March 7th, 2008

Over WiFi at DIA, free speech is DOA

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 3:07 am

Categories: Regulatory, WiFi

Tags: Sports Illustrated, Wireless LANs, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Russell Shaw

SI model Jessica Gomes, if you must know.

Our own Maggie Reardon expands on a  Denver Post story that notes the Denver International Airport has chosen to block Wi-Fi access to such sites as boingboing.net,  the website of Vanity Fair magazine, and even the web link to Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue.

Maggie notes that the airport’s spokesman Chuck Cannon told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he would rather “weather infrequent complaints about access than handle angry parents whose children might see pornography.”

Well, excuse me. Aren’t magazines with far more “pornographic” sold at DIA newsstands? And how many children would be Web surfing via WiFi at any airport?

Well, I suppose that if you and a couple of your kids are at the gate, waiting on a plane, and a guy sits next to your brood and directs his Wi-Fi enabled notebook to the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue landing page, well, would your kid is on the road to ruin.

One more note of hypocrisy. Some of the same parents who presumably would complain about access to the SI swimsuit issue over airport WiFi might be proud of their son, nephew, sister, husband, etc., for fighting for “our freedoms” in Iraq.

February 12th, 2008

Here's why AT&T Starbucks free Wi-Fi doesn't include AT&T cell customers

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 5:45 am

Categories: AT&T, WiFi

Tags: AT&T Corp., Starbucks Corp., Wireless LANs, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Russell Shaw

By now, many of you have heard that the 7,000 U.S. Starbucks Wi-Fi locations will be switching their Wi-Fi service provider from adding an alternative to T-Mobile. That alternative access will be via AT&T’s Wi-Fi network.

The agreement, which will offer up to two hours of free Wi-Fi a day to Starbucks Card holders, also will offer unlimited free Wi-Fi access to more than 12 million qualifying AT&T broadband and AT&T U-verse Internet customers, as well as 5 million of AT&T’s remote access services business customers.

To that, I have a simple question.

Why doesn’t the free AT&T Starbucks Wi-Fi offer include AT&T Mobility customers?

Could it be that AT&T fears that by doing this, it would cannibalize AT&T Mobility minutes?

September 18th, 2007

Cisco's purchase of Cognio will boost its WiFi analysis toolset

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 7:26 am

Categories: News, WiFi

Tags: Network, Wi-Fi, Wireless Networking, Cisco Systems Inc., Analysis, Wireless, Cognio, Russell Shaw

Cisco Systems is making a purchase that I believe will significantly boost the attractiveness of its unified wireless networking suite, as well as its WiFi analysis capabilities it can offer customers.

The deal I am referring to is a purchase of Cognio. Just announced, expected to finalize early next year.

One of those niche companies that few people outside the fields of networking or wirelesshave heard of, Cognio is an innovative developer of wireless spectrum analysis tools.

As you can see from the screencap at the top of this post, one of Cognio’s core competencies is to detect radio frequency interference sources.  Such detection capabilities, as found in Cognio’s Wireless Spectrum Expert 3.1 for WiFi,  can help network managers identify problems before they become major, as well as diagnose issues that are muckin’ (I’m such a gentleman) with network performance.

Seems to me that Cognio functionalities/capabilities could be a valuable addition to Cisco’s solution set.

Seems that way to Cisco, too. Cisco says it will integrate Cognio’s solutions and staff into the Ethernet and Wireless Technology Group of its Wireless Networking Business Unit.

September 8th, 2007

Rail commuters: Prefer on-train Wi-Fi or your own wireless broadband?

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 10:54 am

Categories: WiFi

Tags: Broadband, ROI, Wi-Fi, Wireless Broadband, Wireless, Russell Shaw

The always-knowledgeable Glen Fleishman of Wi-Fi Networking News posts an informative overview on several separate efforts to equip various California Bay Area commuter rail lines with on-train Wi-Fi.

As an enthusiastic Wi-Fi user, a non-infrequent passenger on these routes, AND as a major railfan, this issue impacts me in several ways.

First, some background on what’s been going on with on-train Wi-Fi efforts in the Bay Area.

