4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today applauded the final ratification of LTE-Advanced as an offical 4G standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.
In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.
Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.
“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”
Showing posts with label Wireless Network. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wireless Network. Show all posts
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Final Ratification for LTE-Advanced
4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today applauded the final ratification of LTE-Advanced as an offical 4G standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.
In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.
Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.
“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”
Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.
In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.
Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.
“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”
Final Ratification for LTE-Advanced
4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today applauded the final ratification of LTE-Advanced as an offical 4G standard by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.
In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.
Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.
“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”
Both LTE Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced (802.16m) are the real deal — ITU sanctioned 4G standards. Both will deliver up to 100 Mbps (mobile) and up to 1 Gbps (fixed). In order to deliver those speeds, however, both need 20 Mhz wide channels and up to 4×4 MIMO antennas on both the receiver and basestation.
In its October meeting, ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) completed the assessment of six candidate submissions and reached a milestone by deciding on LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced for the first release of IMT-Advanced, their package of offical 4G standards.
Final ratification of the full IMT-Advanced technology family took place at the ITU-R Study Group meeting on November 22 and 23, 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The standards will now move into the final stage of the IMT-Advanced process, which provides for the development in early 2012 of an ITU-R Recommendation specifying the in-depth technical standards for these radio technologies.
“This day is a milestone to remember for mobile broadband connectivity,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. The future for mobile broadband technologies has never been brighter to help progress societies in the Americas and throughout the world.”
Friday, 5 November 2010
Streamlining Campus Wireless Management
Handling the many wireless devices that must access a campus WiFi network at once is a common challenge in higher education, where the increasing proliferation of wireless devices can raise capacity issues. A related problem is IP address exhaustion, brought on by the tendency of devices such as smart phones to tie up and then fail to relinquish available IP addresses. Many campus wireless networks also need to maintain complex tracking records on who is accessing the wireless network, for budgetary and funding reasons.
To address those issues, and to make network access both easier and more secure for users, the University of California, Berkeley's Electrical Engineering; Computer Science (EECS) department moved late last year to new security appliances from Avenda Systems that help differentiate user access and better manage IP addresses and security. The department is the largest on campus and includes more than 2,400 undergraduates, 400 graduate students, and more than 100 faculty members.
The complex wireless environment within the department supports a variety of connection methods, including an internal wireless network specifically for the department, several portals that require user authentication, and the campuswide wireless network. The networks, all of which are open to users and running the wireless standard 802.11n, which supports devices using the a, b, g and n wireless standards, did not offer any sort of encryption for security purposes.
Security was one of the main reasons for the change to 802.1x, an authentication standard that can be used in either wired or wireless networking. The 802.1x standard provides better security because it uses the stronger WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access) encryption standard rather than the older WPA. The WPA2 standard is part of the 802.11n standard, but must be properly configured on a network in order to work. And WPA2 must use 802.1x for authentication, leading to the move to 802.1x.
The EECS department decided to make the move to the new appliances in order to address some additional complex challenges in managing its wireless network, according to Computing Infrastructure expert Mr. Fred Archibald. In a setup that is not uncommon on college campuses, Archibald was using two directory management systems, LDAP and Active Directory, to manage user authentication and authorization on the wireless network.
The dual-directory design is intended to help with user tracking needs related to budgeting, but it introduced complexities because the wireless network system must support two types of directory management schemes. Under the department's funding model, different members of the department are granted different types of access, Archibald explained, so users need to be first authenticated against Active Directory, then authorized against LDAP. That required a product that could easily handle both types of directories--a capability that Avenda offered.
Adding to the complexity was an IP address exhaustion issue. With the previous authentication scheme on the department's 802.11 network, powered-up mobile devices within reach of the wireless network, even those that weren't in use, could claim and then retain an IP address, eventually leading to address exhaustion. Use of the 802.1x standard helps rectify the IP address exhaustion issue, since 802.1x does not assigned an IP address until both authentication and authorization take place. Thus, wireless devices that are within wireless network range, and able to achieve authentication but not authorization, do not tie up an IP address.
In addressing the wireless issues, Archibald specifically wanted a solution in appliance form, he said, to replace the current appliance, and in order to have a single vendor providing both hardware and software. "We have limited IT staff, and they all wear a lot of hats, so we wanted to get [a vendor] in place who was really good," Archibald said. In choosing appliances from Avenda, he said, he hoped to obtain a solution that could be dropped into place relatively quickly. And with limited IT staff, he specifically wanted a vendor that could be relied upon for support as needed, with responsiveness a key factor.
Testing the new system began 15 months ago, and the appliances went into production a year ago. The department supports about 150 access points--Berkeley overall has close to 10 times that number of APs--using two Avenda appliances in a high-availability configuration should one unit fail.
If there is a downside to the new network, Archibald said it has to do with increased support. "When it works, it generally works well and is more convenient for users," Archibald said. With 802.1x, users have to authenticate much less--credentials are usually cached after the first use and so authentication can occur transparently.
However, getting clients configured at the start of a school year results in more help desk calls initially, Archibald said. "The initial setup sometime can be a bit of a roadblock because of all the different clients," he said. "Once you get it to work, however, it works really well."
To address those issues, and to make network access both easier and more secure for users, the University of California, Berkeley's Electrical Engineering; Computer Science (EECS) department moved late last year to new security appliances from Avenda Systems that help differentiate user access and better manage IP addresses and security. The department is the largest on campus and includes more than 2,400 undergraduates, 400 graduate students, and more than 100 faculty members.
The complex wireless environment within the department supports a variety of connection methods, including an internal wireless network specifically for the department, several portals that require user authentication, and the campuswide wireless network. The networks, all of which are open to users and running the wireless standard 802.11n, which supports devices using the a, b, g and n wireless standards, did not offer any sort of encryption for security purposes.
Security was one of the main reasons for the change to 802.1x, an authentication standard that can be used in either wired or wireless networking. The 802.1x standard provides better security because it uses the stronger WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access) encryption standard rather than the older WPA. The WPA2 standard is part of the 802.11n standard, but must be properly configured on a network in order to work. And WPA2 must use 802.1x for authentication, leading to the move to 802.1x.
The EECS department decided to make the move to the new appliances in order to address some additional complex challenges in managing its wireless network, according to Computing Infrastructure expert Mr. Fred Archibald. In a setup that is not uncommon on college campuses, Archibald was using two directory management systems, LDAP and Active Directory, to manage user authentication and authorization on the wireless network.
The dual-directory design is intended to help with user tracking needs related to budgeting, but it introduced complexities because the wireless network system must support two types of directory management schemes. Under the department's funding model, different members of the department are granted different types of access, Archibald explained, so users need to be first authenticated against Active Directory, then authorized against LDAP. That required a product that could easily handle both types of directories--a capability that Avenda offered.
Adding to the complexity was an IP address exhaustion issue. With the previous authentication scheme on the department's 802.11 network, powered-up mobile devices within reach of the wireless network, even those that weren't in use, could claim and then retain an IP address, eventually leading to address exhaustion. Use of the 802.1x standard helps rectify the IP address exhaustion issue, since 802.1x does not assigned an IP address until both authentication and authorization take place. Thus, wireless devices that are within wireless network range, and able to achieve authentication but not authorization, do not tie up an IP address.
In addressing the wireless issues, Archibald specifically wanted a solution in appliance form, he said, to replace the current appliance, and in order to have a single vendor providing both hardware and software. "We have limited IT staff, and they all wear a lot of hats, so we wanted to get [a vendor] in place who was really good," Archibald said. In choosing appliances from Avenda, he said, he hoped to obtain a solution that could be dropped into place relatively quickly. And with limited IT staff, he specifically wanted a vendor that could be relied upon for support as needed, with responsiveness a key factor.
Testing the new system began 15 months ago, and the appliances went into production a year ago. The department supports about 150 access points--Berkeley overall has close to 10 times that number of APs--using two Avenda appliances in a high-availability configuration should one unit fail.
If there is a downside to the new network, Archibald said it has to do with increased support. "When it works, it generally works well and is more convenient for users," Archibald said. With 802.1x, users have to authenticate much less--credentials are usually cached after the first use and so authentication can occur transparently.
However, getting clients configured at the start of a school year results in more help desk calls initially, Archibald said. "The initial setup sometime can be a bit of a roadblock because of all the different clients," he said. "Once you get it to work, however, it works really well."
Streamlining Campus Wireless Management
Handling the many wireless devices that must access a campus WiFi network at once is a common challenge in higher education, where the increasing proliferation of wireless devices can raise capacity issues. A related problem is IP address exhaustion, brought on by the tendency of devices such as smart phones to tie up and then fail to relinquish available IP addresses. Many campus wireless networks also need to maintain complex tracking records on who is accessing the wireless network, for budgetary and funding reasons.
To address those issues, and to make network access both easier and more secure for users, the University of California, Berkeley's Electrical Engineering; Computer Science (EECS) department moved late last year to new security appliances from Avenda Systems that help differentiate user access and better manage IP addresses and security. The department is the largest on campus and includes more than 2,400 undergraduates, 400 graduate students, and more than 100 faculty members.
The complex wireless environment within the department supports a variety of connection methods, including an internal wireless network specifically for the department, several portals that require user authentication, and the campuswide wireless network. The networks, all of which are open to users and running the wireless standard 802.11n, which supports devices using the a, b, g and n wireless standards, did not offer any sort of encryption for security purposes.
Security was one of the main reasons for the change to 802.1x, an authentication standard that can be used in either wired or wireless networking. The 802.1x standard provides better security because it uses the stronger WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access) encryption standard rather than the older WPA. The WPA2 standard is part of the 802.11n standard, but must be properly configured on a network in order to work. And WPA2 must use 802.1x for authentication, leading to the move to 802.1x.
