and graphical formats. LANLook communicates with the MT8860C using remote commands that are sent via a GPIB or Ethernet interface.

Features

• Integrated test set for validating the RF performance of WLAN devices operating in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands
• 'Network' mode – tests devices in a connection using standard WLAN signalling.
• 'Direct' mode – tests WLAN devices with the support of control software from the chipset vendor
• Built-in reference radio for calibrated Packet Error Rate (PER) measurements
• Automatic assignment of DUT IP address using built-in DHCP server
• Built-in TX Analyzer
• Shorter test system design times
• High-speed transmitter measurements including power bust, spectral mask and modulation accuracy (EVM)
• Dedicated WLAN signal generator for 802.11b/g/a
• Supports GPIB and Ethernet remote interfaces
• LANLook software for instrument configuration and results display
• CombiTest software for automated production test requirements

Advantages and Disadvantages of WLANs ( Wireless / Wifi )

WLANs have advantages and disadvantages when compared with wired LANs. A WLAN will make it simple to add or move workstations and to install access points to provide connectivity in areas where it is difficult to lay cable. Temporary or semipermanent buildings that are in range of an access point can be wirelessly connected to a LAN to give these buildings connectivity. Where computer labs are used in schools, the computers (laptops) could be put on a mobile cart and wheeled from classroom to classroom, provided they are in range of access points. Wired network points would be needed for each of the access points. A WLAN has some specific advantages:

• It is easier to add or move workstations.

• It is easier to provide connectivity in areas where it is difficult to lay cable.

• Installation is fast and easy, and it can eliminate the need to pull cable through walls and ceilings.

• Access to the network can be from anywhere within range of an access point.

• Portable or semipermanent buildings can be connected using a WLAN.

• Although the initial investment required for WLAN hardware can be similar to the cost of wired LAN hardware, installation expenses can be significantly lower.

• When a facility is located on more than one site (such as on two sides of a road), a directional antenna can be used to avoid digging trenches under roads to connect the sites.

• In historic buildings where traditional cabling would compromise the façade, a WLAN can avoid the need to drill holes in walls.

• Long-term cost benefits can be found in dynamic environments requiring frequent moves and changes.

WLANs also have some disadvantages:

• As the number of computers using the network increases, the data transfer rate to each computer will decrease accordingly.

• As standards change, it may be necessary to replace wireless cards and/or access points.

• Lower wireless bandwidth means some applications such as video streaming will be more effective on a wired LAN.

• Security is more difficult to guarantee and requires configuration.

• Devices will only operate at a limited distance from an access point, with the distance determined by the standard used and buildings and other obstacles between the access point and the user.

• A wired LAN is most likely to be required to provide a backbone to the WLAN; a WLAN should be a supplement to a wired LAN and not a complete solution.

• Long-term cost benefits are harder to achieve in static environments that require few moves and changes.

What is Wireless Computer Networking?

Wireless networks utilize radio waves and/or microwaves to maintain communication channels between computers. Wireless networking is a more modern alternative to wired networking that relies on copper and/or fiber optic cabling between network devices.

A wireless network offers advantages and disadvantages compared to a wired network. Advantages of wireless include mobility and elimination of unsightly cables. Disadvantages of wireless include the potential for radio interference due to weather, other wireless devices, or obstructions like walls.

Wireless is rapidly gaining in popularity for both home and business networking. Wireless technology continues to improve, and the cost of wireless products continues to decrease. Popular wireless local area networking (WLAN) products conform to the 802.11 "Wi-Fi" standards. The gear a person needs to build wireless networks includes network adapters (NICs), access points (APs), and routers.

10 Tips for Wireless Home Network Security

Many folks setting up wireless home networks rush through the job to get their Internet connectivity working as quickly as possible. That's totally understandable. It's also quite risky as numerous security problems can result. Today's Wi-Fi networking products don't always help the situation as configuring their security features can be time-consuming and non-intuitive. The recommendations below summarize the steps you should take to improve the security of your home wireless network.

1. Change Default Administrator Passwords (and Usernames)

At the core of most Wi-Fi home networks is an access point or router. To set up these pieces of equipment, manufacturers provide Web pages that allow owners to enter their network address and account information. These Web tools are protected with a login screen (username and password) so that only the rightful owner can do this. However, for any given piece of equipment, the logins provided are simple and very well-known to hackers on the Internet. Change these settings immediately.

2. Turn on (Compatible) WPA / WEP Encryption

All Wi-Fi equipment supports some form of encryption. Encryption technology scrambles messages sent over wireless networks so that they cannot be easily read by humans. Several encryption technologies exist for Wi-Fi today. Naturally you will want to pick the strongest form of encryption that works with your wireless network. However, the way these technologies work, all Wi-Fi devices on your network must share the identical encryption settings. Therefore you may need to find a "lowest common demoninator" setting.

3. Change the Default SSID

Access points and routers all use a network name called the SSID. Manufacturers normally ship their products with the same SSID set. For example, the SSID for Linksys devices is normally "linksys." True, knowing the SSID does not by itself allow your neighbors to break into your network, but it is a start. More importantly, when someone finds a default SSID, they see it is a poorly configured network and are much more likely to attack it. Change the default SSID immediately when configuring wireless security on your network.