After spending $300,000 on trials, Caltrain (SF to San Jose, with extensions to Gilroy) has just rejected two bids.

Altamont Commuter Express (San Jose-Stockton) on-train Wi-Fi is currently off-line, but its Railwave brand is “coming soon;”

Capital Corridor (San Jose, thru Oakland, to Sacramento, w/one extension to Auburn, Cal.) ) seems to be stuck in RFP limbo and as a result, isn’t exactly being fast-tracked (pun intended).

To me, the thought of Wi-Fi on trains evokes an even broader question.

If this Wi-Fi on rails is not free- say $9.99 a day, why not pay $49.99 or $59.99 a month for a Wireless Broadband card?

The ROI is obvious.  Five or six days of Wi-Fi access a month at $50 or $60 vs. a whole month of wireless broadband? By virtue of being a commuter, you’d almost certainly be on that train more than five or six days a month.

On the other hand, Wi-Fi is faster. But then again, most of you train riders aren’t going to be downloading or uploading huge media files all that often to make thruput the major consideration?

Or would you?

August 6th, 2007

VoIP over wireless: ten things you should know

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 9:54 am

Categories: WiFi, WiMAX

Tags: VoIP, Phone, Wi-Fi Network, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Russell Shaw

On our sister site TechRepublic’s 10 things blog, technology consultant and author Debra Littlejohn Shinder lists, 10 things (no surprise there) you should know about VoIP over wireless.

So why should you care?

“Many organizations today run IP networks over wireless technology, and it’s possible to run VoIP applications over Wi-Fi, too,” Debra writes. “But you need to be aware of a number of issues when planning a VoIP over wireless (often called VoW, VoFi, or wVoIP) deployment.

“With the advent of WiMAX for longer range Wi-Fi communications, wireless phone companies (cellular carriers) are gearing up to offer hybrid phones that will use VoIP over Wi-Fi when a Wi-Fi network is available and switch to cellular when one is not,” she adds. “So VoIP over wireless encompasses different things, depending on the context.”

Quite naturally, the “ten things” come next. Many of her points will sound obvious to experienced VoIP admins and users, but not all of our readers are as comprehensively - as they say in Patent literature- “skilled in the art.”

With that in mind, two of Debra’s points strike me as especially teachable moments for this Monday. They happen to be #1 and #10 of the aforementioned “ten things”:

#1: Wireless VoIP offers advantages over cellular service- A big advantage of wireless VoIP is that IP phones that work on Wi-Fi networks can be used in place of cell phones in many cases. Public 802.11 hotspots are often free or available at a low daily cost. If you’re connecting to the Wi-Fi network anyway for Web and e-mail access, there’s no additional cost to make VoIP calls other than the cost of your VoIP service, which is usually far less than the cost of cell phone service and may offer free unlimited international calling, something you don’t get with most cellular plans.

And next we have:

#10: Future phones will combine cellular and Wi-Fi VoIP- Industry pundits predict that the next generation of cell phones will all include built-in Wi-Fi. With these hybrid or dual-mode phones, you’ll be able to seamlessly switch between cellular and VoIP over Wi-Fi when you come into range of a Wi-Fi hotspot, even within the same phone call.

Landlines are expected to all but disappear as the hybrid phones become a single solution for telephony, operating off the user’s Wi-Fi network at home and using cellular technology when there is no Wi-Fi network within range. This is predicted to lower the total cost of telephone service.

Because of the intertia of the installed base, I don’t happen to think landlines will disappear all that fast, but you get the idea. Hybrid telephony will rule.

June 12th, 2007

Wi-Fi-enabled digital cameras: Five reasons why you couldn't care less

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 2:34 pm

Categories: Predictions and Observations, WiFi

Tags: Wi-Fi, Digital Camera, Photograph, Camera, Russell Shaw

The other day my colleague Mike Kanellos reported that this fall, start-up Eye-Fi plans to release $100 Secure Digital memory cards with integrated Wi-Fi capability.

Cards will hold about 2GB, and have direct upload functionality to a dozen or so photo posting sites.

But in the same article, Michael writes that Wi-Fi enabled digital cameras (such as the $449.95, Nikon Coolpix P3 at the top left of this post) haven’t exactly sold like gangbusters.