The EECS department decided to make the move to the new appliances in order to address some additional complex challenges in managing its wireless network, according to Computing Infrastructure expert Mr. Fred Archibald. In a setup that is not uncommon on college campuses, Archibald was using two directory management systems, LDAP and Active Directory, to manage user authentication and authorization on the wireless network.
The dual-directory design is intended to help with user tracking needs related to budgeting, but it introduced complexities because the wireless network system must support two types of directory management schemes. Under the department's funding model, different members of the department are granted different types of access, Archibald explained, so users need to be first authenticated against Active Directory, then authorized against LDAP. That required a product that could easily handle both types of directories--a capability that Avenda offered.
Adding to the complexity was an IP address exhaustion issue. With the previous authentication scheme on the department's 802.11 network, powered-up mobile devices within reach of the wireless network, even those that weren't in use, could claim and then retain an IP address, eventually leading to address exhaustion. Use of the 802.1x standard helps rectify the IP address exhaustion issue, since 802.1x does not assigned an IP address until both authentication and authorization take place. Thus, wireless devices that are within wireless network range, and able to achieve authentication but not authorization, do not tie up an IP address.
In addressing the wireless issues, Archibald specifically wanted a solution in appliance form, he said, to replace the current appliance, and in order to have a single vendor providing both hardware and software. "We have limited IT staff, and they all wear a lot of hats, so we wanted to get [a vendor] in place who was really good," Archibald said. In choosing appliances from Avenda, he said, he hoped to obtain a solution that could be dropped into place relatively quickly. And with limited IT staff, he specifically wanted a vendor that could be relied upon for support as needed, with responsiveness a key factor.
Testing the new system began 15 months ago, and the appliances went into production a year ago. The department supports about 150 access points--Berkeley overall has close to 10 times that number of APs--using two Avenda appliances in a high-availability configuration should one unit fail.
If there is a downside to the new network, Archibald said it has to do with increased support. "When it works, it generally works well and is more convenient for users," Archibald said. With 802.1x, users have to authenticate much less--credentials are usually cached after the first use and so authentication can occur transparently.
However, getting clients configured at the start of a school year results in more help desk calls initially, Archibald said. "The initial setup sometime can be a bit of a roadblock because of all the different clients," he said. "Once you get it to work, however, it works really well."
To address those issues, and to make network access both easier and more secure for users, the University of California, Berkeley's Electrical Engineering; Computer Science (EECS) department moved late last year to new security appliances from Avenda Systems that help differentiate user access and better manage IP addresses and security. The department is the largest on campus and includes more than 2,400 undergraduates, 400 graduate students, and more than 100 faculty members.
The complex wireless environment within the department supports a variety of connection methods, including an internal wireless network specifically for the department, several portals that require user authentication, and the campuswide wireless network. The networks, all of which are open to users and running the wireless standard 802.11n, which supports devices using the a, b, g and n wireless standards, did not offer any sort of encryption for security purposes.
Security was one of the main reasons for the change to 802.1x, an authentication standard that can be used in either wired or wireless networking. The 802.1x standard provides better security because it uses the stronger WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access) encryption standard rather than the older WPA. The WPA2 standard is part of the 802.11n standard, but must be properly configured on a network in order to work. And WPA2 must use 802.1x for authentication, leading to the move to 802.1x.
The EECS department decided to make the move to the new appliances in order to address some additional complex challenges in managing its wireless network, according to Computing Infrastructure expert Mr. Fred Archibald. In a setup that is not uncommon on college campuses, Archibald was using two directory management systems, LDAP and Active Directory, to manage user authentication and authorization on the wireless network.
The dual-directory design is intended to help with user tracking needs related to budgeting, but it introduced complexities because the wireless network system must support two types of directory management schemes. Under the department's funding model, different members of the department are granted different types of access, Archibald explained, so users need to be first authenticated against Active Directory, then authorized against LDAP. That required a product that could easily handle both types of directories--a capability that Avenda offered.
Adding to the complexity was an IP address exhaustion issue. With the previous authentication scheme on the department's 802.11 network, powered-up mobile devices within reach of the wireless network, even those that weren't in use, could claim and then retain an IP address, eventually leading to address exhaustion. Use of the 802.1x standard helps rectify the IP address exhaustion issue, since 802.1x does not assigned an IP address until both authentication and authorization take place. Thus, wireless devices that are within wireless network range, and able to achieve authentication but not authorization, do not tie up an IP address.
In addressing the wireless issues, Archibald specifically wanted a solution in appliance form, he said, to replace the current appliance, and in order to have a single vendor providing both hardware and software. "We have limited IT staff, and they all wear a lot of hats, so we wanted to get [a vendor] in place who was really good," Archibald said. In choosing appliances from Avenda, he said, he hoped to obtain a solution that could be dropped into place relatively quickly. And with limited IT staff, he specifically wanted a vendor that could be relied upon for support as needed, with responsiveness a key factor.
Testing the new system began 15 months ago, and the appliances went into production a year ago. The department supports about 150 access points--Berkeley overall has close to 10 times that number of APs--using two Avenda appliances in a high-availability configuration should one unit fail.
If there is a downside to the new network, Archibald said it has to do with increased support. "When it works, it generally works well and is more convenient for users," Archibald said. With 802.1x, users have to authenticate much less--credentials are usually cached after the first use and so authentication can occur transparently.
However, getting clients configured at the start of a school year results in more help desk calls initially, Archibald said. "The initial setup sometime can be a bit of a roadblock because of all the different clients," he said. "Once you get it to work, however, it works really well."
Streamlining Campus Wireless Management
Handling the many wireless devices that must access a campus WiFi network at once is a common challenge in higher education, where the increasing proliferation of wireless devices can raise capacity issues. A related problem is IP address exhaustion, brought on by the tendency of devices such as smart phones to tie up and then fail to relinquish available IP addresses. Many campus wireless networks also need to maintain complex tracking records on who is accessing the wireless network, for budgetary and funding reasons.
To address those issues, and to make network access both easier and more secure for users, the University of California, Berkeley's Electrical Engineering; Computer Science (EECS) department moved late last year to new security appliances from Avenda Systems that help differentiate user access and better manage IP addresses and security. The department is the largest on campus and includes more than 2,400 undergraduates, 400 graduate students, and more than 100 faculty members.
The complex wireless environment within the department supports a variety of connection methods, including an internal wireless network specifically for the department, several portals that require user authentication, and the campuswide wireless network. The networks, all of which are open to users and running the wireless standard 802.11n, which supports devices using the a, b, g and n wireless standards, did not offer any sort of encryption for security purposes.
Security was one of the main reasons for the change to 802.1x, an authentication standard that can be used in either wired or wireless networking. The 802.1x standard provides better security because it uses the stronger WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access) encryption standard rather than the older WPA. The WPA2 standard is part of the 802.11n standard, but must be properly configured on a network in order to work. And WPA2 must use 802.1x for authentication, leading to the move to 802.1x.
The EECS department decided to make the move to the new appliances in order to address some additional complex challenges in managing its wireless network, according to Computing Infrastructure expert Mr. Fred Archibald. In a setup that is not uncommon on college campuses, Archibald was using two directory management systems, LDAP and Active Directory, to manage user authentication and authorization on the wireless network.
The dual-directory design is intended to help with user tracking needs related to budgeting, but it introduced complexities because the wireless network system must support two types of directory management schemes. Under the department's funding model, different members of the department are granted different types of access, Archibald explained, so users need to be first authenticated against Active Directory, then authorized against LDAP. That required a product that could easily handle both types of directories--a capability that Avenda offered.
Adding to the complexity was an IP address exhaustion issue. With the previous authentication scheme on the department's 802.11 network, powered-up mobile devices within reach of the wireless network, even those that weren't in use, could claim and then retain an IP address, eventually leading to address exhaustion. Use of the 802.1x standard helps rectify the IP address exhaustion issue, since 802.1x does not assigned an IP address until both authentication and authorization take place. Thus, wireless devices that are within wireless network range, and able to achieve authentication but not authorization, do not tie up an IP address.
In addressing the wireless issues, Archibald specifically wanted a solution in appliance form, he said, to replace the current appliance, and in order to have a single vendor providing both hardware and software. "We have limited IT staff, and they all wear a lot of hats, so we wanted to get [a vendor] in place who was really good," Archibald said. In choosing appliances from Avenda, he said, he hoped to obtain a solution that could be dropped into place relatively quickly. And with limited IT staff, he specifically wanted a vendor that could be relied upon for support as needed, with responsiveness a key factor.
Testing the new system began 15 months ago, and the appliances went into production a year ago. The department supports about 150 access points--Berkeley overall has close to 10 times that number of APs--using two Avenda appliances in a high-availability configuration should one unit fail.
If there is a downside to the new network, Archibald said it has to do with increased support. "When it works, it generally works well and is more convenient for users," Archibald said. With 802.1x, users have to authenticate much less--credentials are usually cached after the first use and so authentication can occur transparently.
However, getting clients configured at the start of a school year results in more help desk calls initially, Archibald said. "The initial setup sometime can be a bit of a roadblock because of all the different clients," he said. "Once you get it to work, however, it works really well."
To address those issues, and to make network access both easier and more secure for users, the University of California, Berkeley's Electrical Engineering; Computer Science (EECS) department moved late last year to new security appliances from Avenda Systems that help differentiate user access and better manage IP addresses and security. The department is the largest on campus and includes more than 2,400 undergraduates, 400 graduate students, and more than 100 faculty members.
