As our home networks integrate more and more technology we find more and more of our lives are lived and stored digitally.  Beginning with multiple computer homes, the private home network has grown to include a myriad of devices and gadgets.  Our new toys are now becoming sophisticated enough to communicate with one another and, as they should.  Now that my phone, computer, television and game console can store and display my photos, it only makes sense that personal home networking becomes more commonplace.  Photos are the perhaps only the first step but the need for easy and integrated home networking has become obvious.  In recent developments within Cisco Systems and Ruckus, your home network may be changing again.
Naomi Graychase at Wi-Fi Planet reveals Cisco Systems’ recent announcement to acquire Seattle-based networking software company Pure Networks.  Pure Networks is the provider of Network Magic, an easy-to-use home networking software tool.  Cisco Systems sees this acquisition as an important step in maintaining their juggernaut status in the networking industry.  The Network Magic software and Pure Networks geared toward OEMs, service providers and small business/home users, has a history with Cisco Systems already.  They have been partners in providing Cisco Systems’ Linksys Easy Link Advisor tool.
Why might you be interested in the new focus on home networking?  Why might you want to keep a tab on the business developments of software like Network Magic?  The numbers surrounding HDTV use and desire seem to reflect a growing demand for spiffy television and not just one set but multiple HD sets, a network if you will.

According to Ms. Graychase’s article at Wi-Fi Planet, Ruckus Wireless has released their newest MediaFlex 7000 series to satiate your HD appetite.  While your telecom company will be responsible for purchasing and implementing the MediaFlex series, it means your HDTV availability; quality, service and pricing will all change (again).  Providing more consistent service at higher bandwidth speeds hits home at the wallet and the increase in capacity on networks with multiple high-use outlets such as HDTVs is an important factor in pricing.  As David Callisch, Ruckus Wireless VP of Marketing explains, “carriers care about actual capacity, what they can actually charge for,” Ruckus Wireless is taking a pointed approach to the WiFi end-solution game.  Their focus on multimedia distribution guided the development of the MediaFlex 7000 series.  A product that is designed to do one thing and one thing well, as it’s so billed, will solve the WiFi end-solution game piece by piece.

Joe Brancatelli delves into the phenomenon of inconsistency in hotel wireless pricing. He asks why some lower end lodgers offer service free while upscale lodgers charge your firstborn. It’s an old problem in a new suit he concludes. Hoteliers must choose between charging an a la carte price (often significantly raised) or lumping their Internet costs into general room fare. The a la carte price seems to add insult to injury when upscale hotel chains are already charging a hefty fee. Assuming your clients can expense Internet fees is a dangerous game. But the flip side also has its issues. Why force guests who opt out of internet service to shoulder some of the cost? We’ve been here before and we’ll be here a while Brancatelli says, invoking memories of the past

Remember trying to use the hotel room phone? Another reason to be appreciative of mobile phones, but where is the Internet equivalent? A client that allows you to securely connect to Wifi hotspots already in place? Why, that’s what we were thinking…

When it comes to the 802.11 standard (WiFi), there are two types of security, which can be deployed on the wireless network. The most common and least secure method is Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and the much more secure Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). It is important to note: Independent research conducted by wifi.com staff indicates better than 50% of home-based wireless networks and 40% of wifi hotspot providers do not deploy security measures.

For home-based and most other consumer-grade wireless networks, security is controlled at the access point or router. The current security settings on wifi-capable access points are; none, WEP, WPA, and WPA2. The key difference between WPA and WPA2 is the latter applies an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which has been adopted by the U.S. government.

In general WEP security will keep the average person from using your network. However, in August of 2001 a published article explained how the WEP encryption can be attacked and the passkey recovered in about 10 minutes time. Thus, if someone really wants in, they can gain access to the network and ultimately, your computer.

When securing a home network, wifi.com recommends using the WPA2 (AES) option. With the adoption of the next 802.11 standard (802.11n) the creation of a secure environment using WPA2 (AES) will become easier for the end user.

First off, thank you for visiting our site and please check back often for updates on our progress.

