Cable Boxes with 802.11

foniksonik writes "'Cable providers are upping the ante in the competition for broadband subscribers. By combining cable TV, broadband service, and wireless connectivity in one set-top box, cable companies could soon offer consumers value that DSL firms won't be able to match.' 802.11a/b/g and what happens to Tivo? The most interesting part is the potential for 'network neighborhoods'." I'd suspect the cable boxes will end up using a variety of proprietary crud.

Comments

w00t!

[Telastyn]

Yeah, cable providers now make it even easier for the guy down the street to eat all of your bandwidth (and possibly files).

Sorry guys, DSL's fine for me.

The only catch

[gusnz]

Funny, I always thought cable companies were opposed to WiFi connection sharing?

If they do go ahead with this, you can't help but wonder what WiFi encryption and authorisation routines will be used here. Given that big businesses have had such trouble securing their own networks (leading to practises like warchalking), the average home user will probably have a lot more trouble unless decent encryption is in place out of the box. It could well become the script kiddy sport of the future, watching the neighbourhood from their basement.

However the most interesting bit of the article is this:

a neighborhood with many 802.11-equipped cable boxes could become one large wireless network in which each house serves as a node.

If set up right, this could provide neighbourhoods with sufficient 802.11 densities to make the often-mooted idea of a peer-to-peer ISP feasible. Provided, of course, the DMCA isn't used to prevent customisation of the cable boxes, the cable companies could be contributing to the demise of commerical ISPs as we know them...

Re:I'd buy it

[cpeterso]

Instead of shutting wireless networks down, this seems like an opportunity for them to charge MORE money. Some ISPs (such as Speakeasy HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) don't mind if you share your broadband connection with your neighbors. They can charge for tiered bandwidth. If I am sharing my connection with my neighbors and they are a major bandwidth hogs, then I will either upgrade to a more expensive bandwidth tier or shut my neighbors out and then they will buy their own connection from the same ISP (to avoid losing their email or whatever).

Mommy, what's fact checking?

[Guppy06]

"cable companies could soon offer consumers value that DSL firms won't be able to match."

I go to 2Wire's website, I look at their home gateway products, and what do I see? Why, it's their HomePortal 1000W, which not only has a DSL modem and an integrated WAP, but also supports ethernet and phoneline networking.

*sigh*

Isn't the 802.11 spectrum supposed to be public?

[t0qer]

I see some huge hairy problems with this.

Let's say grandma down the street who doesn't use the internet has one of these boxes acting as a network repeater. That steals away from the availiable spectrum I can use right?

My english feels a little off today, scuse me. What i'm trying to say is let's say I have 802.11 equipment that I want to use, but I can't because AOL time warner has sucked up the spectrum with thier gabillions of cable boxes. I.E. a corporation is eating up public property. Something just seems wrong.

Let me put it another way. If this goes through without some kind of goverment intervention it would be like you couldn't go camping at Yosemite because AOL has all the campsite.

Man my engrish is bad today... Anyone else in San Jose gettin dizzy from this heat?