The complex wireless environment within the department supports a variety of connection methods, including an internal wireless network specifically for the department, several portals that require user authentication, and the campuswide wireless network. The networks, all of which are open to users and running the wireless standard 802.11n, which supports devices using the a, b, g and n wireless standards, did not offer any sort of encryption for security purposes.
Security was one of the main reasons for the change to 802.1x, an authentication standard that can be used in either wired or wireless networking. The 802.1x standard provides better security because it uses the stronger WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access) encryption standard rather than the older WPA. The WPA2 standard is part of the 802.11n standard, but must be properly configured on a network in order to work. And WPA2 must use 802.1x for authentication, leading to the move to 802.1x.
The EECS department decided to make the move to the new appliances in order to address some additional complex challenges in managing its wireless network, according to Computing Infrastructure expert Mr. Fred Archibald. In a setup that is not uncommon on college campuses, Archibald was using two directory management systems, LDAP and Active Directory, to manage user authentication and authorization on the wireless network.
The dual-directory design is intended to help with user tracking needs related to budgeting, but it introduced complexities because the wireless network system must support two types of directory management schemes. Under the department's funding model, different members of the department are granted different types of access, Archibald explained, so users need to be first authenticated against Active Directory, then authorized against LDAP. That required a product that could easily handle both types of directories--a capability that Avenda offered.
Adding to the complexity was an IP address exhaustion issue. With the previous authentication scheme on the department's 802.11 network, powered-up mobile devices within reach of the wireless network, even those that weren't in use, could claim and then retain an IP address, eventually leading to address exhaustion. Use of the 802.1x standard helps rectify the IP address exhaustion issue, since 802.1x does not assigned an IP address until both authentication and authorization take place. Thus, wireless devices that are within wireless network range, and able to achieve authentication but not authorization, do not tie up an IP address.
In addressing the wireless issues, Archibald specifically wanted a solution in appliance form, he said, to replace the current appliance, and in order to have a single vendor providing both hardware and software. "We have limited IT staff, and they all wear a lot of hats, so we wanted to get [a vendor] in place who was really good," Archibald said. In choosing appliances from Avenda, he said, he hoped to obtain a solution that could be dropped into place relatively quickly. And with limited IT staff, he specifically wanted a vendor that could be relied upon for support as needed, with responsiveness a key factor.
Testing the new system began 15 months ago, and the appliances went into production a year ago. The department supports about 150 access points--Berkeley overall has close to 10 times that number of APs--using two Avenda appliances in a high-availability configuration should one unit fail.
If there is a downside to the new network, Archibald said it has to do with increased support. "When it works, it generally works well and is more convenient for users," Archibald said. With 802.1x, users have to authenticate much less--credentials are usually cached after the first use and so authentication can occur transparently.
However, getting clients configured at the start of a school year results in more help desk calls initially, Archibald said. "The initial setup sometime can be a bit of a roadblock because of all the different clients," he said. "Once you get it to work, however, it works really well."
Alcatel Lucent forecasts more opportunity after deals in U.S. and China
BERLIN — Alcatel Lucent, which has struggled in the wake of its 2006 merger, said last Thursday that it had reached a “turning point” after clinching $5.7 billion in deals to build high-speed wireless networks and supply other gear for the biggest mobile operators in the United States and China.
The company, based in Paris, announced the contracts at the same time it reported its first profitable quarter of the year, posting €25 million, or $35.3 million, in earnings compared to a €182 million loss in the third quarter a year earlier. Sales rose 10.5 percent to €4.1 billion. The results missed forecasts of analysts surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg News and shares were down more than 3 percent in Paris at midday, however.
Ben Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, described the agreements with Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile operator, and the three biggest mobile carriers in China as “massive” for the company, which had struggled to reorganize and streamline in a weak global market following the merger of the French company Alcatel with Lucent Technologies, which was formerly part of AT&T, the U.S. phone giant.
Although the quarterly profit was attributed primarily to tax benefits associated with ongoing adjustments from the merger, Mr. Verwaayen said he did not think it would be “a one-time event.” Mr. Verwaayen mentioned that he think this is a significant turning point in the transformation of the company. They are experiencing good demand for their products.
Without one-time items, the company reported an operating loss of €11 million for the quarter, compared with a €76 million loss a year earlier. But Jouni Forsman, an analyst at Gartner in Nice, France, said that Alcatel Lucent had repositioned itself to become more competitive in the fastest-growing segments of the wireless equipment industry, where demand for network software upgrades, services and applications is strong among mobile operators.
According to Mr. Forsman, the company is executing on the turnaround story. They are in a much better position than they were a couple of years ago. They are controlling costs and executing in a difficult market.
The agreement with Verizon Wireless will generate $4 billion in sales over four years, Alcatel Lucent said. Under the pact, Alcatel Lucent will upgrade the operator’s third-generation wireless network and build a faster network based on a technology called Long Term Evolution. LTE networks, which can download wireless data at speeds much more rapidly than existing systems, are helping operators meet the surge in data traffic from streaming video and social networking services.
Alcatel Lucent said it planned on Friday to sign agreements worth a total €1.18 billion with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom during a visit to France by the Chinese president, Hu Jintao.
Mr. Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, said “a large chunk” of the sales to the Chinese carriers was new business, with the rest being a reaffirmation of existing sales arrangements. The Verizon sales, Mr. Verwaayen said, was all new business for his company.
Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone, the British global mobile operator, is upgrading its 3G networks to LTE through 2013 as it sells more data-intensive smartphones and other devices. Some analysts expect Verizon later this year to announce that it will become the second U.S. operator to sell the iPhone, which has only been sold by AT&T.
The company, based in Paris, announced the contracts at the same time it reported its first profitable quarter of the year, posting €25 million, or $35.3 million, in earnings compared to a €182 million loss in the third quarter a year earlier. Sales rose 10.5 percent to €4.1 billion. The results missed forecasts of analysts surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg News and shares were down more than 3 percent in Paris at midday, however.
Ben Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, described the agreements with Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile operator, and the three biggest mobile carriers in China as “massive” for the company, which had struggled to reorganize and streamline in a weak global market following the merger of the French company Alcatel with Lucent Technologies, which was formerly part of AT&T, the U.S. phone giant.Although the quarterly profit was attributed primarily to tax benefits associated with ongoing adjustments from the merger, Mr. Verwaayen said he did not think it would be “a one-time event.” Mr. Verwaayen mentioned that he think this is a significant turning point in the transformation of the company. They are experiencing good demand for their products.
Without one-time items, the company reported an operating loss of €11 million for the quarter, compared with a €76 million loss a year earlier. But Jouni Forsman, an analyst at Gartner in Nice, France, said that Alcatel Lucent had repositioned itself to become more competitive in the fastest-growing segments of the wireless equipment industry, where demand for network software upgrades, services and applications is strong among mobile operators.
According to Mr. Forsman, the company is executing on the turnaround story. They are in a much better position than they were a couple of years ago. They are controlling costs and executing in a difficult market.
The agreement with Verizon Wireless will generate $4 billion in sales over four years, Alcatel Lucent said. Under the pact, Alcatel Lucent will upgrade the operator’s third-generation wireless network and build a faster network based on a technology called Long Term Evolution. LTE networks, which can download wireless data at speeds much more rapidly than existing systems, are helping operators meet the surge in data traffic from streaming video and social networking services.
Alcatel Lucent said it planned on Friday to sign agreements worth a total €1.18 billion with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom during a visit to France by the Chinese president, Hu Jintao.
Mr. Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, said “a large chunk” of the sales to the Chinese carriers was new business, with the rest being a reaffirmation of existing sales arrangements. The Verizon sales, Mr. Verwaayen said, was all new business for his company.
Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone, the British global mobile operator, is upgrading its 3G networks to LTE through 2013 as it sells more data-intensive smartphones and other devices. Some analysts expect Verizon later this year to announce that it will become the second U.S. operator to sell the iPhone, which has only been sold by AT&T.
Alcatel Lucent forecasts more opportunity after deals in U.S. and China
BERLIN — Alcatel Lucent, which has struggled in the wake of its 2006 merger, said last Thursday that it had reached a “turning point” after clinching $5.7 billion in deals to build high-speed wireless networks and supply other gear for the biggest mobile operators in the United States and China.
The company, based in Paris, announced the contracts at the same time it reported its first profitable quarter of the year, posting €25 million, or $35.3 million, in earnings compared to a €182 million loss in the third quarter a year earlier. Sales rose 10.5 percent to €4.1 billion. The results missed forecasts of analysts surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg News and shares were down more than 3 percent in Paris at midday, however.
Ben Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, described the agreements with Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile operator, and the three biggest mobile carriers in China as “massive” for the company, which had struggled to reorganize and streamline in a weak global market following the merger of the French company Alcatel with Lucent Technologies, which was formerly part of AT&T, the U.S. phone giant.
Although the quarterly profit was attributed primarily to tax benefits associated with ongoing adjustments from the merger, Mr. Verwaayen said he did not think it would be “a one-time event.” Mr. Verwaayen mentioned that he think this is a significant turning point in the transformation of the company. They are experiencing good demand for their products.
Without one-time items, the company reported an operating loss of €11 million for the quarter, compared with a €76 million loss a year earlier. But Jouni Forsman, an analyst at Gartner in Nice, France, said that Alcatel Lucent had repositioned itself to become more competitive in the fastest-growing segments of the wireless equipment industry, where demand for network software upgrades, services and applications is strong among mobile operators.
According to Mr. Forsman, the company is executing on the turnaround story. They are in a much better position than they were a couple of years ago. They are controlling costs and executing in a difficult market.
