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1Gbps Optical Wireless Network Might Replace Wi-Fi
Mark.JUK writes "Pennsylvania State University has developed a new method of indoor Optical Wireless network that does not require a line-of-sight and runs at speeds of 1Gbps+. The system uses a high-powered laser diode — a device that converts electricity into light — as the optical transmitter and an avalanche photo diode — a device that converts light to electricity — as the receiver. The light bounces off the walls and is picked up by the receiver. Traditional radio frequency systems (Wi-Fi , WiMAX etc.) do not require line of sight transmission, but can pass through some substances and so present a security problem. Light, in a room without windows, will not escape the room, improving security."
it's interrupting my downloads!
sigs... don't talk to me about sigs....
This is only going to work in the small area that the laser can get to, so cables might be a better solution.
I like to shut the door of my room while watching my movies and other stuff.
In soviet russia the government regulates the companies.
If the LASER is anywhere in the visual spectrum, the whole house could become a perpetual disco ;)
> Light, in a room without windows, will not escape the room, improving security.
Although at a cost? This system might be useful for Universities that need to provide wireless to a hundred computers in the same room, but it would be almost useless for homes and such, where one of the big reasons to go wireless is to avoid the need to rewire the house. To use a 1 Gbps signal, you'd need a hard-line to the room.
The other point is that for most applications, it's simply unnecessary to improve over the speed of modern wireless.
Still, there are a few niches where this would be useful, and it sounds like a really fun idea to develop.
-- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!
How many homes don't have windows? Of those homes, how often is it that there is a need to connect with a computer inside a closed room? Any system that can connect to a computer inside a closed room can also be connected to from outside the house. Any system that can't be connected to from outside the house also can not connect to a system with the door shut. The number of times the signal can bounce off walls would significantly affect the range of the system. So while a direct path between floors of a house may be 10 meters, the path through the house from the top floor going around everything that is opaque to the system might be 50-60 meters and quite possibly out of range.
Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
Light, in a room without windows, will not escape the room, improving security.
As usual, Windows makes networking less secure, why am I not surprised.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
Well duh, everyone knows that avoiding Windows improves your security.
The other point is that for most applications, it's simply unnecessary to improve over the speed of modern wireless.
Uh huh, and 640K should be enough for anyone, and there's no reason to go to broadband when a regular old analog modem is sufficient for most applications, and...well you probably get my point by now.
IR office networks were popular around 15 years ago. HP used to have a "NetBeame" IR access point product line. (There's one on eBay for $49.) There's Linux support for IRNet. The Infrared Data Association is already promoting gigabit IrDA.
The concept of diffuse IR networking works fine, but it never really caught on. You can usually get a signal with one bounce, typically off the ceiling, but more than one bounce and it tends not to work. You don't get any useful diffraction around obstacles at IR frequencies, so shadows are a problem. If you populate the ceiling with little IR domes, it works fine, and I've seen that done, but it's obsolete technology now.
since when can't lasers pass through walls!? :) Use a BIGGER lazer!