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Index
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Introduction Brief Technical Description Features Applications of Wi-Fi Different Models Available Technical Benefits The User problems it solves Setting up of Wi-Fi Growth of Wi-fi Disadvantages with Wi-Fi Technology Audience for which it is Extended Pricing Availability Some early Adapters Future with Wi-Fi Technology
Features
General Features of Wi-Fi Wi-Fi is cheap,
powerful,
paperback magically distributes broadband Internet to an area the size of a football field. A card no larger than a matchbook receives it. The next laptop you buy will probably have Wi-Fi built in. Wires may soon
Applications in Office
WiFi Benefits Time is money, goes the adage. And WiFi helps you save time, tons of it. Apart from saving time, here are the some other inherent WiFi benefits. Its flexible. It leads to the better productivity & the space optimization. The Sharing of files for the office users or the home users makes great its applications to a greater extent.
Applications in Coverage
Using Wi-Fi to cross the last mile. As consumer electronics start to ship with wireless networking built in, demand will skyrocket for the broadband connections to make it all worthwhile. Which could be another opportunity for Wi-Fi. Currently, getting broadband at home is, at best, an uninspiring choice between the phone company and the cable company - if it's available at all. Wi-Fi hot spots mounted on lampposts or telephone poles, with directional antennas to extend their range and avoid congestion, could offer as good or better service. And the economies of scale of a truly mainstream technology could make it far cheaper than other wireless options. Also, neighborhood Wi-Fi "umbrellas" could employ the miles of unused fiber-optic cable that are a legacy of the telecom bubble, effectively bridging the otherwise expensive "last mile" from the main telecom networks to individual homes.
Open Spectrum As big as it is, Wi-Fi is just the start of something even bigger: A set of "open spectrum" technologies that could rewrite the rules of the airwaves, reversing a century of regulatory policy and enabling an explosion of new wireless devices and services.
Technical Benefits
Wired Illustrator
Open spectrum technologies cut through the noise rather than requiring regulatory protection from interference. One key technique is spread spectrum, a way to transmit over many frequencies simultaneously; if some channels are blocked, others will let data through. Wi-Fi spreads its signal over 14 channels on the 2.4-GHz band.
Two technologies have made that easier. The first is spread spectrum, which is a way of scattering a transmission around over many narrow frequencies, shotgun-style. Even if some are drowned out by interference, others will still get through - noise is rarely evenly distributed. And because the receiver knows the sequence of frequencies that the transmissions will be coming in, it can ignore those arriving at different times. The second is digital radio, which can break up a transmission into Internet-like packets with addresses. DR receivers pay attention only to the packets meant for them, allowing many devices to use the same frequencies. Add error correction and the ability to resend any part of a message that is lost, and you have radios that can cut through the noisiest environments and share airwaves with hundreds of nearby transmitters.
Fast - From 11 to 54 Mbps throughput and advanced roaming capabilities provide reliable access to e-mail, the Internet, file sharing and other network resources away from the desk. Cost-effective - Expand and extend the existing network by simply adding more adapters and access points. Planning is a no brainer as we need to buy only what we need. Secure - Current standards utilize 64- and 128-bit WEP encryption to help guard the network from intruders and protect data in transit. Add in technology and we have increased WLAN protection important for mission-critical data. In addition to the "hard" benefits of increased efficiency, productivity, manageability, and cost savings, wireless networks will certainly make a This is a technology savvy company statement to the world.
The Disadvantages
Wi-Fi isn't necessarily easy to find. So why doesn't everyone use Wi-Fi? Despite the growth of the networks, access can still be a problem. Once you get outside airports, restaurants, coffee shops and hotel lobbies, there isn't much service. The telephone-based systems are much more widely available. So, if you're at the airport, you probably have access to Wi-Fi. But if you're moseying through Stuck, Wash., or Scratch Ankle, Ala., you'll most likely need a telephone system. That could change. Cometa Networks, a consortium of AT&T, IBM and Intel, promises to build 20,000 hotspots by the end of 2004. Cometa is a wholesaler; it plans to sell the hotspots to retailers. It has a pilot program at 10 McDonald's restaurants in Manhattan. There, you get an hour of Internet access with an Extra Value Meal. Other companies also have announced big plans. Boosters talk of wall-to-wall Wi-Fi someday. "Someday" is the operative word; hotspots can be few and far between today.