The agreement with Verizon Wireless will generate $4 billion in sales over four years, Alcatel Lucent said. Under the pact, Alcatel Lucent will upgrade the operator’s third-generation wireless network and build a faster network based on a technology called Long Term Evolution. LTE networks, which can download wireless data at speeds much more rapidly than existing systems, are helping operators meet the surge in data traffic from streaming video and social networking services.
Alcatel Lucent said it planned on Friday to sign agreements worth a total €1.18 billion with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom during a visit to France by the Chinese president, Hu Jintao.
Mr. Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, said “a large chunk” of the sales to the Chinese carriers was new business, with the rest being a reaffirmation of existing sales arrangements. The Verizon sales, Mr. Verwaayen said, was all new business for his company.
Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone, the British global mobile operator, is upgrading its 3G networks to LTE through 2013 as it sells more data-intensive smartphones and other devices. Some analysts expect Verizon later this year to announce that it will become the second U.S. operator to sell the iPhone, which has only been sold by AT&T.
The company, based in Paris, announced the contracts at the same time it reported its first profitable quarter of the year, posting €25 million, or $35.3 million, in earnings compared to a €182 million loss in the third quarter a year earlier. Sales rose 10.5 percent to €4.1 billion. The results missed forecasts of analysts surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg News and shares were down more than 3 percent in Paris at midday, however.
Ben Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, described the agreements with Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile operator, and the three biggest mobile carriers in China as “massive” for the company, which had struggled to reorganize and streamline in a weak global market following the merger of the French company Alcatel with Lucent Technologies, which was formerly part of AT&T, the U.S. phone giant.Although the quarterly profit was attributed primarily to tax benefits associated with ongoing adjustments from the merger, Mr. Verwaayen said he did not think it would be “a one-time event.” Mr. Verwaayen mentioned that he think this is a significant turning point in the transformation of the company. They are experiencing good demand for their products.
Without one-time items, the company reported an operating loss of €11 million for the quarter, compared with a €76 million loss a year earlier. But Jouni Forsman, an analyst at Gartner in Nice, France, said that Alcatel Lucent had repositioned itself to become more competitive in the fastest-growing segments of the wireless equipment industry, where demand for network software upgrades, services and applications is strong among mobile operators.
According to Mr. Forsman, the company is executing on the turnaround story. They are in a much better position than they were a couple of years ago. They are controlling costs and executing in a difficult market.
The agreement with Verizon Wireless will generate $4 billion in sales over four years, Alcatel Lucent said. Under the pact, Alcatel Lucent will upgrade the operator’s third-generation wireless network and build a faster network based on a technology called Long Term Evolution. LTE networks, which can download wireless data at speeds much more rapidly than existing systems, are helping operators meet the surge in data traffic from streaming video and social networking services.
Alcatel Lucent said it planned on Friday to sign agreements worth a total €1.18 billion with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom during a visit to France by the Chinese president, Hu Jintao.
Mr. Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, said “a large chunk” of the sales to the Chinese carriers was new business, with the rest being a reaffirmation of existing sales arrangements. The Verizon sales, Mr. Verwaayen said, was all new business for his company.
Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone, the British global mobile operator, is upgrading its 3G networks to LTE through 2013 as it sells more data-intensive smartphones and other devices. Some analysts expect Verizon later this year to announce that it will become the second U.S. operator to sell the iPhone, which has only been sold by AT&T.
Alcatel Lucent forecasts more opportunity after deals in U.S. and China
BERLIN — Alcatel Lucent, which has struggled in the wake of its 2006 merger, said last Thursday that it had reached a “turning point” after clinching $5.7 billion in deals to build high-speed wireless networks and supply other gear for the biggest mobile operators in the United States and China.
The company, based in Paris, announced the contracts at the same time it reported its first profitable quarter of the year, posting €25 million, or $35.3 million, in earnings compared to a €182 million loss in the third quarter a year earlier. Sales rose 10.5 percent to €4.1 billion. The results missed forecasts of analysts surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg News and shares were down more than 3 percent in Paris at midday, however.
Ben Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, described the agreements with Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile operator, and the three biggest mobile carriers in China as “massive” for the company, which had struggled to reorganize and streamline in a weak global market following the merger of the French company Alcatel with Lucent Technologies, which was formerly part of AT&T, the U.S. phone giant.
Although the quarterly profit was attributed primarily to tax benefits associated with ongoing adjustments from the merger, Mr. Verwaayen said he did not think it would be “a one-time event.” Mr. Verwaayen mentioned that he think this is a significant turning point in the transformation of the company. They are experiencing good demand for their products.
Without one-time items, the company reported an operating loss of €11 million for the quarter, compared with a €76 million loss a year earlier. But Jouni Forsman, an analyst at Gartner in Nice, France, said that Alcatel Lucent had repositioned itself to become more competitive in the fastest-growing segments of the wireless equipment industry, where demand for network software upgrades, services and applications is strong among mobile operators.
According to Mr. Forsman, the company is executing on the turnaround story. They are in a much better position than they were a couple of years ago. They are controlling costs and executing in a difficult market.
The agreement with Verizon Wireless will generate $4 billion in sales over four years, Alcatel Lucent said. Under the pact, Alcatel Lucent will upgrade the operator’s third-generation wireless network and build a faster network based on a technology called Long Term Evolution. LTE networks, which can download wireless data at speeds much more rapidly than existing systems, are helping operators meet the surge in data traffic from streaming video and social networking services.
Alcatel Lucent said it planned on Friday to sign agreements worth a total €1.18 billion with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom during a visit to France by the Chinese president, Hu Jintao.
Mr. Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, said “a large chunk” of the sales to the Chinese carriers was new business, with the rest being a reaffirmation of existing sales arrangements. The Verizon sales, Mr. Verwaayen said, was all new business for his company.
Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone, the British global mobile operator, is upgrading its 3G networks to LTE through 2013 as it sells more data-intensive smartphones and other devices. Some analysts expect Verizon later this year to announce that it will become the second U.S. operator to sell the iPhone, which has only been sold by AT&T.
The company, based in Paris, announced the contracts at the same time it reported its first profitable quarter of the year, posting €25 million, or $35.3 million, in earnings compared to a €182 million loss in the third quarter a year earlier. Sales rose 10.5 percent to €4.1 billion. The results missed forecasts of analysts surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg News and shares were down more than 3 percent in Paris at midday, however.
Ben Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, described the agreements with Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile operator, and the three biggest mobile carriers in China as “massive” for the company, which had struggled to reorganize and streamline in a weak global market following the merger of the French company Alcatel with Lucent Technologies, which was formerly part of AT&T, the U.S. phone giant.Although the quarterly profit was attributed primarily to tax benefits associated with ongoing adjustments from the merger, Mr. Verwaayen said he did not think it would be “a one-time event.” Mr. Verwaayen mentioned that he think this is a significant turning point in the transformation of the company. They are experiencing good demand for their products.
Without one-time items, the company reported an operating loss of €11 million for the quarter, compared with a €76 million loss a year earlier. But Jouni Forsman, an analyst at Gartner in Nice, France, said that Alcatel Lucent had repositioned itself to become more competitive in the fastest-growing segments of the wireless equipment industry, where demand for network software upgrades, services and applications is strong among mobile operators.
According to Mr. Forsman, the company is executing on the turnaround story. They are in a much better position than they were a couple of years ago. They are controlling costs and executing in a difficult market.
The agreement with Verizon Wireless will generate $4 billion in sales over four years, Alcatel Lucent said. Under the pact, Alcatel Lucent will upgrade the operator’s third-generation wireless network and build a faster network based on a technology called Long Term Evolution. LTE networks, which can download wireless data at speeds much more rapidly than existing systems, are helping operators meet the surge in data traffic from streaming video and social networking services.
Alcatel Lucent said it planned on Friday to sign agreements worth a total €1.18 billion with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom during a visit to France by the Chinese president, Hu Jintao.
Mr. Verwaayen, the Alcatel Lucent chief executive, said “a large chunk” of the sales to the Chinese carriers was new business, with the rest being a reaffirmation of existing sales arrangements. The Verizon sales, Mr. Verwaayen said, was all new business for his company.
Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon and Vodafone, the British global mobile operator, is upgrading its 3G networks to LTE through 2013 as it sells more data-intensive smartphones and other devices. Some analysts expect Verizon later this year to announce that it will become the second U.S. operator to sell the iPhone, which has only been sold by AT&T.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Purdue University Deploying 4G Network as Part of Wireless Rollout
Purdue University will be one of the early recipients of Verizon Wireless' rollout of a 4G network starting this year. This fourth generation data network, which is using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology, is expected to provide four to 10 times the transmission speeds currently available in 3G networks.
The institution was chosen to participate in the deployment based on its track record with using mobile technology to enhance learning, according to Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include Mixable, an academic integration with Facebook; a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with classmates and faculty with Twitter and text messages; and eStadium, to deliver athletic game services to spectators.
The university also contracted with Verizon Business to implement a campuswide 802.11n wireless network, which will encompass 6,000 access points in 256 buildings. That project is expected to be completed in the 2010-2011 academic year.
Verizon said the broader rollout of 4G will include 38 metropolitan areas and 60 commercial airports, including Indianapolis International Airport, located within 90 minutes of the West Lafayette-based university. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States.
According to Mr. McAdam, the partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation. Verizon Wireless said it expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments.
"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important--both to students and faculty. The addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's CIO and vice president for IT.