I think I know why.

1. You already have a camera phone. If you really need mobile photo messaging, your camera phone has you covered?

2. Why buy a WiFi-enabled digital camera when you already have a digicam? Is the kick of mobile photo capability really worth replacing or supplementing your existing camera with a $$$ WiFi-capable model?

3. Why should you look around for a WiFi hotspot to pay for, and send your digital camera image when you are already on a cell phone plan that lets you do this directly from your handset?

4. You are more than likely to take your digital camera with you on designated photo expeditions than carry it around with you all the time. And those expeditions will yield photos you might want to post to Flickr or even print out. No urgency to send or post them while you are out and about.

5. Many WiFi hotspots are indoors- not necessarily the most photogenic of environments. Do you really want to waste pixels sending a photo of yourself in a Starbucks or Borders?

I’m sure you readers have some addl reasons? Or maybe you love Wi-Fi digital cameras?

May 24th, 2007

Boingo Wireless to get big boost from FON alliance

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 1:20 am

Categories: News, WiFi

Tags: Russell Shaw

Wi-Fi network operator/aggregator Boingo Wireless announces this morning it is teaming up with FON in an endeavor that will provide Boingo users with access to some 130,000 Wi-Fi hot spot locations.

The project will more than double Boingo’s size.

This isn’t just your usual alliance. FON’s hotspots come into being from  businesses and individuals who add their own hot spots to the FON community in exchange for the right to roam on other FON community locations for free or at a reduced rate.

Availability to the FON network will equip Boingo Mobile users access to FON’s hotspots throughout the world for a flat $7.95 a month.

Access to the FON network will also benefit users of Boingo Mobile, the company’s service for Wi-Fi-enabled handsets.  Boingo Mobile users pay $7.95 per month for unlimited access to hot spots worldwide to make handset-based VoIP calls, do IM, or even surf the Web.

Losers in this deal: proprietary Wi-Fi services like T-Mobile that charge you more for a few hours of access than Boingo does for a month.

May 22nd, 2007

Michigan man busted for stealing Wi-Fi signal; could have received five years

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 11:23 am

Categories: Regulatory, WiFi

Tags: Wi-Fi, Computer, Russell Shaw

Sam Peterson II of Sparta, Michigan has been arrested and charged with stealing the Wi-Fi connection from a nearby coffee shop. He was arrested after a police investigation targeted his computer.

The ultimate penalty for the 2000-vintage law: five years in jail, $10,000 fine.

The law says:

752.795 Prohibited conduct.

Sec. 5.

A person shall not intentionally and without authorization or by exceeding valid authorization do any of the following:

(a) Access or cause access to be made to a computer program, computer, computer system, or computer network to acquire, alter, damage, delete, or destroy property or otherwise use the service of a computer program, computer, computer system, or computer network.

(b) Insert or attach or knowingly create the opportunity for an unknowing and unwanted insertion or attachment of a set of instructions or a computer program into a computer program, computer, computer system, or computer network, that is intended to acquire, alter, damage, delete, disrupt, or destroy property or otherwise use the services of a computer program, computer, computer system, or computer network. This subdivision does not prohibit conduct protected under section 5 of article I of the state constitution of 1963 or under the first amendment of the constitution of the United States.

Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Lynn Hopkins tells Patrick Center of WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids:

“This is the first time that we’ve actually charged it,” and it could be the only case of its kind in the state. “Oh, we’d been hoping to dodge this bullet for a while. We had not been looking for this,” she said. “We knew it would come up eventually and we’d have to make a decision as to how to deal with it.”

Fortunately, Sam has a clean record and won’t have to do the time. He’ll pay $400 and perform 40 hours of community service.

Hopkins hopes this action serves as a deterrent.

“People need to know that this isn’t legal and if you get caught there are some pretty serious consequences.,” Hopkins said.

Hey I can see it now.

“What are you in for?”

“Dealin’ crank, dude.”

“What are you in for?”

“Stealin’ Wi-Fi, dude.”

 Loading ...

