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Wireless Year in Review
Irish writes "The wireless world had some surprises last year. WLANs, with easy but unsecure bandwidth, may disrupt the adoption of regulated/limited 3G networks. DoCoMo's iMode surprised many gaining 27 million users while Europe was disappointing. This developerWorks article takes a look at the big wireless security stories of 2001 and tries to offer some predictions on the future."
On the Hardy toll road in Houston, I was able to connect to eight wireless APs at 70 MPH (so read the log when I reached my destination). Three even went so far as to assign IP addresses via DHCP.
:p
I would suppose that says something about wireless security.
Do you like German cars?
Indeed, one of the main reason with 802.11b is spreading like wildfire is the cost, you can get a complete setup for around 300 bucks.
Coolness sell, but only when their price range is accpectable.
Price must come down where services are cheap enough (like a penny a mintue) in order for it to strive.
I guess we will just have to wait since I like wireless, but it's useless when nobody has it or uses it.
kawai
What still concerns me is that "Wireless == Cellphones" geez, this entire article was more about selling cellphones than wireless lans.
In reading this article, what I noticed first off was the complete non-mention of the 802.11g first draft. Basically 802.11g is the application of all the technology advances of a over b, but in 2.4gig and not 5gig. G was referred for a first draft by the IEEE at their Austin meeting. What spurned this on was the Chipset manufacturers were scared that Intel would push A and they would be out major R&D dollars on G.
And A is going to be a real real tough sell now, that G is on the horizon and will most likely be a firmware upgrade to the existing 2.4GHz radios, instead of a full truck roll out replacement.
Kim also fails to mention (could this be because they don't want to push a competing technology???) the development of WEP2 using AES. Most vendors are chomping on the bit to get a finalized standard for WEP using AES. In the meantime they're stuck using some sort of key rotation technology, which basically generates random WEP keys and changes the WEP key automatically every seconds. This technology was specifically designed into 802.1x, which is probably the best thing out there for Wireless lan security.
Until AES based WEP is deployed, 802.1x is the savior of wireless security. She doesn't mention the specs of it, but with 802.1x you get the WEP key rotation, MAC level authentication, smart card / certificate based authentication (or MD5 challenge username/passwords), all thru RADIUS. 802.1x pushes authentication before association, so one can't even associate with the AP unless they've authenticated first. Pretty nice.
Grrr... second try on this post... my comp decided to go offline the instant I pressed preview.... grrrrrrrr..... fscking winblows
Anywho... AT&T is currently in the process of a MAJOR 3G buildout/expansion. I am not sure what technology they are using for the 3G expansion, maybe someone else has more information on that. If memory serves me right they use IS-195 with is TDMA based on the voice side. It will also be interesting to see how they integrate that with the analog voice channels they have in the A and B cell bands.
Also I think Verizon is about to pop. They have been building a few new switches and I've heard rumors of a major buildout from the Midwest all the way to the West coast. It would not supprise me if they were also going to do an upgrade to 3G while they are at it, or that they might put 3G into their PCS bands they got through the merger. I would love to hear more.
I've also heard that Nextel and Cingular are about to also buildout. I've heard that Nextel is going to implement Wide CDMA with like 15khz of bandwidth... if this is true then it sounds kinda broken...
Wireless... home of some truely interesting shtuff
---- Fight to protect your right to keep and arm bears! ummmm... ya I think that's right....