The institution was chosen to participate in the deployment based on its track record with using mobile technology to enhance learning, according to Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include Mixable, an academic integration with Facebook; a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with classmates and faculty with Twitter and text messages; and eStadium, to deliver athletic game services to spectators.
The university also contracted with Verizon Business to implement a campuswide 802.11n wireless network, which will encompass 6,000 access points in 256 buildings. That project is expected to be completed in the 2010-2011 academic year.
Verizon said the broader rollout of 4G will include 38 metropolitan areas and 60 commercial airports, including Indianapolis International Airport, located within 90 minutes of the West Lafayette-based university. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States.
According to Mr. McAdam, the partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation. Verizon Wireless said it expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments.
"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important--both to students and faculty. The addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's CIO and vice president for IT.
Purdue University Deploying 4G Network as Part of Wireless Rollout
Purdue University will be one of the early recipients of Verizon Wireless' rollout of a 4G network starting this year. This fourth generation data network, which is using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology, is expected to provide four to 10 times the transmission speeds currently available in 3G networks.
The institution was chosen to participate in the deployment based on its track record with using mobile technology to enhance learning, according to Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include Mixable, an academic integration with Facebook; a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with classmates and faculty with Twitter and text messages; and eStadium, to deliver athletic game services to spectators.
The university also contracted with Verizon Business to implement a campuswide 802.11n wireless network, which will encompass 6,000 access points in 256 buildings. That project is expected to be completed in the 2010-2011 academic year.
Verizon said the broader rollout of 4G will include 38 metropolitan areas and 60 commercial airports, including Indianapolis International Airport, located within 90 minutes of the West Lafayette-based university. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States.
According to Mr. McAdam, the partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation. Verizon Wireless said it expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments.
"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important--both to students and faculty. The addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's CIO and vice president for IT.
The institution was chosen to participate in the deployment based on its track record with using mobile technology to enhance learning, according to Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include Mixable, an academic integration with Facebook; a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with classmates and faculty with Twitter and text messages; and eStadium, to deliver athletic game services to spectators.
The university also contracted with Verizon Business to implement a campuswide 802.11n wireless network, which will encompass 6,000 access points in 256 buildings. That project is expected to be completed in the 2010-2011 academic year.
Verizon said the broader rollout of 4G will include 38 metropolitan areas and 60 commercial airports, including Indianapolis International Airport, located within 90 minutes of the West Lafayette-based university. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States.
According to Mr. McAdam, the partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation. Verizon Wireless said it expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments.
"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important--both to students and faculty. The addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's CIO and vice president for IT.
Purdue University Deploying 4G Network as Part of Wireless Rollout
Purdue University will be one of the early recipients of Verizon Wireless' rollout of a 4G network starting this year. This fourth generation data network, which is using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology, is expected to provide four to 10 times the transmission speeds currently available in 3G networks.
The institution was chosen to participate in the deployment based on its track record with using mobile technology to enhance learning, according to Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include Mixable, an academic integration with Facebook; a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with classmates and faculty with Twitter and text messages; and eStadium, to deliver athletic game services to spectators.
The university also contracted with Verizon Business to implement a campuswide 802.11n wireless network, which will encompass 6,000 access points in 256 buildings. That project is expected to be completed in the 2010-2011 academic year.
Verizon said the broader rollout of 4G will include 38 metropolitan areas and 60 commercial airports, including Indianapolis International Airport, located within 90 minutes of the West Lafayette-based university. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States.
According to Mr. McAdam, the partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation. Verizon Wireless said it expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments.
"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important--both to students and faculty. The addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's CIO and vice president for IT.
The institution was chosen to participate in the deployment based on its track record with using mobile technology to enhance learning, according to Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include Mixable, an academic integration with Facebook; a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with classmates and faculty with Twitter and text messages; and eStadium, to deliver athletic game services to spectators.
The university also contracted with Verizon Business to implement a campuswide 802.11n wireless network, which will encompass 6,000 access points in 256 buildings. That project is expected to be completed in the 2010-2011 academic year.
Verizon said the broader rollout of 4G will include 38 metropolitan areas and 60 commercial airports, including Indianapolis International Airport, located within 90 minutes of the West Lafayette-based university. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States.
According to Mr. McAdam, the partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation. Verizon Wireless said it expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments.
"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important--both to students and faculty. The addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's CIO and vice president for IT.
Thursday, 8 July 2010
How to Buy a Wireless Router
It's hard to imagine a modern home or business network without a wireless router, but that doesn't mean it's easy to pick the right router. Our guide can help you pick the best one for your network.
Routers are an essential element of modern business network, and they're an indispensable tool in the home, too. A wireless router lets your computer connect to the Web so that you can read favorite Web sites, check e-mail, IM friends, or teleconference with colleagues. If you want to do this without cluttering your setup with Ethernet cables, a wireless router is a must. And, if it's your first time going wireless, don't worry about giving up wired speed. All wireless routers offer at least some degree of wired connectivity, allowing you to get the best of both worlds.
The wireless router market offers many different types of routers that are tailored to tackle specific needs. Vendors offer everything from very basic single-band routers designed to simply get your computer online to advanced dual-band routers that contain bonus features (such as a built-in digital photo frame). With numerous models, options, and offerings available, purchasing a wireless router is no simple affair. You may need to research the features in order to wade through the marketing hype in order to determine which router is best for your home or home office. Our Wireless router buyer's guide will help you do just that.
Determine Your Usage
A single home user who just wants to Web surf doesn't require the same type of router as a heavy-duty gamer or small business. A single-band router like the $149 Cisco Valet Plus is a basic, decent performer that would suit the needs of anyone looking for simple Wi-Fi connectivity and easy setup. By contrast, the $359 D-Link Xtreme N Duo Media Router has power-user features such as Traffic Prioritizing; Virtual Servers and UPnP support. The Xtreme N is likely to be more of value to gamers, multimedia enthusiasts or anyone with advanced networking needs. A good rule of thumb: The more expensive the router, the more features it will contain. Higher price, however, doesn't necessarily mean better performance; in our testing, the Cisco Valet Plus performed just as well as pricier, more feature-rich routers.
A single home user who just wants to Web surf doesn't require the same type of router as a heavy-duty gamer or small business. A single-band router like the $149 Cisco Valet Plus is a basic, decent performer that would suit the needs of anyone looking for simple Wi-Fi connectivity and easy setup. By contrast, the $359 D-Link Xtreme N Duo Media Router has power-user features such as Traffic Prioritizing; Virtual Servers and UPnP support. The Xtreme N is likely to be more of value to gamers, multimedia enthusiasts or anyone with advanced networking needs. A good rule of thumb: The more expensive the router, the more features it will contain. Higher price, however, doesn't necessarily mean better performance; in our testing, the Cisco Valet Plus performed just as well as pricier, more feature-rich routers.
Single Band vs. Dual Band
While researching routers, you will inevitably stumble across the term "bands". The 2.4- and 5- GHz bands are the frequencies in which wireless communications operate. 802.11 B and G standard devices use the 2.4 GHz band, while 802.11N can use either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. A single-band, 2.4-GHz router, like the $65 Asus RT-N11 EZ Wireless-N Router is geared toward simple wireless networks. On the other hand, a dual-band router like the $119 Cisco Linksys E2000 Advanced Wireless-N supports both 2.4- and 5-GHz frequencies. The 5-GHz band is better equipped for throughput-intensive work within your home network such as gaming and file streaming. In fact, as mentioned in our "Setup and Small Home or Business Network" article, you will also get better internal network performance.
While researching routers, you will inevitably stumble across the term "bands". The 2.4- and 5- GHz bands are the frequencies in which wireless communications operate. 802.11 B and G standard devices use the 2.4 GHz band, while 802.11N can use either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. A single-band, 2.4-GHz router, like the $65 Asus RT-N11 EZ Wireless-N Router is geared toward simple wireless networks. On the other hand, a dual-band router like the $119 Cisco Linksys E2000 Advanced Wireless-N supports both 2.4- and 5-GHz frequencies. The 5-GHz band is better equipped for throughput-intensive work within your home network such as gaming and file streaming. In fact, as mentioned in our "Setup and Small Home or Business Network" article, you will also get better internal network performance.
Know Your Standards
Knowing which standard the majority of devices on a network support is important in deciding which router is best for your setup. For example, if you want to connect two slightly dated laptops which house 802.11b/g wireless cards to the Internet, and you have no need or plans to upgrade your client devices anytime soon, you could get away with a cheaper, single-band 2.4 GHz 802.11N router. Why? You can run the router in "Mixed Mode" setting, which will let the router connect to B and G clients. Secondly, only N routers can connect at the 5 GHz band, so you only need a 2.4 GHz router for B and G clients. A decent option would be a router like the Cisco Linksys E1000 Wireless-N Router, which is available for under $60 (if you can swing the extra $70, however, the Valet Plus is the better option).
Knowing which standard the majority of devices on a network support is important in deciding which router is best for your setup. For example, if you want to connect two slightly dated laptops which house 802.11b/g wireless cards to the Internet, and you have no need or plans to upgrade your client devices anytime soon, you could get away with a cheaper, single-band 2.4 GHz 802.11N router. Why? You can run the router in "Mixed Mode" setting, which will let the router connect to B and G clients. Secondly, only N routers can connect at the 5 GHz band, so you only need a 2.4 GHz router for B and G clients. A decent option would be a router like the Cisco Linksys E1000 Wireless-N Router, which is available for under $60 (if you can swing the extra $70, however, the Valet Plus is the better option).