4. Enable MAC Address Filtering

Each piece of Wi-Fi gear possesses a unique identifier called the physical address or MAC address. Access points and routers keep track of the MAC addresses of all devices that connect to them. Many such products offer the owner an option to key in the MAC addresses of their home equipment, that restricts the network to only allow connections from those devices. Do this, but also know that the feature is not so powerful as it may seem. Hackers and their software programs can fake MAC addresses easily.

5. Disable SSID Broadcast

In Wi-Fi networking, the wireless access point or router typically broadcasts the network name (SSID) over the air at regular intervals. This feature was designed for businesses and mobile hotspots where Wi-Fi clients may roam in and out of range. In the home, this roaming feature is unnecessary, and it increases the likelihood someone will try to log in to your home network. Fortunately, most Wi-Fi access points allow the SSID broadcast feature to be disabled by the network administrator.

6. Do Not Auto-Connect to Open Wi-Fi Networks

Connecting to an open Wi-Fi network such as a free wireless hotspot or your neighbor's router exposes your computer to security risks. Although not normally enabled, most computers have a setting available allowing these connections to happen automatically without notifying you (the user). This setting should not be enabled except in temporary situations.

7. Assign Static IP Addresses to Devices

Most home networkers gravitate toward using dynamic IP addresses. DHCP technology is indeed easy to set up. Unfortunately, this convenience also works to the advantage of network attackers, who can easily obtain valid IP addresses from your network's DHCP pool. Turn off DHCP on the router or access point, set a fixed IP address range instead, then configure each connected device to match. Use a private IP address range (like 10.0.0.x) to prevent computers from being directly reached from the Internet.

8. Enable Firewalls On Each Computer and the Router

Modern network routers contain built-in firewall capability, but the option also exists to disable them. Ensure that your router's firewall is turned on. For extra protection, consider installing and running personal firewall software on each computer connected to the router.

9. Position the Router or Access Point Safely

Wi-Fi signals normally reach to the exterior of a home. A small amount of signal leakage outdoors is not a problem, but the further this signal reaches, the easier it is for others to detect and exploit. Wi-Fi signals often reach through neighboring homes and into streets, for example. When installing a wireless home network, the position of the access point or router determines its reach. Try to position these devices near the center of the home rather than near windows to minimize leakage.

10. Turn Off the Network During Extended Periods of Non-Use

The ultimate in wireless security measures, shutting down your network will most certainly prevent outside hackers from breaking in! While impractical to turn off and on the devices frequently, at least consider doing so during travel or extended periods offline. Computer disk drives have been known to suffer from power cycle wear-and-tear, but this is a secondary concern for broadband modems and routers.

If you own a wireless router but are only using it wired (Ethernet) connections, you can also sometimes turn off Wi-Fi on a broadband router without powering down the entire network.

Multi-tech wireless broadband

Combining cellular network, WiMAX, and Wi-Fi

Balancing cost, performance, and resource utilization drive technological convergence. Inevitably the merger of WWAN (3GPP/3GPP2 cellular network), WMAN (WiMAX), and WLAN (Wi-Fi) will form the future technological backbone of wireless broadband networks. Moreover, Mesh backhaul will encompass various wireless devices within an enormous optical fiber broadband network.

WWAN, WMAN, and WLAN possess idiosyncratic strengths and weaknesses. The access rate of the GPRS is dozens of Kbps, while Wi-Fi can range between dozens and even hundreds of Mbps. The coverage range of GPRS is tens of kilometers, compared with Wi-Fi's modest range of less than 100 meters. At the same access rate, GPRS supports a mobile speed of up to hundreds of kilometers per hour, yet Wi-Fi is notably sluggish. Considerable differences also arise in cost: the cost per bit or service charge of GPRS is remarkably high, while Wi-Fi is almost free.

While WWAN, WMAN, and WLAN have their specific core applications, the three can be mutually supplementary. Cellular networks such as GPRS/EDGE/EVDO/HSPA/LTE offer broad coverage, roaming capability, and high-speed mobility. Wi-Fi and Mobility Ad Hoc are the most suitable for high-rate and large-volume indoor data services after being upgraded to carrier-class. WiMAX can be regarded as an upgraded version of 3G Packet Switching (PS), a quasi-4G version, or an upgraded version of Wi-Fi. Integrating the advantages of both cellular and Wi-Fi networks, WiMAX represents an optimum technology for MAN coverage, with hybrid networking of micro and macro BTSs.

End users are most concerned with the balance of price and quality, and the latter is mostly judged by download rates. A convergence-oriented combination of technologies is urgently required to satisfy subscribers' increasingly stringent demands on fees, performance, coverage, and mobility. Moreover, these demands span multiple networks that are embraced by a range of different standards.