May 20th, 2007

Municipal Wi-Fi is still facing challenges

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 9:17 pm

Categories: Regulatory, WiFi

Tags: Municipal Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi, Russell Shaw

A newly published Information Week article calls into question the short-to-mid-term market appeal of municipal Wi-Fi.

Muni Wi-Fi built by such service providers as MetroFi- one of whose access points is pictured above.

While not breaking formative new ground, the article notes that many of these projects have been contracted in haste, built on what the article’s author Richard Martin calls dubious “build it and they will come” economic models.

Martin then cites various municipal WiFi disappointments, such as

Tempe, Arizona- Spotty coverage, resulting in a doubling of that city’s Wi-Fi nodes;

Anaheim, California- Non fee-paying subscribers- such as municipal users - are increasingly being recruited to bridge the revenue gap.

Glendale, California- Originally envisioned as ad-supported and free, that city’s Municipal Wi-Fi probably needs a subscription model to be viable.

San Francisco- Critics question that because Wi-Fi is so widely available, a municipal Wi-Fi alternative isn’t that necessary.

My own opinion is that although we are early in the game, the commercial and technical models for making Municipal Wi-Fi succeed aren’t a sure bet.

May 17th, 2007

Paris-ite Hilton? NY landmark hotel's exorbitant WiFi charges

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 3:32 am

Categories: Predictions and Observations, WiFi

Tags: Hilton Hotels Corp., Wi-Fi, Colleague Larry Dignan, Russell Shaw

Colleague Larry Dignan has just attended a conference at the New York Hilton.

While he is convinced that the hotel’s Wi-Fi system offered the best access, Larry is kind of miffed at the prices:

• Hourly plan: $4.95
• Daily standard: $14.95
• Daily VPN: $16.95
• Weekly standard: $74.95
• Weekly VPN: $84.75

As someone who not only writes about Wi-Fi but who has been a Contributing Editor for a large hotel industry trade publication for the last 20 years, I understand this issue.

$14,95 a day for standard Wi-Fi?

WTF? (I mean, of course, Why The Fee)

Considering the room rates this hotel charges, (generally $299 a night minimum) they ought to make all WiFi complementary, or maybe just charge for VPN.

April 28th, 2007

Woman: "I'm allergic to Wi-Fi"; now wears tinfoil facial net as protection

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 10:23 am

Categories: General, News, WiFi

Tags: Telephone, Mobile Phone, Todays London Daily Mail, Russell Shaw

Today's London Daily Mail runs the account of a 51 year-old woman who claims extreme and incapacitating sensitiviith to Wi-Fi networks and mobile phones as well.

In fact, she sometimes wears facial protection worthy of a beekeeper.

We're talking abou Sarah Dacre, 51.

"Wi-Fi, or wireless broadband networks, seem to be the worst thing," she tells the London Daily Mail's Victoria Moore.

"Closely followed by mobile phones - particularly if they're being used in an enclosed space - the base stations of cordless telephones and mobile phone masts," adds Moore.

"I have to restrict the amount of time I spend on the computer or watching television, and make sure I don't have too many household appliances on at once, because that sets me off as well."

Sarah doesn't appear to be a flake. She's been a banker and television producer.

"Now, I have no income because I can't work and I have no choice but to devote all my energies to fighting to find out more about my allergies," she says. 

April 4th, 2007

Sorry, no VoIP over WiFi from your plane-unless

Posted by Russell Shaw @ 7:39 am

Categories: General, WiFi, trends

Tags:

In all the excitement about WiFi coming to aircraft within the next year (or so they say), a key fact is being overlooked.

Buried in a Wall Street Journal story about the deal is that airplane WiFi contractor AirCell will block voice calls over the Internet.

That's just for those of us ordinarily mortals/civilians in steerage. Like the lady in the AirCell photo. She not wearing a headset.

But pilots, flight attendants and air marshals, will be allowed to make VoIP over AirCell WiFi calls- as long as these calls concern scheduling, safety and security issues.

Prediction: once voice over WiFi is shown to be safe from the air, you'll see pressure on AirCell to allow voice calls to piggyback. But before that happens, you may see revenue models being debated, and the old bugaboo of institutional resistance rear its ugly head.