If you have a mix of B, G and N devices (as most of us do), your best bet is to go with a simultaneous dual-band router like the $169 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit. This model excels at automatically connecting devices to the appropriate band, without user intervention. There are other dual-band routers that are good choices as well, like the $119 Linksys by Cisco Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router. This model requires user to be savvy enough to know how to configure settings so that all devices (be they B, G or N) can connect to the correct 2.4-GHz or 5-GHz band.
PC vs. Mac
We have tested numerous wireless routers from a variety of vendors, and have determined that it the make or model makes little difference on a Windows network. There's some anecdotal evidence from readers and the blogosphere that a network consisting of all Apple products works best with an Apple router. Many chimed in on an article about iPad Wi-Fi connectivity. Several readers stated they had none of the connectivity problems with their iPad when connecting it to an Apple AirPort.
We have tested numerous wireless routers from a variety of vendors, and have determined that it the make or model makes little difference on a Windows network. There's some anecdotal evidence from readers and the blogosphere that a network consisting of all Apple products works best with an Apple router. Many chimed in on an article about iPad Wi-Fi connectivity. Several readers stated they had none of the connectivity problems with their iPad when connecting it to an Apple AirPort.
Routers should theoretically work across the board for Windows, Apple and Linux clients. If you have an all-Apple or predominately Apple environment, save yourself any potential hassle and go with a router from Apple.
Coverage Area/Antennas
Router antennas can either be external or internal, with the former seemingly delivering stronger signals. One of the fastest Wi-Fi routers we have tested is the $79.99 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit, which has two external antennas. In some cases, it's possible to purchase signal amplifiers or upgrade the antenna to one that's more high-powered. The one drawback with external antennas is that they can be more problematic to discretely situate in a home than a router with internal antennas such as the Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Router, which is built with Linksys/Cisco's familiar sleek design. Also, it's true that anything that sticks out can be broken off.
Router antennas can either be external or internal, with the former seemingly delivering stronger signals. One of the fastest Wi-Fi routers we have tested is the $79.99 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit, which has two external antennas. In some cases, it's possible to purchase signal amplifiers or upgrade the antenna to one that's more high-powered. The one drawback with external antennas is that they can be more problematic to discretely situate in a home than a router with internal antennas such as the Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Router, which is built with Linksys/Cisco's familiar sleek design. Also, it's true that anything that sticks out can be broken off.
Accordingly, don't discredit routers with internal antennas. For most home purposes, new routers like the $179 Cisco Linksys's E3000 High Performance Wireless N Router have an almost unheard of 6 internal antennas with 2x3 transmit/receive. We have not tested the router yet (look for the test soon) but the E2000, which is the mid-router in the E series, was a decent performer that only has 3 internal antennas.
Keep in mind, despite whatever the antenna design is, large areas may sometimes need more than one wireless router for coverage. The average range for wireless coverage is 180 feet max indoors and 1,500 feet max in an open space—that's devoid of concrete walls or any other interference!
Feature Set
Most wireless routers have some basic functionality; port forwarding, DHCP, firewall and NAT are a few of the features inherent in just about every router within the last three years. There are routers with lots of extra features for advanced users, like the $129 Belkin Wireless PlayMax Router. The PlayMax has features like Guest Access, Channel Bonding (to boost wireless signal), Access Control and a Bit Torrent client. While we can't recommend the Play Max at this time, (further testing on it is to follow) because of underwhelming performance, the features set is truly impressive and is one that should appeal to avid gamers, torrent users, or even small businesses.
Most wireless routers have some basic functionality; port forwarding, DHCP, firewall and NAT are a few of the features inherent in just about every router within the last three years. There are routers with lots of extra features for advanced users, like the $129 Belkin Wireless PlayMax Router. The PlayMax has features like Guest Access, Channel Bonding (to boost wireless signal), Access Control and a Bit Torrent client. While we can't recommend the Play Max at this time, (further testing on it is to follow) because of underwhelming performance, the features set is truly impressive and is one that should appeal to avid gamers, torrent users, or even small businesses.
Some routers have USB ports for connecting a printer or storage device, the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router. Not only does it have USB ports, but it has a slot for 2.5-inch SATA drive and doubled as a digital photo frame. This may not be a router option for anyone, but if you have additional networking needs and may be low on space on ports to connect extra devices, a fancy router like the Xtreme N Storage may be a good bet. Prepare to shell out some cash as this router listed for $300.00 at shipping.
Security
Most routers currently support standard WEP security as well as the more secure WPA and WPA2. If you want to control what users can access when they are connected to the router, you are doing to want one that offers decent Access Controls. Cisco's Valet Plus has very effective Access Control settings plus Parental Controls that allow limiting internet use based on time of day. Guess Access and an ability to create multiple SSIDs are also important security measures if you are using the router for a small business. Together, these two features let you, for example, segment your network into seperate areas for guests and trusted users.
Most routers currently support standard WEP security as well as the more secure WPA and WPA2. If you want to control what users can access when they are connected to the router, you are doing to want one that offers decent Access Controls. Cisco's Valet Plus has very effective Access Control settings plus Parental Controls that allow limiting internet use based on time of day. Guess Access and an ability to create multiple SSIDs are also important security measures if you are using the router for a small business. Together, these two features let you, for example, segment your network into seperate areas for guests and trusted users.
Wired Connectivity
Most wireless routers have Ethernet ports for hard-wiring devices to can take advantage of the greater transmission speeds that wired Ethernet has over a wireless connection. For faster transmission rates, invest in a router that has Gigabit Ethernet ports like the Netgear RangeMax Wireless-N Gigiabit Router. Use the Gigibit Ethernet ports to wire gaming consoles, NAS drives, or any other type of multimedia server that have Gigabit Ethernet adapters to take advantage of the faster performance.
Most wireless routers have Ethernet ports for hard-wiring devices to can take advantage of the greater transmission speeds that wired Ethernet has over a wireless connection. For faster transmission rates, invest in a router that has Gigabit Ethernet ports like the Netgear RangeMax Wireless-N Gigiabit Router. Use the Gigibit Ethernet ports to wire gaming consoles, NAS drives, or any other type of multimedia server that have Gigabit Ethernet adapters to take advantage of the faster performance.
How to Buy a Wireless Router
It's hard to imagine a modern home or business network without a wireless router, but that doesn't mean it's easy to pick the right router. Our guide can help you pick the best one for your network.
Routers are an essential element of modern business network, and they're an indispensable tool in the home, too. A wireless router lets your computer connect to the Web so that you can read favorite Web sites, check e-mail, IM friends, or teleconference with colleagues. If you want to do this without cluttering your setup with Ethernet cables, a wireless router is a must. And, if it's your first time going wireless, don't worry about giving up wired speed. All wireless routers offer at least some degree of wired connectivity, allowing you to get the best of both worlds.
The wireless router market offers many different types of routers that are tailored to tackle specific needs. Vendors offer everything from very basic single-band routers designed to simply get your computer online to advanced dual-band routers that contain bonus features (such as a built-in digital photo frame). With numerous models, options, and offerings available, purchasing a wireless router is no simple affair. You may need to research the features in order to wade through the marketing hype in order to determine which router is best for your home or home office. Our Wireless router buyer's guide will help you do just that.
Determine Your Usage
A single home user who just wants to Web surf doesn't require the same type of router as a heavy-duty gamer or small business. A single-band router like the $149 Cisco Valet Plus is a basic, decent performer that would suit the needs of anyone looking for simple Wi-Fi connectivity and easy setup. By contrast, the $359 D-Link Xtreme N Duo Media Router has power-user features such as Traffic Prioritizing; Virtual Servers and UPnP support. The Xtreme N is likely to be more of value to gamers, multimedia enthusiasts or anyone with advanced networking needs. A good rule of thumb: The more expensive the router, the more features it will contain. Higher price, however, doesn't necessarily mean better performance; in our testing, the Cisco Valet Plus performed just as well as pricier, more feature-rich routers.
A single home user who just wants to Web surf doesn't require the same type of router as a heavy-duty gamer or small business. A single-band router like the $149 Cisco Valet Plus is a basic, decent performer that would suit the needs of anyone looking for simple Wi-Fi connectivity and easy setup. By contrast, the $359 D-Link Xtreme N Duo Media Router has power-user features such as Traffic Prioritizing; Virtual Servers and UPnP support. The Xtreme N is likely to be more of value to gamers, multimedia enthusiasts or anyone with advanced networking needs. A good rule of thumb: The more expensive the router, the more features it will contain. Higher price, however, doesn't necessarily mean better performance; in our testing, the Cisco Valet Plus performed just as well as pricier, more feature-rich routers.
Single Band vs. Dual Band
While researching routers, you will inevitably stumble across the term "bands". The 2.4- and 5- GHz bands are the frequencies in which wireless communications operate. 802.11 B and G standard devices use the 2.4 GHz band, while 802.11N can use either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. A single-band, 2.4-GHz router, like the $65 Asus RT-N11 EZ Wireless-N Router is geared toward simple wireless networks. On the other hand, a dual-band router like the $119 Cisco Linksys E2000 Advanced Wireless-N supports both 2.4- and 5-GHz frequencies. The 5-GHz band is better equipped for throughput-intensive work within your home network such as gaming and file streaming. In fact, as mentioned in our "Setup and Small Home or Business Network" article, you will also get better internal network performance.
While researching routers, you will inevitably stumble across the term "bands". The 2.4- and 5- GHz bands are the frequencies in which wireless communications operate. 802.11 B and G standard devices use the 2.4 GHz band, while 802.11N can use either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. A single-band, 2.4-GHz router, like the $65 Asus RT-N11 EZ Wireless-N Router is geared toward simple wireless networks. On the other hand, a dual-band router like the $119 Cisco Linksys E2000 Advanced Wireless-N supports both 2.4- and 5-GHz frequencies. The 5-GHz band is better equipped for throughput-intensive work within your home network such as gaming and file streaming. In fact, as mentioned in our "Setup and Small Home or Business Network" article, you will also get better internal network performance.
