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WiMax Operator's Manual: Building 802.16 Wireless
WiMax Operator's Manual: Building 802.16 Wireless Networks is primarily a utilitarian book rather than conceptual. It provides a background in broadband wireless fundamentals, packet data, and overall network operation and management to enable a network operator to set up a network with standards-based equipment and to run it profitably thereafter. Sweeney notes early in the book : "Nothing is particularly admirable about purism in terms of wireless technology, and if wire line technologies serve the same purpose better over some portion of the network footprint, then wise network operators will avail themselves of them." This theme of realism in relation to the application of a wireless network is prevalent though out the book.
Wired networks in the same footprint will almost always beat a wireless network in speed, reliability, and cost. This is primarily due to the previously created infrastructure available to Internet carriers. The goal that Sweeney promotes is to find an ideal region that has not yet been exploited by a wired service provider. These regions are ideal due to the low-cost setup for a wireless network compared to the cost of a wired network. Sweeney describes and informs the user of ways to find and establish these networks in an efficient manner to maximize profitability.
Sweeney also discusses network security in the later chapters of his book. He acknowledges the increasing need to secure the network's own infrastructure, the safety of its customers, and a nation itself. In relation to wireless networks, Sweeney notes "[Security] is becoming increasingly important in network operations today and cannot be considered optional at this point." To this end, the network security section is devoted to security policies, secure electrical systems, cyber warfare, and other information on safeguarding your network. Another concern also addressed is the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act. CALEA is a complex piece of federal legislation that expands law enforcement's authority to conduct electronic surveillance, including surveillance over public networks. Sadly, as of yet there is no real way to combat this intrusive act.
WiMax Operator's Manual: Building 802.16 Wireless Networks is a great resource for businesses and individuals looking to establish their own 802.16 network. I enjoyed the foresight provided in this book for potential problems faced by network operators. The honesty in the practicality of an 802.16 network as a realistic network solution also made the book a great resource. There was no fantasy scenario or white lies to convince a user of the merit of a 802.16 network beyond what it can do.
The gripe I do have with this book is its complete utilitarian nature. A little more theory and insight into the standard itself would have been great. This book stands purely as an Operator's Manual, and not an exploration of WiMax as a standard, but rather a tool. Otherwise, this book was highly enjoyable and well written. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to establish a network beyond the standards commonly available (e.g. 802.11a - 802.11g). This book is unique in its topic and sheer honesty, and is one of the few references available on the specific subject.
You can purchase WiMax Operator's Manual: Building 802.16 Wireless Networks from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
We can only hope that the future of wireless networks will include encrypted or otherwise protected routers/access points. The number of open networks around my apartment is somewhat disturbing (in a good way, when I'm bored).
-- Reality is for people who lack imagination.
Maybe I'm reading this page wrong, but does it say WiMax gets 268mbps each way? Gosh, maybe I will get this book!
....268...268... Does anyone know how far the signal goes?
Of course, since most broadband connections are still stuck around 2-3mbps, I doubt many hotspots and businesses will upgrade. Who needs a connection that fast to check their email and listen to Eminem?
On a personal level, though, I can't get "268" out of my head.
Chances are WiMax and Wifi will end up coexisting together, the new WiMax is pretty cool as it has about a 30 mile radius range, and the ability to go through walls and barriers better then wifi.
My sig would have been a lot cooler if
isnt some satalite stuff in the 11ghz area? wouldnt that cause masive problmes?
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Can anyone with experience with this give me a cost estimate on what it would take to setup a point-to-point 802.16 connection? I'm looking at about 7 miles (well with in the supposed 30 mile limit).
Is line-of-sight necessary?
In a nutshell, it looks like the max transmission is 268 mbps, but I couldn't find a quote for the range. It depends on implementation and frequency, whether it's single-to-multipoint or point-to-point.
..I find this interesting as well, small copy/paste:
" No one in the world has yet built an operational WiMax network that is available for public use."
Hmmm
wonder how much the gear costs, and is it really standarized yet? The potential in theory sounds really slick, but is this ready for deployment yet? As joe rural broadband user wannabe, I welcome our new wimax overlords, but only if they really show up. Is this stuff really there, or vaporware? The book is 30 clams for a paperback, sorta steep if it's really just vapor.
Sounds like something my university's crazy technology program would just jump on, along with the $400 Cisco IP phones and their vision of the future where incoming students get a university-issue cell phone that does voice over IP on the campus network... so that they can later grab parts of the fees for long distance use...
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What's to operate? Does this stuff exist?
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65297, 00.html/
That link there is a great article more about it, its also in the latest Wired.com magazine.
802.16? This is starting to sound like Slackware jumping over numbers. Who designs the numbering systems? Is there a specific adaptation that meritied the jump from 802.11 to 802.16?
Well it is aimed towards ISPs building wireless networks for the masses. I would sure hope that if you were in that position, you would know a heck of a lot about the standard already.
Actually, what am I saying? Forget the book, pay a multinational consulting company to do it for you and watch as they take 2 years to stuff it up. :)
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This book is not only for the business minded, but for a consumer looking to establish a quality long-distance wireless network of their own.
The jacket of the book explicitely states:
The WiMax Operator's Manual will prove useful and accessable to any executive or manager interested in becoming a service provider and exploring the wireless options. The emphasis is on building the business case for wireless and achieving a positive cash flow.