This may sound like a cliché, but we are working feverishly to get our initial offering out the door. For weeks we have had our nose to the grind stone; programmers programming, designers designing, writers writing, collaborators collaborating, and a whole bunch of really smart people acting smart. All of the effort is starting to show.

Very shortly we will be re-launching the WiFi.com website and introducing our private beta testers to our wifi client. The intention of the wifi client is to allow seamless sorting of wifi networks, along with adding your own wifi hotspots to share, the end state being a secure wireless Internet connection for all which is automatically selected based upon quality of signal and cost. “Free” being the optimal price here.

We are also working on some really innovative functionality, which we believe, will revolutionize the way people connect to the Internet. Although we are not willing to share everything we have in store for you, imagine yourself in a world with ubiquitous wifi, never having to worry about how to connect to the Internet wirelessly and knowing when you do connect your information will be secure. Free, secure, and easy…

This is the goal of WiFi.com.

Ryan Kim from the Tech Chronicles looks to see how the U.S. compares in broadband service to other top countries. While the raw population of users in the US is still higher than many countries, the speed and price of our broadband service is barely mediocre.

While there are some that argue that the United States has unique attributes that play a factor but are not included in ranking systems, others use the ranking to call attention to national legislation regarding broadband service. If we don’t address broadband service via consolidated policy and open access, small to medium sized companies may look elsewhere than the United States for affordable telecommunications.

Policy and legislation seem to also play a critical role in deciding which of the currently competing wireless Internet technologies will spearhead the U.S. Internet endeavor. Tom Evslin at CircleID examines the Wifi-Wimax debate. Using down to earth metaphors his recent article clarifies the strengths and weaknesses of each technology and gives a brief informative history of each. In the end, Evslin concludes that in the struggle over the future of wireless Internet service, we may have an age-old case of politics determining which technology wins out.

From an engineering perspective Evslin sees the strengths and weaknesses of Wimax and Wifi to stem from the way devices and users interact with access points. To illustrate the difference between Wimax and Wifi he evokes the image of a classroom. Wifi is an uncontrolled chaotic environment in which every device struggles for ‘airtime’: “the obnoxious kid…in the front of the class”. Wimax on the other hand, allocates a specific amount of airtime to each device. Evslin views Wimax as Wifi, but centrally controlled and ordered. He claims it is unknown as of yet whether this increased control will help or hinder Wimax’s ability to provide high quality service. He is skeptical of this centralized command.

Traditionally, Wimax was meant for large range geographic areas whereas Wifi has most often been deployed for short-range locations. However, Evslin points out that Wifi is capable of the long-range service area Wimax is intended for. The battle therefore moves to the policy arena and which technology will have access to covetable radio frequency spectrums.

However, the U.S. still seems to be running into troubles implementing any successful metropolitan wireless network. Jacqueline Emigh from Betanews reports on the continual failure of Municipal WiFi projects across the country to successfully execute a business model. From Portland, Oregon to Toledo, Ohio and beyond, cities and Wi-Fi providers have been running into a continual obstacle course in providing free wireless Internet to city residents.

Earthlink, one of the most ambitious municipal wifi pioneers with projects in at least thirteen cities, reported that regardless of revenue model municipal wifi was infeasible. Neither wifi providers nor municipalities seem willing or capable to assume the brunt of responsibility for realizing the dream of free urban wifi. A solid cooperation has yet to be formed.

The Wall Street Journal published a write up warning users to be careful when accessing WiFi from a hotel room.

The hotel room scenario is a particularly tempting one which many of us can probably relate to. After the trip you arrive at your hotel room and want to check your email. Open up the laptop and see that there are a few wireless network, first you may try the one that has the hotel name just to realize that they want you to pay 30$ to connect, so you move to the next best alternative that seems to be open and hopefully free. Indeed you got a break and the network is open! Unfortunately the guy running the network is next door and he is now sniffing all your traffic looking for something interesting to steal.

The article suggests a few alternatives to protect yourself, unfortunately some of such solutions are not practical (using your work VPN for personal stuff may not be allowed) or they require extra costs.

These are exactly the type of problems that have motivated us to start wifi.com. We want to make sure that you can get free wifi access. We want to make sure that your experience is secure.