June 6, 2005

Informit.com has published a very interesting article explaining how to use the free open source OpenVPN package to help secure your wireless network. This is done by implementing a VPN connection between the wireless user and the host network using not just OpenVPN, but also OpenSSL and XCA for certificate management, thus providing high level authentication and strong encryption.

May 9, 2005

Tom's Networking has published complete coverage of Interop 2005 show in Las Vegas. The primary focus seemed to be on the Small and Medium Business (SMB) market. Some of the products highlighted include the Cisco 800 Series Integrated Services Router and ASA 5500 Adaptive Security Appliance, the 3Com NBX V3000 VOIP PBX platform, other VOIP PBX hardware from Netgear, the ADTRAN NetVanta 1224R and 1224STR routers, the Netgear SC101 NAS storage device, the Lantronix WiBox and SecureBox device servers, new KVM-over-IP switches from Startech, the Maxus MJR-0918 cell phone blocker, the D-Link DWS-1008 AirPremier Wireless Switch, the FVS124G and FVS114 ProSafe VPN firewalls from Netgear, the Cisco 1800, 870 and 850 series of VPN routers, and the Xirrus 8 radio WLAN array.

April 30, 2005

Personal Computer World has published a brief guide to securing your wireless network. The suggestions include installing a personal firewall, using WEP or WPA encryption, using a VPN for network connections, transmitting personal details only during SSL sessions, changing your default SSID, disabling SSID broadcast, changing default passwords, and enabling MAC filtering.

April 25, 2005

T-Mobile has unveiled a new site that provides street level cellular and hotspot coverage information. The maps include cellular signal strength and hotspot locations across the entire United States, as well as information about roaming coverage areas.

April 22, 2005

For those who want to create a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, here are the plans. The only requirments for building an EVDO/Wi-Fi router are an EVDO connection from a company like Verizon, some spare hardware, and Linux. Now you can deliver Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity to any location at any time. The possibilities are endless.

April 20, 2005

Personal Wi-Fi security is once again in the news, and two articles about it have just been published. In the first, Fortune magazine writer David Kirkpatrick is shocked to discover someone browsing through personal files on his Wi-Fi enabled home network. In an article at Win DevCenter, author Preston Gralla shows you how to make sure your Wi-Fi network is secure from snoops and hackers.

April 11, 2005

The Register has published an article summarizing the happenings at last week's WiMAX Summit in Paris. While fixed WiMAX (802.16d also known as 802.16-2004) is ready, the hot topic at the summit was WiMAX mobility and the standards needed to make it happen. Several competing implementations such as a proposed 802.16e as well as 802.16d+ are competing for standards approval. Chip makers and equipment makers like Alcatel, Nortel, and Intel have a lot riding on what happens with mobile WiMAX because any further delays or confusion could impede planned large scale network deployments of WiMAX as a whole.

April 3, 2005

The IEEE has called for proposals for the 802.11s wireless mesh network standard. Currently, mesh networking hardware providers like PacketHop, Strix Systems, and Tropos Networks use proprietary mesh routing protocols.

April 2, 2005

Verizon's chief technology officer has stated that the company may launch a VOIP over EVDO offering in the next three years. The move is intended to compete with VOIP over WiMAX services expected to be launched in the next two years.

March 29, 2005

A report issued yesterday says that the job market for wireless and networking jobs is heating up quickly. More than 74% of wireless industry professionals stated that the job market in their field is strong and growing. Online job listing sites report that listings for wireless-related jobs have doubled over the same period last year, and listings for other data networking jobs have increased 40%. However, the job market for other IT careers is still mixed due to recent mergers, layoffs, and off-shore outsourcing.

March 26, 2005

The wacky folks from EVDOinfo.com really put Verizon's EVDO wireless data network to the test. First they did a 2 way iChat videoconference at 60 MPH, then they did a streaming video webcam with GPS tracking over EVDO, then they did Vonage VOIP over EVDO. And, they have really cool video clips of all this madness.

March 24, 2005

According to analysts, WiMAX and 3G data networks are destined to compete ferociously over the same customers in 2006 and beyond.

March 19, 2005

New smart phones and other devices have been displayed at the CTIA Spring 2005 trade show. Tom's Networking, HardwareBargainPDA.com and the Seattle Times give you the scoop.

March 19, 2005

According to federal and state law enforcement, criminals have begun using the unsecured Wi-Fi networks of unsuspecting consumers and businesses to cover their tracks. Incidents involving fraud, threats, and identity theft have already been traced to unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots. More than 10 million homes in the U.S. have Wi-Fi and a large percentage of those networks are unsecured.

March 19, 2005

The IEEE has settled on, but not yet ratified, a single proposal for the 802.11n next-generation Wi-Fi standard. It is designed to replace, yet still be interoperable with the 802.11/a/b/g standards, and will have up to 630 Mbits/s of throughput.

March 15, 2005

Does Skype for PPC live up to the promise of free wireless voice calling from your Pocket PC? In some ways the answer is yes, in other ways the answer is that more work needs to be done. This detailed review at Tom's Hardware gives you the current state of affairs.

March 14, 2005

AT&T has announced that it will begin testing its WiMax service with corporate customers in New Jersey. The company plans to roll out WiMax wireless broadband technology in major cities over the next several years.

March 12, 2005

A new report looking at wireless networks used by businesses has revealed that, despite warnings, many businesses are at severe risk of security breaches through their wireless networks. Researchers found that 38 percent of wireless networks in New York and 35 percent of wireless networks in San Francisco are completely unprotected. Large cities in Europe did not fare much better.

March 9, 2005

An article over at Tom's Networking shows how you too can build your very own BlueSniper, a rifle that lets you scan and attack Bluetooth devices, including many different cell phones, from more than a mile away. See what happens as they play with their new toy in downtown L.A.

February 20, 2005

Tom's Networking posted a review of the Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router with SRX (Model WRT54GX). This wireless router has three antennas and uses Airgo's "True MIMO" technology to achieve extended range and increased throughput, even when communicating with standard 802.11g nodes.