You are here: Home / Archives for Wireless

The Advantages of Wireless Internet

Panera Bread 

Image via Wikipedia

Ah, the Internet age – a time where individuals can do almost anything from the comfort of their own homes, from dating, shopping, going to school, and finding work. The Internet is definitely “in”.

In fact, where would we be without the internet and wireless ability to surf at our leisure or work? The benefits of utilizing wireless internet far exceed the old fashioned computers that had to be plugged in to modem devices that would eliminate our ability to be mobile.

Wireless Internet can be found in locations that were once never anticipated or expected. You can now eat a meal in the fast-paced McDonalds, or in the quiet ambiance of Panera. You can get a nice coffee at Starbucks, or sit in the local library with your computer or other wireless device. Playgrounds for children are now being plugged in, providing parents opportunities to score online time while allowing their kids to play.

Sluggishness is no longer an option, with opportunities to connect online and work from virtually anywhere. Of course, there are pros and cons to this. Most people will vote for the positives of being able to balance work and home life and maybe sneak in some time for themselves to do research or online shopping.

Wireless Internet is pure beauty – something that we cannot see, touch, or taste – yet it exists in all its finery. Wireless devices bring our lives much ease and opportunity leaving us to wonder what we ever did without it.

 

Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: , ,

Availability of Internet

There seems to be an abundance of availability of internet service these days. So many places that you go it seems that Internet is just available for free. It is important to recognize when you are connecting to the internet and whether you are legally connecting, is it a safe connecting and whether you are really being neighborly when you connect into your neighbors unsecured wireless internet.

Unless you are paying for the service or have permission to use the service technically speaking you are probably stealing it. It is possible that the service is free anyway, but it is probably important for you to check. Many business establishments provide their customers with a free wireless internet when you visit their business. Just because the business provides the service to it’s customers it is probably easy enough to connect from outside the building. No one will probably notice or care that you do this, but the reasonable thing to do is probably to ask and make sure.

Similar to the previous statement, if you have access in your home to a wireless unsecured network it is probably your neighbors. Your neighbors are paying for that service and you are not. Using that service without permission will probably go unnoticed, but that is probably not the neighborly thing to do. Imagine that they do notice and consider the consequences. Best to stay on good terms with the guy that can look out for you instead of just taking from him because you can. And sharing internet connections is really no different than splicing into your neighbors cable.

Be sure that even though you have available access, that it is meant for you. As a traveller you will find that there are many wireless connections along your way. Not all of these connections are safe and it is important that you use the ones that are.

Filed Under: Computers, Internet Tagged With: ,

Wireless Networks and The Importance of Password Security

Computers are growing in popularity, as are the numbers of people who are connecting to the Internet. This has been a known trend for almost three decades now. In the early to mid 1990s, dial-up connections were at their peak, moving from 14.4 to 56k. These connections were sufficient for the various types of online gaming and typical online activities that users would regularly partake in for the time period. However, as online gaming began improving, and overall user experience online began to blossom into more interactive aspects, the desire for an increase in Internet connection speed began taking shape. As the demand grew, the options did as well. Among the most popular were DSL and cable connections. These connections had a slow start due to their not being available in a wide array of areas as well as the monthly cost people would have to fork over to maintain the connection.

Currently, cable and DSL are the standard, and connection speeds are only getting faster. In conjunction with these new and improved ways to connect to the Internet come wireless capabilities. Broadband wireless provides a simple and effective way to access the Internet from any device that has wireless support while within range of a wireless router. Wireless Internet has revolutionized the way in which people access the Internet, allowing for access from a large amount of various mobile devices, particularly cell phones. However, with this highly efficient way of accessing the Internet comes security problems that are unique to it.

It is vital that when setting up your own wireless network that you immediately set up a password. To begin with, you do not want some random person coming along and stealing your bandwidth by piggy backing off your unsecured connection. Additionally. not having a password in place can result in numerous types of security breaches that can put your connection as well as your computer at risk. There are other ways to ensure your wireless connection is secure, but utilizing the use of a password is the most simplistic, and most effective way to neutralize the majority of potential threats.

Filed Under: Advancements, Internet Tagged With: , , , ,

Five Species of Wireless Connections

If you’re connected to the Internet wirelessly, and that’s all you know about the connection, you don’t really know very much. That’s because there are distinct categories of wireless connections. They usually vary depending on the area of coverage, but they also can hinge on what kind of device is using the connection. This article will explain five types of wireless connections and when they are likely to be utilized.