For example, subscribers can expect low cost and high speed Wi-Fi or WiMAX access in the home, while Wi-Fi hotspot coverage or WiMAX is more suitable for airports or other places where broadband access needs to have a wider range and guaranteed throughput. In areas that lack Wi-Fi or WiMAX, cellular networks can maintain basic service availability. Undoubtedly, the resulting QoE will be consistently high and seamless, and the intelligent combination of technologies will be welcomed by subscribers.

wireless broadband networks

In future wireless broadband networks, an open terminal, or Intelligent Internet Device (IID), will act as a portal. It will integrate services and provide customer experiences. IIDs can access networks through different air interfaces and use only one widget or button for a given service application, including voice and data services. Data services in the 3G/4G era will be as popular as SMS in the 2G era. Unlike voice and SMS, data services have spawned from the Internet, and are therefore more diversified, complex, and flexible.

In the future wireless broadband market, we can predict that:

• The voice service will lose its dominant position and become a basic service. The technical threshold of SIP-based VoIP will continue to decrease, and most SPs will provide a VoIP "button". Voice services–and especially VoIP–will supplement other services in the same way that voice currently supplements IM in MSN. The traditional telecom operation mode that only provides a voice service will vanish.

• Streaming media will play an even more pivotal role in data services. The ARPU (for data and voice) of streaming media will be replaced by other indices such as average bandwidth speed (ABWS) and the average bandwidth consumption per month (ABWC). In addition, a greater range of business models will accommodate ARPU of data services. Listing services top-down in terms of requirements on network transmission quality yields the following order: online games, real-time videos, voice services, streaming media, Web browsing, and non-real-time services (such as FTP, BT, SMTP/POP). These services have different requirements for network indices such as jitter, delay, bandwidth, QoS, QoE, and security. Streaming media most closely bonds the requirements of subscribers and the provisioning capability of networks. As a key broadband data service, it will no doubt increase popularity among subscribers, and consume the major share of bandwidth resources.

Spectrum resources will be the key

The spectrum is inherently a rare resource. Shannon's theory holds that channel capacity is influenced by two factors: spectrum bandwidth and SNR. It is impossible to fully eliminate noise, and increases in signal strength are limited. Hence, spectrum resources are vital to meeting the increasing demand of subscribers for wireless data traffic volumes.

In most countries, high quality spectrum resources have been historically occupied by narrowband voice, radio, and television. This includes most civil spectrum resources and a certain amount of dedicated spectrum resources for the military, civil aviation, railway, security industries, and for radio and television. In future, these high quality spectrum resources will be gradually released for new communication technologies applications, albeit as part of a very slow process. This is the reason why the white-space spectrum is so valuable.

Among existing, advanced wireless broadband technologies, HSPA and WiMAX possess the advantages of precocity. In contrast to other technologies, the two have a developmental window of opportunity spanning 3 to 4 years, and will be allocated frequency resources before other technologies. The application of HSPA can target the personal mobile broadband (MBB) market, while WiMAX can focus on home and enterprise broadband services. In consideration of market competition and investment protection, HSPA and WiMAX will form significant wireless broadband technologies in the coming years.

New technologies and concepts

Cloud computing

For many years, computing resources have been exploited and expanded in the information and communication field to compensate for the dearth and expense of bandwidth resources. Increases in bandwidth availability coupled with a decrease in costs will soon bring the advantages of cloud computing into sharper relief. If the majority of core computing resources gather into a "cloud", only simple processing tasks such as optimizing visual and aural effects are required at the client level to provide high QoE at low cost. The cloud model thus centralizes resources, simplifies their reuse and management, and enhances efficiency.

However, cloud computing visits problems on customization and diversity. Though the model gathers computing and digital media resources into the cloud, meeting individual requirements either via the same cloud or through different clouds is another matter entirely. The solution, however, lies with tailor-made and personalized portals that allow subscribers to use any type of terminal to obtain a personal, mobile homepage, which is application-ready and can be customized.

Accessing information through cloud computing is similar to Paying with Plastic in that the terminal resembles an intelligent credit card, resource clouds mirror virtual banks and Internet stores, and the wireless broadband network forms an ATM or POS. Subscribers store home pages and access these banks and stores through a unique personal network ID (or what we refer to as a "communication fingerprint"). The private ID database, home page database, widget stores of network applications, and resource and settlement platforms all describe new NEs that exist under cloud computing architecture.

While cloud computing may be useful in specific contexts such as computing and for applications in dedicated networks, it has little impact on the architecture of wireless broadband networks.

Mesh and SON

The Mesh and Self-Organizing Network(SON) technologies fall under the same category. The SON technology deploys auto-configuration, auto-discovery, auto-organization, and multi-hop routing to form an SON comprising independent nodes. When network topology changes or links disconnect, the SON technology's self-healing and self-organization capabilities guarantee network connectivity and can optimize network-wide performance.

The wireless Mesh is a multi-hop network that has evolved from an Ad Hoc network. Mesh technology connects independent network nodes to optimize overall performance. The expectation on intelligent Mesh technology is relatively logical as disorganized networks must demonstrate a "clear and logical thinking ability" to manage a host of complex networks, efficiently interconnect independent network nodes, and facilitate their inter-communication.

At present, disorganized networks such as Wi-Fi networks cannot realize a greater "sense of organization" than cellular networks. We hope that the future application of intelligent Mesh technology can arrange these disorganized networks into a complex, SON capable of improving the performance across entire networks.