Wireless

My interest in wireless started about 4 years ago. I looked at what appeared to be 300 little pieces of paper all around my small apartment with all kinds of names, address, appointments, and basically things I needed to do. Eventually all of this found its way into Outlook and that was fine, but what if I was not sitting in front of my computer. I bought my first Palm in 1999, and it cleaned house for me. It synched really well with Outlook and now in my hand was everything that was in my computer at home with the ability to add entries for contacts, create new appointments, add new notes, and even draft email. all of which was synched to the computer when I got home. This was really a very good thing.

Bluetooth

Next, I looked at the spaghetti factory behind my desktop and wondered if there was anything on the horizon that could eliminate maybe one-third of what I had (and still have) lying on the floor. I heard about Bluetooth, a radio frequency that operates in distances of up to 30 feet. Bluetooth personal area networks, called PANs or Piconets automatically recognize new devices as they are turned on - up to a total of 8 devices. That more than covers a home or home office. Serious products came on the market as early as 2000. Many major companies, Ericcson, Microsoft, Palm, Intel started actively working on this standard. In my case adding Bluetooth means more hardware if it is available for each machine.

802.11b

Then along come 802.11b and the IEEE and the wonderful world of 802. 802.2 and 802.3 cover straight wire networks. A straight wire is usually cat5 and follows the Ethernet protocol invented by Robert Metcalf at Xerox PARC during the 1970s. A quick aside, after Metcalf left PARC, he founded 3Com the original manufacturers of Palm. 802.5 covers Token Ring, a network configuration of two concentric rings used mostly used by IBM. This is very simple.

Then along comes 802.11, a wireless frequency operating in the ISM radio band and the party really starts with what I call the

802.11 Alphabet Soup

Incorporation of the 802.11 standards moved handhelds from being PIMs straight to the corporate, educational, and healthcare mainstream.

The pda/cellphone combination with wireless internet capability is mobilizing the work force, saving time and moving data efficiently.

Wireless standards differ in the United States and Europe. However, the perceived stumbling block to widespread adoption of any of the 802.11 standards is security. Wireless networks are relatively easy to set up because they leverage off the existing wired standard 802.2 and the OSI Reference model. As data travels up the OSI, its format changes and different security standards are needed for each layer and sub-layer.

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About 80% of internet hardware comes from Cisco Systems, so it is in Cisco's best business interests to devote time and research dollars needed to support this burgeoning technology. Along with Microsoft, they have developed a ream of protocols for each layer and sublayer of the Physical and Data Link layers of the OSI. Some of the layers run multiple protocols to achieve different and most of the time greater levels of security. Some of Cisco's protocols are proprietary to its hardware while others are not. There are protocols for one layer, two layers, OR one of both of the sub-layers of the MAC. Never forget the hackers out there who have devoted their existence to breaking into any protocol developed by anybody anywhere. Click here to go to Cisco's Wireless Security white papers. Those robotic looking things are Access Points for wireless networks.

All the security features go back to the original 802.11b specification that defined a security called WEP - wired equivalent privacy that is very easy to break. The IEEE could not foresee the possibilities of wireless networks. First, the easy extension of previously wired networks. Second, a fairly easy setup for a campus environment, either an educational institution or a corporate park. Third, nations with minimal telephone lines and unsophisticated communication infrastructures will have a easier time setting up a modern computer system with no wires.

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