  • Wireless LAN: The local area network is one of, if not the, most used wireless connections. The Wi-Fi in your home, the connection at a local eatery, and often the Internet at your office all connect through a WLAN. Fixed wireless data also fit into the genre of WLANs.
  • Wireless MAN: Metropolitan area networks are composed of assorted WLANs. As the name suggests, these types of networks connect entire metropolitan areas by linking a number of smaller, local area networks.
  • Wireless WAN: Wide area networks incorporate the same idea of WLANs, except the coverage area is larger and, because of the amount of data and size of area, WWANs use a different transmission technology than other networks. Companies such as AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint are providers of WWANs.
  • Wireless PAN: Personal area networks surround an individual with a connection. Bluetooth technology is an example of a use for a WPAN.
  • Mobile wireless: Because cell phones exchange data as well as phone calls nowadays, cell networks have to increase their ability to connect wirelessly.

It’s plausible to assume that most people connect to wireless Internet on their laptops from local area networks, but as technology advances and new devices are designed, other networks become more viable. For example, before smartphones, WPANs and mobile wireless networks were nonexistent. They became necessary to construct because of the need to connect using increasingly smarter devices. Who knows, in five years the number of network varieties could double!

Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: ,

The Confounding Concept of Wireless Internet

Fifty years ago it would have seemed like something out of a science fiction novel that computers or any electronic device could be connected to a network without a cable. The idea of wireless is abstract and mystifying, but only if the technology isn’t understood. Once it’s realized that a wireless connection uses the same types of electromagnetic waves that radios use, the concept becomes less absurd.

The Internet connection obtained at coffee shops and throughout your house doesn’t just appear out of the blue, however. In order to connect to the Internet wirelessly, you’ll need a couple of elements:

  • A computer or laptop with wireless capability
  • An Internet Service Provider (ISP)
  • A modem and network card
  • A wireless router

When you obtain an ISP, you will be provided with the necessary components to connect to the Internet with a wire. With the purchase of a wireless router, the need for cables becomes unnecessary. But how does it work? Both the router and the computer are digital devices, meaning they communicate in ones and zeroes. In order in order for information to be transmitted through the air from the computer to the router, though, that information must be translated into radio waves.

Your computer sends a message to the wireless router asking to visit a certain website. The router alerts that website, the website alerts the ISP, the ISP sends information back to the router, and the router allows you to access the site. All this is done in a matter of seconds, depending on your ISP and computer speed. In the end, the structure of a wireless connection is somewhat misleading. The wireless router does require a cable in order to contact the ISP. Wireless connections may continue to baffle the user, but technology like the radio was confusing in its hey-day as well.

Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: ,

Bluetooth And Ethernet Ports – Simplest Option To Connect The Computer To The TV

The process of connecting a computer to a television is as complicated today as it was once complicated to connect two computers together. Serial ports had to be used where data would be transmitted in one direction in one wire and would be transmitted in another direction by another wire for a round about data transfer to be achieved.

Today, it is essential to have a recently manufactured television that will support high definition so that the VGA slot in the video card can be fitted into the television. However, more and more television manufacturers are realizing that they are losing out to the computer simply because people cannot access their computer hard disk files on the television screen.

Television manufacturers are realizing that offering a television that can connect to the internet and download data from the same can be very beneficial. Today, gaming consoles enable individuals to connect to the internet without any difficulty whatsoever.

Of course, it is the console that connects to the internet and not the television screen. However, the account can be accessed using the television monitor as well. Hence, the following improvisations are being noticed in the world of televisions.

Ethernet cable port – These ports facilitate a direct connection between the port in the computer and the web. The presence of this port means that connecting the television to the computer will be as simple as using the same cord or cable used for LAN connections.

Bluetooth- Bluetooth is the most efficient and effective solution as far as wireless transfer between two electronic devices is concern. Within short distances, this is the fastest mode of wireless transfer. Having a Bluetooth enabled TV or a Bluetooth dongle in the central processing unit will enable both devices to communicate with each other and exchange of data can be facilitate without any difficulty.

Filed Under: Computers, Gadgets Tagged With: , ,

Opting For Wireless Connections – Get Your Computer Safety Precautions Right

DSL Internet Access
Image by Jeremy Brooks via Flickr

Getting a wireless internet connection for your house or office can help you improve your productivity drastically. No longer will you be tied to the ubiquitous cable or wire to surf the web. There was a time when wireless internet was available but at dialup speeds. Today, you can enjoy broadband wireless internet by either going in for a broadband dongle or by converting your existing wired internet connection into a wireless one.

It is important to revamp your security and protective measures you have taken to keep your data safe when you opt for a wireless connection. The biggest difference between a wired and wireless connection is that you have complete control over who gets access to your internet connection when you opt for the wired broadband option.

Any and every person in your house can access the web only by walking to the computer and using the same. If you have a laptop, it will have to be placed at a specific point and will have to be connected to the internet with the help of the suitable cable.

On the other hand, a wireless internet connection will give each and every individual within the perimeter of the radio waves to surf the internet using your connection. Simply put, an individual living below you or above you main access your network by simply using a wireless adapter fitted to his or her computer.