Know Your Standards
Knowing which standard the majority of devices on a network support is important in deciding which router is best for your setup. For example, if you want to connect two slightly dated laptops which house 802.11b/g wireless cards to the Internet, and you have no need or plans to upgrade your client devices anytime soon, you could get away with a cheaper, single-band 2.4 GHz 802.11N router. Why? You can run the router in "Mixed Mode" setting, which will let the router connect to B and G clients. Secondly, only N routers can connect at the 5 GHz band, so you only need a 2.4 GHz router for B and G clients. A decent option would be a router like the Cisco Linksys E1000 Wireless-N Router, which is available for under $60 (if you can swing the extra $70, however, the Valet Plus is the better option).
Knowing which standard the majority of devices on a network support is important in deciding which router is best for your setup. For example, if you want to connect two slightly dated laptops which house 802.11b/g wireless cards to the Internet, and you have no need or plans to upgrade your client devices anytime soon, you could get away with a cheaper, single-band 2.4 GHz 802.11N router. Why? You can run the router in "Mixed Mode" setting, which will let the router connect to B and G clients. Secondly, only N routers can connect at the 5 GHz band, so you only need a 2.4 GHz router for B and G clients. A decent option would be a router like the Cisco Linksys E1000 Wireless-N Router, which is available for under $60 (if you can swing the extra $70, however, the Valet Plus is the better option).
If you have a mix of B, G and N devices (as most of us do), your best bet is to go with a simultaneous dual-band router like the $169 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit. This model excels at automatically connecting devices to the appropriate band, without user intervention. There are other dual-band routers that are good choices as well, like the $119 Linksys by Cisco Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router. This model requires user to be savvy enough to know how to configure settings so that all devices (be they B, G or N) can connect to the correct 2.4-GHz or 5-GHz band.
PC vs. Mac
We have tested numerous wireless routers from a variety of vendors, and have determined that it the make or model makes little difference on a Windows network. There's some anecdotal evidence from readers and the blogosphere that a network consisting of all Apple products works best with an Apple router. Many chimed in on an article about iPad Wi-Fi connectivity. Several readers stated they had none of the connectivity problems with their iPad when connecting it to an Apple AirPort.
We have tested numerous wireless routers from a variety of vendors, and have determined that it the make or model makes little difference on a Windows network. There's some anecdotal evidence from readers and the blogosphere that a network consisting of all Apple products works best with an Apple router. Many chimed in on an article about iPad Wi-Fi connectivity. Several readers stated they had none of the connectivity problems with their iPad when connecting it to an Apple AirPort.
Routers should theoretically work across the board for Windows, Apple and Linux clients. If you have an all-Apple or predominately Apple environment, save yourself any potential hassle and go with a router from Apple.
Coverage Area/Antennas
Router antennas can either be external or internal, with the former seemingly delivering stronger signals. One of the fastest Wi-Fi routers we have tested is the $79.99 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit, which has two external antennas. In some cases, it's possible to purchase signal amplifiers or upgrade the antenna to one that's more high-powered. The one drawback with external antennas is that they can be more problematic to discretely situate in a home than a router with internal antennas such as the Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Router, which is built with Linksys/Cisco's familiar sleek design. Also, it's true that anything that sticks out can be broken off.
Router antennas can either be external or internal, with the former seemingly delivering stronger signals. One of the fastest Wi-Fi routers we have tested is the $79.99 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit, which has two external antennas. In some cases, it's possible to purchase signal amplifiers or upgrade the antenna to one that's more high-powered. The one drawback with external antennas is that they can be more problematic to discretely situate in a home than a router with internal antennas such as the Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Router, which is built with Linksys/Cisco's familiar sleek design. Also, it's true that anything that sticks out can be broken off.
Accordingly, don't discredit routers with internal antennas. For most home purposes, new routers like the $179 Cisco Linksys's E3000 High Performance Wireless N Router have an almost unheard of 6 internal antennas with 2x3 transmit/receive. We have not tested the router yet (look for the test soon) but the E2000, which is the mid-router in the E series, was a decent performer that only has 3 internal antennas.
Keep in mind, despite whatever the antenna design is, large areas may sometimes need more than one wireless router for coverage. The average range for wireless coverage is 180 feet max indoors and 1,500 feet max in an open space—that's devoid of concrete walls or any other interference!
Feature Set
Most wireless routers have some basic functionality; port forwarding, DHCP, firewall and NAT are a few of the features inherent in just about every router within the last three years. There are routers with lots of extra features for advanced users, like the $129 Belkin Wireless PlayMax Router. The PlayMax has features like Guest Access, Channel Bonding (to boost wireless signal), Access Control and a Bit Torrent client. While we can't recommend the Play Max at this time, (further testing on it is to follow) because of underwhelming performance, the features set is truly impressive and is one that should appeal to avid gamers, torrent users, or even small businesses.
Most wireless routers have some basic functionality; port forwarding, DHCP, firewall and NAT are a few of the features inherent in just about every router within the last three years. There are routers with lots of extra features for advanced users, like the $129 Belkin Wireless PlayMax Router. The PlayMax has features like Guest Access, Channel Bonding (to boost wireless signal), Access Control and a Bit Torrent client. While we can't recommend the Play Max at this time, (further testing on it is to follow) because of underwhelming performance, the features set is truly impressive and is one that should appeal to avid gamers, torrent users, or even small businesses.
Some routers have USB ports for connecting a printer or storage device, the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router. Not only does it have USB ports, but it has a slot for 2.5-inch SATA drive and doubled as a digital photo frame. This may not be a router option for anyone, but if you have additional networking needs and may be low on space on ports to connect extra devices, a fancy router like the Xtreme N Storage may be a good bet. Prepare to shell out some cash as this router listed for $300.00 at shipping.
Security
Most routers currently support standard WEP security as well as the more secure WPA and WPA2. If you want to control what users can access when they are connected to the router, you are doing to want one that offers decent Access Controls. Cisco's Valet Plus has very effective Access Control settings plus Parental Controls that allow limiting internet use based on time of day. Guess Access and an ability to create multiple SSIDs are also important security measures if you are using the router for a small business. Together, these two features let you, for example, segment your network into seperate areas for guests and trusted users.
Most routers currently support standard WEP security as well as the more secure WPA and WPA2. If you want to control what users can access when they are connected to the router, you are doing to want one that offers decent Access Controls. Cisco's Valet Plus has very effective Access Control settings plus Parental Controls that allow limiting internet use based on time of day. Guess Access and an ability to create multiple SSIDs are also important security measures if you are using the router for a small business. Together, these two features let you, for example, segment your network into seperate areas for guests and trusted users.
Wired Connectivity
Most wireless routers have Ethernet ports for hard-wiring devices to can take advantage of the greater transmission speeds that wired Ethernet has over a wireless connection. For faster transmission rates, invest in a router that has Gigabit Ethernet ports like the Netgear RangeMax Wireless-N Gigiabit Router. Use the Gigibit Ethernet ports to wire gaming consoles, NAS drives, or any other type of multimedia server that have Gigabit Ethernet adapters to take advantage of the faster performance.
Most wireless routers have Ethernet ports for hard-wiring devices to can take advantage of the greater transmission speeds that wired Ethernet has over a wireless connection. For faster transmission rates, invest in a router that has Gigabit Ethernet ports like the Netgear RangeMax Wireless-N Gigiabit Router. Use the Gigibit Ethernet ports to wire gaming consoles, NAS drives, or any other type of multimedia server that have Gigabit Ethernet adapters to take advantage of the faster performance.
How to Buy a Wireless Router
It's hard to imagine a modern home or business network without a wireless router, but that doesn't mean it's easy to pick the right router. Our guide can help you pick the best one for your network.
Routers are an essential element of modern business network, and they're an indispensable tool in the home, too. A wireless router lets your computer connect to the Web so that you can read favorite Web sites, check e-mail, IM friends, or teleconference with colleagues. If you want to do this without cluttering your setup with Ethernet cables, a wireless router is a must. And, if it's your first time going wireless, don't worry about giving up wired speed. All wireless routers offer at least some degree of wired connectivity, allowing you to get the best of both worlds.
The wireless router market offers many different types of routers that are tailored to tackle specific needs. Vendors offer everything from very basic single-band routers designed to simply get your computer online to advanced dual-band routers that contain bonus features (such as a built-in digital photo frame). With numerous models, options, and offerings available, purchasing a wireless router is no simple affair. You may need to research the features in order to wade through the marketing hype in order to determine which router is best for your home or home office. Our Wireless router buyer's guide will help you do just that.
Determine Your Usage
A single home user who just wants to Web surf doesn't require the same type of router as a heavy-duty gamer or small business. A single-band router like the $149 Cisco Valet Plus is a basic, decent performer that would suit the needs of anyone looking for simple Wi-Fi connectivity and easy setup. By contrast, the $359 D-Link Xtreme N Duo Media Router has power-user features such as Traffic Prioritizing; Virtual Servers and UPnP support. The Xtreme N is likely to be more of value to gamers, multimedia enthusiasts or anyone with advanced networking needs. A good rule of thumb: The more expensive the router, the more features it will contain. Higher price, however, doesn't necessarily mean better performance; in our testing, the Cisco Valet Plus performed just as well as pricier, more feature-rich routers.
