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Wi-Fi Alliance To Brand Public Hotspots
Andreas Ehn writes "802.11 Planet writes: 'The Wi-Fi Alliance is
launching a new program starting today to create a global brand for easier recognition of public access hotspots. The Wi-Fi ZONE program will also include setting a minimum standard of quality for hotspots before they can label themselves a Wi-Fi ZONE or display the ZONE
logo.' Read the article here! It won't be cheap, however -- you'll be expected to pay $100 for a license to use the trademark for three access points at one location, though it will be free until March 2004. Or you could just stick to warchalking."
Someone make a website that tracks all local access points... I know there are region specific sites out there, but it would be free.
I can see it now... There'll be a little popup in the taskbar that says:
Wireless internet services brought to you by Anheuser-Busch - St Louis, MO
Life is the leading cause of death in America.
Our friends at Homeland Security view the uncontrolled internet access available via careless WISPs, careless wireless lan operators, and the like as a *major* problem. The telcos want to protect their monopoly so they're onboard with any efforts to squelch the booming wireless market.
I strongly suspect that we'll see legislation about such services before very long and the only cure for the complaint will be solid layer 3 encryption.
I run a WISP that covers five counties in a fairly large metro area and I'm already working this issue - business customers can get an affordable IPsec client like the Linksys firewall for around $100, Windows users have PPTP, and RouterOS from http://www.mikrotik.com provides a solid platform to terminate both sorts of connections.
If these guys are going to do a Hot Spot standard, which *is* needed on a national basis, it had better include a solid L3 encryption method.
I am very easy to get along with, but I don't have time to waste being nice to people who are being stupid. -Theo
Geeks want them in coffee shops, but the real growth markets for Hot Spot are airports and
Don't laugh - just start counting semis next time you're on the interstate - if you get 1% of all truckers using the service at the 100 busiest truck stops, you've got a winner. Market penetration will likely be more like 50%
I am very easy to get along with, but I don't have time to waste being nice to people who are being stupid. -Theo
You can display their logo for free until March 2004 ... then ou have to pay to keep the logo there .... that stinks!!! If you are one of the people that helps to get this organization off of the ground, wh should you have to pay???
Is it just me, or would anyone else feel used if they put up their logo????
HallmarkOrnaments.Com
For "global brand" read "US Brand" and this brand gives you the right to...
Actually it gives you the right to do nothing. The point here is that they are aiming to be an "approved" networking solution, so you would only connect to "approved" solutions providers, and your local coffee shop would not be approved but Starbucks sure as hell would be.
Welcome to the corporatisation of community efforts. They don't like Mom and Pop doing this, so they are starting a plan
1) Create a brand
2) Start calling it "approved"
3) Complain to councils and goverments about "un-approved" networks that are causing interfernce.
4) Get unapproved networks stopped.
5) Ramp up the price.
Of course they'd need to sign up the hardware vendors to ensure proper lock down... oh.... they've already thought of that
An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
From a technology standpoint, can someone out there with alot of Wi-Fi experience reply back with how this will differ from products such as Joltage's apps that turn hot spots into instant mini-Internet service providers? Or HotSpottzz, who has creats wi-fi networks via strategically placed antennas? Or is WiFi Zone more this more like the peer-to-peer approach taken by SkyPilot?
--- have you healed your church website?
If anyone wanted to make this web site, I'd provide free hosting for it! (provided that it was TOTALLY FREE for everyone to use ... and that it doesn't suck down ubber-bandwidth (more than a T-1's worth)
... where is their community spirit??
That is B.S. that you have to pay to use their logo and to essentially get listed on their site
HallmarkOrnaments.Com
I can see one main advantage of this 'wi-fi zone', but I fear that it will not be implemented is roaming, so that you can just have a contract with your 'main' provider, use other hotspots and be billed on your normal contract. That would be nice.
I also hope that the requirement states that there's not f*cking additionnal software to install. I can also dream of requiring easy access from other OS than windows.
#include "coucou.h"
Well, who is going to pay $100 to offer a service for free?
I guess this is probably going to go more towards pay sites, but if they really want to build a world of total wi-fi coverage, what they should do is build protocols that allow devices to see prices to get on the various Networks that surround them and allow for quick, instant payment for bandwidth used.
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
Think of the cell phone network - you can sign up for a phone in Seattle and probably make a call in Miami. 802.11b access today is not a lot different than the private radio systems that the cell business is slowly consuming.
For wireless hotspots to take off there really needs to be a standard behind it - I'd suggest something along the lines of broadcasting SSID so they're easy to find, then requiring authentication and strong layer three encryption for each client - so what if they're netstumbled
Its going to be interesting
I am very easy to get along with, but I don't have time to waste being nice to people who are being stupid. -Theo
You don't understand the point of WEP. It is an encryption standard to get you onto the wireless network segment. If you are using a shared access point, you must either have no WEP enabled, or everyone uses the same WEP key. How easily it can be broken is completely irrelevant in any discussion about shared access points. It's like being on a normal CAT-5 shared network segment (hub, not a switch). With the WEP key in place, all traffic is available to you. No different to being in a internet cafe, would you trust your packets in that enviroment?
WEP can be used by private firms or home users to lock down access to their own network. It is here that the weakness lies.
The net is an unencrypted and completely insecure network. Just because the last mile is suddenly insecure, it's no reason to suddenly start to panic. If you are concerned, get some good VPN software, or stick to encrypting by protocol. It's the only way to limit access to your communications. Oh, and avoid using the phone as well.
Personally, I'm more concerned that POP/IMAP over SSL is as rare as it is currently, especially given how easy it is to configure. You want something to worry about? Who's holding this back? Where's my tinfoil hat?
1. Stupid symbol. It contains no symbology suggesting wirelessness or radio, and it contains English words (and parts thereof). This is supposed to be an international symbol, so it should use graphics only. Just look at simple symbols like those for radioactivity or biohazards, they're extremely simple and to the point. What's wrong with an idealized graphic of an antenna and radio waves, plus some sort of hint that it's digital?
2. If it's supposed to encourage more widespread adoption of WiFi, the fee will be a super-major downer for a lot of providers (especially in parts of the world where $100 still means something). Plus it sends the wrong signal (no pun intended), charging for something that is supposed to spread the gospel.