Nowhere does it talk about consumers setting up their own WiMax network. This is obviously because WiMax is not intended for consumer use. Again, as stated on the jacket:
Designing and implementing 802.16 service networks is far from a trivial undertaking.
Inside the book it explains the byzantine issues facing WiMax, not the least of which are the various problems with spectrum such as licensing, multipath interference and a host of niggling issues well beyond the scope of an individual consumer.
As an analogy, if Wi-Fi is a walkie talkie, then WiMax is a radio station. WiMax was clearly envisioned by its creators as a tool for internet service providers with thousands of customers, not for individual people.
I'm very sympathetic to the general direction of your comment. If you build it, hackers will come.
However, it is possible to design a secure system. My understanding is that VPN technology is secure, for example. I've asked around quite a lot, and no one I've talked to has heard of a vulnerability.
I should have made it clear I was talking about hardware VPN systems.
More fodder for us wardrivers, it will be nice to see some dense saturation -- ubiquitous computing.
Zhrodague.net - I do projects and stuff too.
When WiMAX equipment makers talk about a "range" of 30 miles, you can't compare that directly to the "range" of a WiFi connection.
For the purpose of computing these "30 miles", they usually assume a *roof-mounted antenna* in direct line of sight of the base station, with 1W of effective isotropic radiating power directed precisely towards the base station. The base station itself emits 1W in every direction and we're talking base stations worth several k$ each.
802.16 equipment is going to be much more expensive that 802.11b/g for a while, and that's not just because of volume effect. To enable high bandwidth, 802.16 to very large band modulations requiring highly dynamic power amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers that can work with the same power in a wide range of frequencies. Those cost $$$.
To compare that with your regular laptop-embedded WiFi card and your latest cheapo $40 access point, even with all the Pringles boxes you want, is just wrong.
802.16 is "wireless", yes, but not "mobile" at this point. And even when it will be, it won't be with the same range (antenna bulk and power constraints). When so-and-so promises you WiMAX is beating WLAN to its grave in terms of range and throughput, they are comparing apples and oranges really.
WiMAX has the *potential* to be important. But that's it for now. That's why so many posters ask 'what's the range?' and 'what's the throughput?' Nobody knows, because there aren't any chipsets yet. First mature chipsets -- from Fujitsu and Intel and others -- are in 1Q05. ... in this area, with trees, or in this other area, with rain, or ... ...) key, perhaps, for getting the extra few dB of receiver performance.
... at least to within a factor where the model makes some sense. OK, you can write the book, but it wouldn't be worth reading.
This is important because nature is analog. There's no simulation tool, because nobody has any real relevant experience on how OFDM + all the other 802.16 subtechnologies work
And it's important because nobody knows how good the receivers will be. For example: will we have anemic receivers built into devices, 'centrino-style'? Or will we have window-mounted antennae? Or antennae aligned by skilled craftspeople?
And it's important because the antennae are still being cooked: MIMO? MISO? SIMO? Difficult all of them. (MIMO = multiple input, multiple output
Given these, I wonder why the book exists. You can't write a book on business cases for wireless unless you know what the ranges, throughputs, device costs (and availability) are
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"Just do a search for "hardware VPN vulnerabilities" on Google and see what you get."
I did a Google search: hardware+VPN+vulnerability. There is nothing but some Cisco Concentrator vulnerabilities that I suppose Cisco fixed long ago.
Are hardware VPN's generally invulnerable? It's difficult to imagine a vulnerability with a pre-shared key and total encryption. The weak point might be when the VPN is first established, but the pre-shared key seems to make that strong, too.
The point I was trying to make is not that VPN technology should be combined with WiMax, but that it is an example of well-designed technology that causes few problems. Ethernet is another example.
The first USB version is an example of a badly designed technology. There were many devices that would not operate if they were more than 5 feet from the computer.
I really enjoy having wi-fi everywhere, just to browse the net, or checking my mails...
Q1 2006. Seriously. My employer has been looking into doing stuff with 802.16 but can't get prices on any hardware to test with.
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It is rarely idiotic to leave an access point unsecured. Think of it more as an act of kindness that costs nothing. If an AP owner isn't going to be using all the bandwidth they have paid for, why not share a little? I know the corporate culture thinks altruism is the devil, but it really isn't that evil.
....deploy this for internal use, or are you going to set up a public WISP?
I like this tech in theory, it would allow folks to do their own rural broadband. 802.11 whatever has too many limitations to be practical everywhere, it's under powered and needs line of sight, just ain't happening most places without a ton of access points and relays and repeaters and foolfarall. Around here two companies have tried it and they keep running into that, they just can't cover enoutgh people, every hill you need another access point. I'm going to be following this wimax deal because I just found out about a pretty decent local price drop with T-1s, my local community buys in bulk then re sells it to businesses for 300$ to encourage "progress". Not bad for entry level for the connect to the net part, just the wireless part has to be affordable, for both the ISP and for the customers.
BTW, that is a pretty funny comment
Christ, if we could get some equipment to play with we could make some supplier very happy.
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like noted in the previous post, 30 mile ranges are under super optimal conditions. that doesn't take into account anything like urban canyons, etc. by the way, if the tower can transmit 30 miles, that means that whatever device you are using has to push out a signal that far and I am more then a little reticent about the thought of a radio that can transmit thirty miles sitting on my lap - if ya know what i mean!!