Secure Wireless Through Infrared Antennas

oogamrm writes "Everyone knows the main problem with Wi-Fi: Security. It's relatively easy for intruders to sniff packets out of the air and even connect to the wireless net. While most wireless companies have responded by trying to beef up the encryption, the University of Warwick's engineering department has developed an optical antenna that operates in the infrared band. This means almost no energy leaking through walls, and simple filters to block it from exiting through windows. The antennas can be so well tuned that several networks can be co-located in the same physical space. The whole story is available at news.com.com."

Comments

Worth the speed penalty?

[Professor Collins]

While it may be more secure in the sense that infrared rays are much easier to absorb and block out than 2.xGHz radiation, this comes at a cost. The high amount of background noise in the infrared spectrum (both man-made from TV remotes, wireless keyboard and the like, and natural, since just about everything emits some level of infrared energy as heat), in addition to the same easy absorption of infrared particles which this article touts as a feature, ensures that you'll never get anywhere near the quality signal you get with traditional 802.11 wireless signals. Early "wireless" attempts struggled to get more than 9600bps out of the infrared spectrum, and while technology has no doubt improved since the mid-90s, I still can't fathom anyone getting more than an ISDN line's worth of bandwidth out of ISDN.

So, yes, it may indeed be more secure, but is the enormous leap backward in available bandwidth really worth it? I for one would much rather use stronger encryption than weaker signals.

optical networks used to be that way

[nounderscores]

It's funny that you mention that. I remember trying to transfer files at school from an IrDA capable laptop to an IrDA capable printer. It took 3 hours and in the end we had to build a cardboard tunnel to cut the interfereance out. (the funniest part was at about hour 2 when we realised that the manufacturer's plastic protecting sticky tape was still on the electronic eye of the printer. We peeled it off and got a much better signal)

Anyway, from the picture of the optical antenna, I would guess that it would be oriented upwards so that it looks like a big fisheye lense pointing at the ceiling. Since IR bounces off walls (I know because I've sometimes changed the channel on my TV while pointing my remote in the opposite direction) then I guess that the whole point of the optical antenna is that it is able to see the ceiling and not be blocked because if the direct LOS is blocked, than this omnidirectional antenna should get usable signal from the reflections coming in the opposite direction.

please help

[_ph1ux_]

OK - so we have had several stories in the past several weeks talking about WiFi this and that - and I have posted a few comments asking about wifi security. I would like some help from you guys - as it seems that there are several out there who really understand securing wifi networks. (I have written to both the sputnik (linuxcare) guys - and the locustworld.com guys - but have gotten no responses from either about security)

OOK - here is the scenario:

Imagine an ISP that is *only* wireless. They want to be a "community" ISP, want to offer only wireless wifi internet access, and want to charge for it a flat rate of 20/month. They have wireless APs covering several city blocks - or a whole city. with a physical tie at some city based colo. How do they protect the network - so that only paying customers can be authenticated and use the system?

What i have been thinking so far is that for signing up - you have to purchase/get/rent/whatever - the wireless card from the ISP. This cards MAC is in an ISP DB and its get authenticated. In addition - that MAC is tied back to a username password (or biometric) auth which then validates the user and opens up the port. Is it possible to have an ISP with such a system - that is not too overly paranoid secure - but not just a leech-net?

I think there are three very important things that should be considered when thinking about WiFi ISPs in general:

1. they should be put in place ASAP - even if they arent that secure yet.

2. we (the tech community at large) should fully support them, and pay 20/month for access.

3. wifi ISPs should offer free access to the system for city government - municipal services like fire depts, police, city engineering etc..

WHY? well because we have seen already how the big ass companies handle our bandwidth, our information, our trust and our money.

We should get a community monopoly on these systems as soon as possible. I nkow that I am *done* having any sort of qwest, global crossing, worldcom corrumpany in charge of my access.....

seriously - this is an important issue - and one where we ahve the advantage because these companies are A) almost bankrupt B) dont understand the technology C) typically slow to move on stuff like this. The only problem is that they traditionally have very deep pockets to buy things out.

But with Level 3 trying to buy up all the fiber runs it can - and absorb as many of the IP-traffic-assets as possible - they are looking to run 90% of the data routing market... but the WiFi last mile can and should be a community owned system.

Imagine if the model was changed so that a carrier would have to *pay the community* to be the access provider. If there were several million people in a city - and that city had its own WiFi network - and it was putting out bids for connections to the outside internet - you'd better believe the carriers would be putting down some fat bandwidth at reduced price for that level of market share.

We need to stop thinking so small, have some vision and take over the market and make it the way we want it.