Wireless / Networking

A group of companies have rolled out some new technology designed to make the Internet faster. The Global Internet Speedup Initiative is based on improving the Domain Name System (DNS). The technology automatically adds partial IP address information into the DNS that redirects requests for content like Web pages and videos to geographically closer Internet servers. This reduces network latency and lowers overall Internet traffic loads.

Web surfers don't need to do anything to take advantage of the service, but content providers must install updates on their DNS servers. It's too soon to say how much speedup a person can expect from this Initiative, and it depends on the extent providers sign up to support it.

→ More - Google, OpenDNS Team Up to Boost Internet Speeds (pcmag.com)
→ See also - Google DNS vs OpenDNS

Networking a printer isn't as hard as many people think. While it might not seem like a big deal, having to always walk over to the one PC that has the home printer attached is unnecessarily limiting. Without much effort a person can set up their network to share a printer with everyone's computer, their phones if necessary, and even have the capability to print things remotely when away from home. Worried about your printer being hacked? Keeping your printer shut off when not using it is a good energy-saving practice and also effectively protects against Internet attackers. Once you've enjoyed the convenience of a networked printer, you're unlikely to want a home without one.
→ More - How To Network a Printer

Wireless cellular networks on the U.S. East Coast survived today's significant earthquake with only temporary congestion. Social networks like Twitter also worked as an alternative for staying in contact with those involved. Each time a major event like this happens, though, interest renews in the idea of dedicated emergency wireless networks to better cope with crisis events.

No doubt wireless networks have become essential to our daily lives, but are separate emergency networks really practical? Besides the large cost involved, it's still very difficult to build a wireless network infrastructure that can withstand all sorts of natural disasters and handle the load of large-scale emergencies. It seems more practical to focus on making our existing networks increasingly scalable and reliable.

→ See also - Cloud Computing and Earthquake Preparation

Many large cities use electronic signs on major roadways to display dynamic traffic information such as the time required to travel to nearby locations. Different types of camera, sensor and GPS systems can be used to monitor roads like this, but the city of Houston, Texas (USA) appears to the first one experimenting with Bluetooth.

This system scans the Bluetooth wireless signals of ordinary phones and other mobile devices being carried by road travelers, capturing their MAC addresses, and tracking their location as they pass by various checkpoints. Bluetooth discovery services must be disabled on a device to prevent it from being detected, but the system's developers also took steps to keep addresses anonymous. The system won't work well, of course, when there aren't enough people with transmitting Bluetooth gadgets on the roads.

→ More - How Houston Uses Your Bluetooth Phone to Fight Traffic (jalopnik.com)
→ More - Anonymous Wireless Address Matching (AWAM) for Traffic Information (tamu.edu)

Macrumors, CNet, and others were quick to notice that a a 3G-equipped Macbook prototype appeared on eBay this weekend. Assuming it is legit, this Macbook Pro from 2007 was one Apple created as an experimental unit, complete with built-in cellular modem. It reveals more about Apple's history of work on mobile wireless networking than anything else, as such a product has never shipped and there's no indication the company plans to add 3G capability to today's Macbook Pros anytime soon. Nevertheless, bidding activity on eBay has been heavy for the prototype device, and the price has increased dramatically. How high will it go?
Update 14-Aug-2011 - eBay removed this listing.

→ More - Unreleased PROTOTYPE Apple Macbook Pro 15" With 3G (ebay.com)
→ See also - Top Apple iOS Apps for Wireless Networking

Optical networking traditionally used pulses of lights to transfer binary information over fiber optic cables. Other forms of optical communication exist, though, including one called Visible Light Communication (VLC). With VLC, specially configured lights in a room can theoretically be used to transmit wireless network data comparable to how we use Wi-Fi radios in our homes today. It's an area mostly for academic research as the technology is still relatively new.

One research group that has been working on VLC for awhile, HHI in Germany, recently demonstrated an amazing 800 Mbps transmissions using blinking LEDs. The lights flash at speeds not noticeable to the human eye, of course. Someday when LED lighting becomes commonplace, probably first in businesses rather than homes, VLC could become a clean practical alternative to radio communication.

Daily Express (UK) says the 20th anniversary of the internet [is] just one day away. Not true! The history of the Internet goes back much further. It's not practical to pin down to one specific date, but the key technology components of today's Internet were developed starting more than 40 years ago.

PC Magazine is also reporting that the World Wide Web, not The Internet, turns 20 this weekend. That's closer to correct, as 6 August 1991 is the day that the WWW was announced. But wait: The 20th anniversary of the WWW was celebrated in 2009 already. What's going on here, and who's right?

Read More...

Relatively few consumers in the U.S. have experienced WiMax wireless Internet service. Anyone else who's interested to try it had better move fast - before it's gone. For some time now, WiMax has been getting pushed aside by the telecommunications industry who is steadily moving to roll out Long Term Evolution (LTE) as "he technology of choice for mobile broadband. The only firm to offer WiMax on a nationwide scale, Clearwire, has now officially announced its plans to build out their own LTE network instead. Hopefully the lack of competition for LTE won't lead to higher prices, but one thing consumers shouldn't need to worry about is speed - LTE networks like Clearwire's are capable of delivering 100 Mbps or greater bandwidth to your router or hotspot.
→ More - Clearwire Embraces LTE (geekwire.com)
→ See also - LTE Pushes Aside WiMAX for Mobile Broadband
→ See also - What Is Mobile Broadband?

From our Message Board: "I have someone hacking into my router daily, deleting my connection. It is password protected and the person doing it is not inside my home and don't have access to my computer. How can i stop him from deleting my Internet connection? Please help me - he is very smart on computer stuff... ."

Others have already replied with good suggestions for this person. Do you have any others to share from your experience? Unfortunately, it's fairly easy to find someone who has found their router under attack. It makes you wonder how many others might be victims without even knowing it.

→ Discuss - Someone Is Hacking My Router
→ See also - Is Someone Remotely Logging Into Your Router?

In wireless networking, DIDO stands for Distributed-Input-Distributed-Output. DIDO is a dubious vision for technology that better utilizes wireless spectrum and supports more users than today's Wi-Fi and current state-of-the-art MIMO technology. Although DIDO is envisioned to be a "mass market product," it is somewhat far away from this goal today. Networking with DIDO relies on some mysterious "immensely complex" mathematics, for example, that it's creators aren't willing to share in public. DIDO also calls for a mass deployment of special wireless access points in the cloud that hasn't begun yet to any significant scale. At this stage, DIDO is only worth talking about to the extent that its creators be prodded to share more details. Be very skeptical meanwhile.
→ More - OnLive Creator Designs Revolutionary Wireless System (pcmag.com)
→ See also - What Is Cloud Computing?