Monday, October 6, 2003		Guest Speak

Go Wi-Fi: anytime, anywhere computing
G.B. Kumar

IMAGINE working on your laptop or checking e-mail from anywhere in your home, connecting to your office network from a coffee shop, retrieving files or presentations from the corporate network, or cruising the Internet or sending instant messages to co-workersdoing it all not from your workstation but from a conference room or the company cafeteria.

Add to that ease and speed, without worrying about finding a wired network connection. We are talking Wi-Fi. You can move your entire office without losing your investment in networking installation; all without moving cables or installing complicated hubs and routers. Wi-Fi stands for "wireless fidelity" and refers to any type of 802.11 network — 802.11b, 802.11a, dual-band, etc.

This is a high-speed wireless technology standard used to connect PCs, laptops and handheld computers to each other and to the Internet. It works like a cell phone—Wi-Fi-enabled computers send and receive data anywhere within the range of a base station, and can provide real-world performance similar to the basic 10BaseT wired Ethernet networks presently used in many offices. And the best of all, it’s several times faster than cable modem connections.

IEEE 802.11 Standard

Wi-Fi networks use radio technologies called IEEE 802.11b or 802.11a to provide secure, and fast wireless connectivity. The main features of 802.11a specification are: It is an extension of the 802.11 technology and is deployed in wireless LAN environments and provides up to 54 Mbps on 12 channels in the 5GHz band.

The 802.11b specification is also an extension of the 802.11 technology. Like 802.11a, this is also deployed in wireless LAN environments but provides up to 11 Mbps transmission on 3 channels in the 2.4 GHz band, a frequency shared by other wireless technologies like Bluetooth, HomeRF, some cordless phones and microwaves.

Anytime, anywhere

Anyone can use Wi-Fi, almost anywhere. Most computing devices, including notebooks, PDAs and cell phones, will eventually connect to 802.11-based wireless networks. So Wi-Fi is expected to become an even bigger and hotter technology for both home and business in the years to come.

Home Wi-Fi networks can bring a whole new dimension to a family’s digital experience. Wi-Fi can make the increasingly ubiquitous home PC even more powerful and exciting. With your TV, computer stereo, kitchen appliances and other electronic devices connected through Wi-Fi, your home can become a place for your whole family to learn, play and communicate in a multimedia-rich, audio and visual environment wirelessly. You can kiss the unsightly cables goodbye.

For small businesses, Wi-Fi can mean connectivity between mobile salespeople, floor staff and back-end support departments. The built-in flexibility of a Wi-Fi network eliminates the need to move cables and installation of hubs and routers, making it easy and affordable for small business to make changes and increase scale.

Large corporations and campuses use enterprise-level technology and Wi-Fi products to extend standard wired Ethernet networks to public areas like training classrooms and auditoriums. For instance, Intel has deployed Wi-Fi networks in many of their offices, providing anytime, anywhere connection for employees in the offices. Many corporations also provide wireless networks to their off-site and telecommuting workers to use at home or in remote offices. Large companies and campuses often use Wi-Fi to connect buildings.

Service providers and wireless ISPs in Singapore such as SingTel, StarHub, Blue Engine and Yellow Spots are already using Wi-Fi technology to provide connectivity for businesses and commercial complexes through almost 200 public wireless hotspots. These hotspots may be the fastest-growing segment of Wi-Fi service as more and more travellers demand fast and secure Internet access wherever they go.