Needless to say, this creates specific complications. For starters, you will be paying for somebody else’s usage. The person who uses your wireless connectivity will be stealing your usage. This can work out to be a very expensive mistake.

Secondly, any and every illegal or unethical act committed with the help of your wireless connection will be traced back to you. In such a scenario, making sure that you have a secured wireless connection when going in for wireless broadband is very important.

Filed Under: 3G Networks, Computers, Internet Tagged With: , , ,

Some Tips To Choose The Right Password For Your Wireless Connection

It is important to initiate steps to convert your wireless connection into a secure one as early as possible. The good news is that converting your wireless broadband connection into a secure one is not very difficult. There are specific security measures that you can opt for.

The simplest option is to assign a password to your wireless connection and make sure that it is known to only all those individuals who are authorized to access the same. Any other person who accesses the wireless connection will be requested to submit the password before proceeding.

Hence, the wireless connection will not be accessible to all those individuals who simply happen to be within the radius of your connectivity. Rather, it will be accessible only to those who have specific authorization to do so.

Do not make the mistake of assigning the password and concluding that your job is done. Just as you are advised to change the passwords of your bank accounts and mail addresses, you should change the passwords of your wireless connectivity as well.

Again, do not use those words and names which can be guessed very easily. Instead, try to go in for random numbers and keep them saved only in your wireless connectivity manager.

Many persons take care of all these tasks and then proceed to save the password in the cell phone as contact entry or on the desktop of their laptop. Well, you will be sending an open invitation to any and every hacker to access your wireless connectivity as and when he desires. You either have to memorize the password or you have to go in for such a combination which will be easy to remember but very difficult for other persons to guess.

Do not be satisfied with the protection offered by the router or the wireless connectivity manager. Make it a point to install a good quality antivirus program and a firewall as well.

Filed Under: Advancements, Computers, Internet Tagged With: , ,

Relying On Wireless Connectivity? Keep Backup Option In Hand For Contingencies

Having a wireless internet connection in your house may be very convenient. However, you should make sure you have a wired backup option in your hand. If you are converting your existing wired connection to a wireless one, then you have absolutely nothing to fear.

This is because you can always plug the LAN cable into any Ethernet card and access the web without any difficulty. However, if you are making use of a broadband dongle, then you need to consider the possibility of absence of network connectivity or frequent disconnection of the internet connection.

The possibility of such complications arising with wired broadband is also present. However, the technology and infrastructure used for wired connection is versatile and stable. On the other hand, wireless broadband is still relatively new. Despite the best efforts of the service provider, excessive usage by a single individual in and around you may lead to network congestion.

In such a scenario, the last thing you want is to get stranded. What options do you have? Well, you can use the cell phone as a modern and connect to the internet. If you can keep the dialup internet connection option open. You can also have a wired broadband connection in your house at all times.

It is not just a question of network congestion alone. The wireless routers that you have can be very sensitive. Dropping it on a hard surface may lead to damage which may affect connectivity. Do not box yourself into a corner by opting for 3G wireless broadband or other such options and pretending that this will never fail.

Of course, if you have alternate options like visiting a nearby café or asking a friend or relative to help, then you have absolutely no difficulties involved. However, if staying connected online is a very important thing for you, then it is advisable to have a backup option in hand. This is particularly true for commercial organizations.

Filed Under: 3G Networks, Computers, Internet Tagged With: , ,

Wireless Networks Collapse In Tech Conferences – Comic Error Or Systemic Flaw?

Would you expect a conference of the top hotel companies in the world to run out of accommodation space? Would expect a meeting of the top food manufacturers in the world to run out of food? Of course not. Well, the internet related industry is suffering some embarrassing moments after wireless networks collapse during high tech conferences.

With the biggest names in the world of internet, one would expect each and every aspect related to tech would work manner. However, these conferences are so popular that the wireless networks simply collapse. Organizers have repeatedly tried to setup the networks to handle excess load. However, the multitude of laptops, tablet computers, cell phones and smart phones using the wireless networks always led to the servers simply collapsing without any exception.

Here lies an important lesson for all those who believe that wireless internet is the way to proceed. Even high speed internet connections offered using wireless medium can collapse if the number of users is very high. As far as wired internet connections are concerned, one is aware of the maximum number of connections that may be plugged into the server.

If there are 500 ports available for wired Ethernet connection, it is not possible to connect more than 500 computers at a given point of time. If the service provider prepares for 750 computers, the system will never fail. However, wireless networks enable any and every individual in with a smart phone or a wireless device to become a user of the service.

With so many people posting updates to social networking websites in such conferences, it is not surprising that the wireless networks collapse. This is not something that should be used to simply criticize the organizers. Rather, it is a question on the sustainability of wireless network as a whole.

Filed Under: 3G Networks, Internet Tagged With: , , ,