We cannot secure Wi-Fi connections. Wi-Fi has a security standard Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). WEP encrypts data, but the key, which is used to encrypt and decrypt, is relatively easy to break. An expert hacker snooping on you 10 feet away could break your encryption. A new encryption standard, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), is in the works. It is expected to be much more secure than WEP. Microsoft recently updated Windows XP to handle WPA. But Wi-Fi providers still must implement WPA. T-Mobile is frank about warning that its data signal is broadcast in the open and clear. Passwords and usernames are encrypted. Other than that, you're on your own. T-Mobile encourages customers to use virtual private networks (VPNs). VPNs are software programs that use the Internet. But they are password-protected and use 128-bit encryption, which is virtually unbreakable. Corporations usually set up VPNs, which provide a secure tunnel into a company server. The data still could be intercepted, but it would be unreadable without the encryption key. Boingo Wireless also encourages customers to use a VPN. And it provides a VPN for users who do not already have one, greatly enhancing security. The Boingo VPN sends the encrypted data to a Boingo server, which decrypts it and sends it to its destination over the Internet. Small firms can buy VPN software to set up their own security. There are a number of manufacturers, two of which are Watchguard Technologies and SonicWALL.
Wi-Fi is geared for the more adept computer users. Wi-Fi is not for the uninitiated. For example, Boingo customers cannot access T-Mobile's network, or vice versa. That means when you travel, you must carefully plan your Web jaunts. It's as if you had to sign up with different telephone companies to be sure of having a connection. Boingo and T-Mobile have begun working together. They plan to make mutual access available someday. But that inconvenience is nothing compared to the possibility of being hacked. If you want to surf the Internet at an airport, you should be OK. But someone nearby using specialized software could watch your transmissions, unless you are using a VPN. Even using a password to enter your business or personal mailbox could be dangerous. Only you can decide if Wi-Fi is safe enough for your situation. A huge criminal business has been built on stolen identities. If you are transmitting data in the clear, someone could be watching.
Pricing
ACCESS POINT: The 54 Mbps 802.11g standard is the way to go. This DWL- 2000AP will be available in July for Rs 11,900. Until then, D-Links 802.11b (11 Mbps) device, DWL-900AP+, is Rs 8,250. Just plug it into your network, configure it in a few minutes, and your wireless network is up and running. PC CARD: You need one for each laptop that is not already WiFi enabled (the new Centrinos already areSamsungs X10, IBMs X31 and T40, etc). D-Links DWL-G650 (802.11g) will cost around Rs 5,950 (July); for now, the DWL-650+ (802.11b) is Rs 4,650. Just plug it into your XP laptop, install the driver if youre prompted to, and youre all set. PCI CARD: In case you want to wireless enable some desktop PCs as well, you need one of these: Rs 6,300 for this 802.11g card.
Availability
There are various vendors for the above mentioned products such as CISCO, DLINK,LINKSYS, SMC etc. The products related to 802.11b are readily available in the Indian market and very soon the product line of 802.11g model would also be available for marketing.
Wipro
Year of Implementation: 2003 Nature of project: Wireless deployment in Wipro Campus Given the increasing mobile/home/laptop user numbers in Wipro, a need was felt to enable these users to access the net anywhere, anytime in the campus. Wipro deployed 18 Ciscos Aironet Access Points across the campus to deliver access to its employees. After the success of the project, Wipro is planning to extend the wireless services to common areas/cafeteria/ lobbies and conference rooms in all offices across the globe in a phased manner. System Integrator: Wipro Infotech Users: Wipro employees Benefits: Better productivity and space optimization Time taken: Two days
From:-
PANKAJSHARMA