A single home user who just wants to Web surf doesn't require the same type of router as a heavy-duty gamer or small business. A single-band router like the $149 Cisco Valet Plus is a basic, decent performer that would suit the needs of anyone looking for simple Wi-Fi connectivity and easy setup. By contrast, the $359 D-Link Xtreme N Duo Media Router has power-user features such as Traffic Prioritizing; Virtual Servers and UPnP support. The Xtreme N is likely to be more of value to gamers, multimedia enthusiasts or anyone with advanced networking needs. A good rule of thumb: The more expensive the router, the more features it will contain. Higher price, however, doesn't necessarily mean better performance; in our testing, the Cisco Valet Plus performed just as well as pricier, more feature-rich routers.
Single Band vs. Dual Band
While researching routers, you will inevitably stumble across the term "bands". The 2.4- and 5- GHz bands are the frequencies in which wireless communications operate. 802.11 B and G standard devices use the 2.4 GHz band, while 802.11N can use either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. A single-band, 2.4-GHz router, like the $65 Asus RT-N11 EZ Wireless-N Router is geared toward simple wireless networks. On the other hand, a dual-band router like the $119 Cisco Linksys E2000 Advanced Wireless-N supports both 2.4- and 5-GHz frequencies. The 5-GHz band is better equipped for throughput-intensive work within your home network such as gaming and file streaming. In fact, as mentioned in our "Setup and Small Home or Business Network" article, you will also get better internal network performance.
While researching routers, you will inevitably stumble across the term "bands". The 2.4- and 5- GHz bands are the frequencies in which wireless communications operate. 802.11 B and G standard devices use the 2.4 GHz band, while 802.11N can use either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band. A single-band, 2.4-GHz router, like the $65 Asus RT-N11 EZ Wireless-N Router is geared toward simple wireless networks. On the other hand, a dual-band router like the $119 Cisco Linksys E2000 Advanced Wireless-N supports both 2.4- and 5-GHz frequencies. The 5-GHz band is better equipped for throughput-intensive work within your home network such as gaming and file streaming. In fact, as mentioned in our "Setup and Small Home or Business Network" article, you will also get better internal network performance.
Know Your Standards
Knowing which standard the majority of devices on a network support is important in deciding which router is best for your setup. For example, if you want to connect two slightly dated laptops which house 802.11b/g wireless cards to the Internet, and you have no need or plans to upgrade your client devices anytime soon, you could get away with a cheaper, single-band 2.4 GHz 802.11N router. Why? You can run the router in "Mixed Mode" setting, which will let the router connect to B and G clients. Secondly, only N routers can connect at the 5 GHz band, so you only need a 2.4 GHz router for B and G clients. A decent option would be a router like the Cisco Linksys E1000 Wireless-N Router, which is available for under $60 (if you can swing the extra $70, however, the Valet Plus is the better option).
Knowing which standard the majority of devices on a network support is important in deciding which router is best for your setup. For example, if you want to connect two slightly dated laptops which house 802.11b/g wireless cards to the Internet, and you have no need or plans to upgrade your client devices anytime soon, you could get away with a cheaper, single-band 2.4 GHz 802.11N router. Why? You can run the router in "Mixed Mode" setting, which will let the router connect to B and G clients. Secondly, only N routers can connect at the 5 GHz band, so you only need a 2.4 GHz router for B and G clients. A decent option would be a router like the Cisco Linksys E1000 Wireless-N Router, which is available for under $60 (if you can swing the extra $70, however, the Valet Plus is the better option).
If you have a mix of B, G and N devices (as most of us do), your best bet is to go with a simultaneous dual-band router like the $169 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit. This model excels at automatically connecting devices to the appropriate band, without user intervention. There are other dual-band routers that are good choices as well, like the $119 Linksys by Cisco Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router. This model requires user to be savvy enough to know how to configure settings so that all devices (be they B, G or N) can connect to the correct 2.4-GHz or 5-GHz band.
PC vs. Mac
We have tested numerous wireless routers from a variety of vendors, and have determined that it the make or model makes little difference on a Windows network. There's some anecdotal evidence from readers and the blogosphere that a network consisting of all Apple products works best with an Apple router. Many chimed in on an article about iPad Wi-Fi connectivity. Several readers stated they had none of the connectivity problems with their iPad when connecting it to an Apple AirPort.
We have tested numerous wireless routers from a variety of vendors, and have determined that it the make or model makes little difference on a Windows network. There's some anecdotal evidence from readers and the blogosphere that a network consisting of all Apple products works best with an Apple router. Many chimed in on an article about iPad Wi-Fi connectivity. Several readers stated they had none of the connectivity problems with their iPad when connecting it to an Apple AirPort.
Routers should theoretically work across the board for Windows, Apple and Linux clients. If you have an all-Apple or predominately Apple environment, save yourself any potential hassle and go with a router from Apple.
Coverage Area/Antennas
Router antennas can either be external or internal, with the former seemingly delivering stronger signals. One of the fastest Wi-Fi routers we have tested is the $79.99 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit, which has two external antennas. In some cases, it's possible to purchase signal amplifiers or upgrade the antenna to one that's more high-powered. The one drawback with external antennas is that they can be more problematic to discretely situate in a home than a router with internal antennas such as the Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Router, which is built with Linksys/Cisco's familiar sleek design. Also, it's true that anything that sticks out can be broken off.
Router antennas can either be external or internal, with the former seemingly delivering stronger signals. One of the fastest Wi-Fi routers we have tested is the $79.99 D-Link DIR-825 Xtreme N Dual Band Gigabit, which has two external antennas. In some cases, it's possible to purchase signal amplifiers or upgrade the antenna to one that's more high-powered. The one drawback with external antennas is that they can be more problematic to discretely situate in a home than a router with internal antennas such as the Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Router, which is built with Linksys/Cisco's familiar sleek design. Also, it's true that anything that sticks out can be broken off.
Accordingly, don't discredit routers with internal antennas. For most home purposes, new routers like the $179 Cisco Linksys's E3000 High Performance Wireless N Router have an almost unheard of 6 internal antennas with 2x3 transmit/receive. We have not tested the router yet (look for the test soon) but the E2000, which is the mid-router in the E series, was a decent performer that only has 3 internal antennas.
Keep in mind, despite whatever the antenna design is, large areas may sometimes need more than one wireless router for coverage. The average range for wireless coverage is 180 feet max indoors and 1,500 feet max in an open space—that's devoid of concrete walls or any other interference!
Feature Set
Most wireless routers have some basic functionality; port forwarding, DHCP, firewall and NAT are a few of the features inherent in just about every router within the last three years. There are routers with lots of extra features for advanced users, like the $129 Belkin Wireless PlayMax Router. The PlayMax has features like Guest Access, Channel Bonding (to boost wireless signal), Access Control and a Bit Torrent client. While we can't recommend the Play Max at this time, (further testing on it is to follow) because of underwhelming performance, the features set is truly impressive and is one that should appeal to avid gamers, torrent users, or even small businesses.
Most wireless routers have some basic functionality; port forwarding, DHCP, firewall and NAT are a few of the features inherent in just about every router within the last three years. There are routers with lots of extra features for advanced users, like the $129 Belkin Wireless PlayMax Router. The PlayMax has features like Guest Access, Channel Bonding (to boost wireless signal), Access Control and a Bit Torrent client. While we can't recommend the Play Max at this time, (further testing on it is to follow) because of underwhelming performance, the features set is truly impressive and is one that should appeal to avid gamers, torrent users, or even small businesses.
Some routers have USB ports for connecting a printer or storage device, the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router. Not only does it have USB ports, but it has a slot for 2.5-inch SATA drive and doubled as a digital photo frame. This may not be a router option for anyone, but if you have additional networking needs and may be low on space on ports to connect extra devices, a fancy router like the Xtreme N Storage may be a good bet. Prepare to shell out some cash as this router listed for $300.00 at shipping.
Security
Most routers currently support standard WEP security as well as the more secure WPA and WPA2. If you want to control what users can access when they are connected to the router, you are doing to want one that offers decent Access Controls. Cisco's Valet Plus has very effective Access Control settings plus Parental Controls that allow limiting internet use based on time of day. Guess Access and an ability to create multiple SSIDs are also important security measures if you are using the router for a small business. Together, these two features let you, for example, segment your network into seperate areas for guests and trusted users.
Most routers currently support standard WEP security as well as the more secure WPA and WPA2. If you want to control what users can access when they are connected to the router, you are doing to want one that offers decent Access Controls. Cisco's Valet Plus has very effective Access Control settings plus Parental Controls that allow limiting internet use based on time of day. Guess Access and an ability to create multiple SSIDs are also important security measures if you are using the router for a small business. Together, these two features let you, for example, segment your network into seperate areas for guests and trusted users.
Wired Connectivity
Most wireless routers have Ethernet ports for hard-wiring devices to can take advantage of the greater transmission speeds that wired Ethernet has over a wireless connection. For faster transmission rates, invest in a router that has Gigabit Ethernet ports like the Netgear RangeMax Wireless-N Gigiabit Router. Use the Gigibit Ethernet ports to wire gaming consoles, NAS drives, or any other type of multimedia server that have Gigabit Ethernet adapters to take advantage of the faster performance.
Most wireless routers have Ethernet ports for hard-wiring devices to can take advantage of the greater transmission speeds that wired Ethernet has over a wireless connection. For faster transmission rates, invest in a router that has Gigabit Ethernet ports like the Netgear RangeMax Wireless-N Gigiabit Router. Use the Gigibit Ethernet ports to wire gaming consoles, NAS drives, or any other type of multimedia server that have Gigabit Ethernet adapters to take advantage of the faster performance.
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