802.16 Wi-max

[Fidgits]

With so many technical people on here, I thought a little technology I have been working on recently may be of interest, and perhaps some members will know more than I do and can fill us in....

Its called Wi-Max (802.16), and its similar to Wi-Fi (802.11) but on a bigger scale..

Its main focuses are:

1. Replacing ADSL and Cable for Broadband home access.

Wi-Max can offer broadband connection speeds over several miles (Wi-Fi is limited to a few hundred metres), and what this means is, you can have broadband access to your home, and you dont need a BT/NTL phone line, or to be within a certain distance of an exchange...

All it will require is your in a catchment area - which although in the beginning will be small, by 2007/08 expect every major town and city to have coverage.

The other benifit is, its wireless access, so you can use your computer anywhere in your house - no need to be tied to a phone line..

2. The second main focus, is replacing the 'mobile hotspots' - so if you have a contract (either home BB or roaming) and are in a major town/city/airport, you will have wireless access (remember coverage is several miles).. so you could even check your emails while sat [stationary] on the M25, and guys with in-car computers - well think of the possiblilties..

There are other suggesstions to its uses, such as mobile IP phones etc.. but that will all piggyback the infrastructure once its up...

From what i can tell, expect to start hearing about it next year....

[Yarisboy]

I think it's got to be the way forward, networking is the future..

within 20 years everything you buy will have a wireless reciever in it and do all kinds of clever stuff!

speaking of interesting technology..

living robots

Looks like the terminator might not be such a ridiculous idea after all!

[DeusMR2]

sounds excellent and will definatley catch on if the price depreciation is quick enough (itll probably be ££ at the start of availability)

[sotal]

They used to have a system like that where I used to live. It was a rural area so broadband hadn't been rolled out there then and there was a lot of high tech businesses.

Basically they got a big dedicated line put in and sold wireless access to it. You then got a discount if you had a repeater with your wireless adapter so that you would extend the signal.

I was on the list to have it but moved house before it was launched.

It only used older technology but it was a good idea:

The people who were putting it in were: http://www.zywave.co.uk/

and it was part paid for by:

http://www.advantagebroadband.co.uk/bfora/...irsttitle.xsl/2

[Rookey]

Sounds like a wicked bit of kit, how long till it hits the streets, how can we find out about catchment areas etc?

That living robot thing is absolutely awesome as well! amazing bits of technology!

[Fidgits]

Well, the hardware kits i have been working on are going through interopribility tests at the moment... so working from that, expect the basestations to start being sold towards the end of this year..

Once the infrastructure, it'll be launched in a few spots, probably early next year.. and gradually expanding..

[Karma Supra]

I was thinking about something like this on monday, when sat ina collegues car...

I was about to fire up my 3G data card, when "wireless network nearby" popped up.. it was unsecured so I thought why not.

I have no idea where it was comming from, but I had full broad band sat parked up in a Rav 4 somewhere near ringwood

Its a good idea, as 3g is actually pretty pooo

[DeusMR2]

the only drawback i see with this is that it would be easier for someone to tap into since essentially all the information is whizzing through the air! But I suppose the level of encryption nowadays means that sort of thing is near impossible

[dicey2k]

Yeah, a wardrivers paradise! Sounds like a top bit of kit though, with the proper security in place it could actually be the dog's parts! Wireless technologies are definatley the way forward though, i can see why developers put so much into it... certainly aint no betamax technology!!!

[Fidgits]

the only drawback i see with this is that it would be easier for someone to tap into since essentially all the information is whizzing through the air! But I suppose the level of encryption nowadays means that sort of thing is near impossible

←

ahhh.. and thats where i step in :D

In short, its basically CCMP security for the data (128-bit AES encryption done twice!) and is what we call virtually unbreakable (all encyption can be broken eventually but virtually unbreakable means it would take all the computers in the world working together over 10 million years to retrieve 1 key from a brute force attack).

and the whole key exchange (login process) is done by PKI - which is about 1 million times stronger than the key exchange you use when you log into Internet banking... (which isnt exactly weak)

so, that issue has already been taken care of ;)

[dicey2k]

Yeah your average student with a nova and a laptop on the passenger seat isn't going to get past that lot, full marks for that! Be cool to see it in action sometime for sure!

[Fidgits]

Yeah your average student with a nova and a laptop on the passenger seat isn't going to get past that lot, full marks for that! Be cool to see it in action sometime for sure!

←

yeah, and even your highly paid corporation cracker isn't going to get into that...

Infact, the only way in is really going to be through user ID/Password cracking, and sorry, cant help you there (although, if you set it up with a biometric password.....)

[dicey2k]

Is there much info available to anybody on this tech as of yet? I'm interested, and i can think of a few of my students that might be too. Does sound like the ultimate bohemoth of wireless networking, suppose it would have good applications in terms of business WANs too, not just residential use?

[Moffmo]

I want!!

In hull there is nothing but ADSL from karoo who charge Ridulous prices, so im coping with 56k!

This would be my answer :D

[dicey2k]

Not if Karoo control it!!!!

[Fidgits]

Is there much info available to anybody on this tech as of yet?  I'm interested, and i can think of a few of my students that might be too.  Does sound like the ultimate bohemoth of wireless networking, suppose it would have good applications in terms of business WANs too, not just residential use?

←

yes there is hellva lot...

Just do a search for WiMax or 802.16.. I can give you some specific links if you let me know what your after...

And yes, Im pretty sure you'll see WiMax switch routers coming along as the technology gets pushed out...

[Robie]

Every time something wireless comes out everyone says it is going to replace the existing wires.

I have used a number of wireless; mice, keyboards, networks and they are nowhere near as good as the wired alternative.

[DeusMR2]

Every time something wireless comes out everyone says it is going to replace the existing wires.

I have used a number of wireless; mice, keyboards, networks and they are nowhere near as good as the wired alternative.

←

yet ;)

[dicey2k]

Wires still have the drawback of being limited to a minute geographical location ;)

Granted, i like my gigabit lan here, but you can't beat sitting in starbucks with your laptop on your knee and a coffee at lunch! My comms room (which is also my office) at work is a mess, and thats all due to wires! 500+ network points in one cabinet the size of a phone box is no easy task to keep tidy, believe me, the sooner wireless becomes "great" the better!

[Karma Supra]

I runa 108kbps wireless network at home and its great!!!!

its plenty fast enough for my needs, I csn streem over DVD playback, we can all surf the net etc etc...

The reception isa bit iffy in some parts of the house though :(

[dicey2k]

Yeah, we had a funny thing in my Uni days... They built a new building and put wireless in for student and staff laptops, and the building was designed around this state of the art metal framework... However the numpties that did the construction forgot one minor thing, insulation! Wireless signals grounded out so it was useless, and mobile reception was shoddy at best too!

:censor: idiots!