Wi-Max - Lets B wireless...!!!

WiMAX is one of the hottest broadband wireless technologies around today. WiMAX systems are expected to deliver broadband access services to residential and enterprise customers in an economical way.

Loosely, WiMax is a standardized wireless version of Ethernet intended primarily as an alternative to wire technologies ( such as Cable Modems, DSL and T1/E1 links ) to provide broadband access to customer premises.

More strictly, WiMAX is an industry trade organization formed by leading communications component and equipment companies to promote and certify compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless access equipment that conforms to the IEEE 802.16 and ETSI HIPERMAN standards.

WiMAX would operate similar to WiFi but at higher speeds, over greater distances and for a greater number of users. WiMAX has the ability to provide service even in areas that are difficult for wired infrastructure to reach and the ability to overcome the physical limitations of traditional wired infrastructure.

WiMAX was formed in April 2001, in anticipation of the publication of the original 10-66 GHz IEEE 802.16 specifications. WiMAX is to 802.16 as the Wi-Fi Alliance is to 802.11

WiMAX is:

• Acronym for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.
  
  
• Based on Wireless MAN technology.
  
  
• A wireless technology optimized for the delivery of IP centric services over a wide area.
  
  
• A scaleable wireless platform for constructing alternative and complementary broadband networks.
  
  
• A certification that denotes interoperability of equipment built to the IEEE 802.16 or compatible standard. The IEEE 802.16 Working Group develops standards that address two types of usage models:
  
  
• A fixed usage model (IEEE 802.16-2004).
• A portable usage model (IEEE 802.16e).

802.16a - WiMAX is such an easy term that people tend to use it for the 802.16 standards and technology themselves, although strictly it applies only to systems that meet specific conformance criteria laid down by the WiMAX Forum.

The 802.16a standard for 2-11 GHz is a wireless metropolitan area network (MAN) technology that will provide broadband wireless connectivity to Fixed, Portable and Nomadic devices.

It can be used to connect 802.11 hot spots to the Internet, provide campus connectivity, and provide a wireless alternative to cable and DSL for last mile broadband access.

WiMax Speed and Range:

WiMAX is expected to offer initially up to about 40 Mbps capacity per wireless channel for both fixed and portable applications, depending on the particular technical configuration chosen, enough to support hundreds of businesses with T-1 speed connectivity and thousands of residences with DSL speed connectivity. WiMAX can support voice and video as well as Internet data.

WiMax will be to provide wireless broadband access to buildings, either in competition to existing wired networks or alone in currently unserved rural or thinly populated areas. It can also be used to connect WLAN hotspots to the Internet. WiMAX is also intended to provide broadband connectivity to mobile devices. It would not be as fast as in these fixed applications, but expectations are for about 15 Mbps capacity in a 3 km cell coverage area.

With WiMAX users could really cut free from today.s Internet access arrangements and be able to go online at broadband speeds, almost wherever they like from within a MetroZone.

WiMAX could potentially be deployed in a variety of spectrum bands: 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz, and 5.8GHz

Why WiMax ?

• WiMAX can satisfy a variety of access needs. Potential applications include extending broadband capabilities to bring them closer to subscribers, filling gaps in cable, DSL and T1 services, Wi-Fi and cellular backhaul, providing last-100 meter access from fibre to the curb and giving service providers another cost-effective option for supporting broadband services.
  
  
• WiMAX can support very high bandwidth solutions where large spectrum deployments (i.e. >10 MHz) are desired using existing infrastructure keeping costs down while delivering the bandwidth needed to support a full range of high-value, multimedia services.
  
  
• WiMAX can help service providers meet many of the challenges they face due to increasing customer demands without discarding their existing infrastructure investments because it has the ability to seamlessly interoperate across various network types.
  
  
• WiMAX can provide wide area coverage and quality of service capabilities for applications ranging from real-time delay-sensitive voice-over-IP (VoIP) to real-time streaming video and non-real-time downloads, ensuring that subscribers obtain the performance they expect for all types of communications.
  
  
• WiMAX, which is an IP-based wireless broadband technology, can be integrated into both wide-area third-generation (3G) mobile and wireless and wireline networks, allowing it to become part of a seamless anytime, anywhere broadband access solution.

Ultimately, WiMAX is intended to serve as the next step in the evolution of 3G mobile phones, via a potential combination of WiMAX and CDMA standards called 4G.

WiMAX Goals:

A standard by itself is not enough to enable mass adoption. WiMAX has stepped forward to help solve barriers to adoption, such as interoperability and cost of deployment. WiMAX will help ignite the wireless MAN industry, by defining and conducting interoperability testing and labeling vendor systems with a "WiMAX Certified™" label once testing has been completed successfully.

Top 10 Ways to Get Free Wi-Fi Anywhere You Go

Whether you're traveling or just trying to get out of the house a bit more, there's one thing that plagues us everywhere we go: Wi-Fi. We may not have that cloud of Wi-Fi covering the planet yet, but you can find free Wi-Fi almost anywhere, if you know how to look. Here's what you need to know.

10. Know Which Hotels and Businesses Always Have Wi-Fi

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A lot of businesses these days offer free wi-fi, even big chains like Starbucks and McDonalds. Learn which ones do and remember them. You can start off by checking out this list of unexpected places you can get free Wi-Fi, as well as our our guide to Wi-Fi friendly hotels and our#freewifi tag. You might be surprised at how many people actually offer it with no strings attached. Photo by Ken Hawkins.

9. Use a Hotspot Database

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If you don't have one of those locations around, though—or if you can't stand the smell of coffee—it's time to turn to a hotspot database like WeFi. They have a huge list of over 100 million Wi-Fi hotspots around the world, including rural areas you might not expect. They've also got apps for iPhone andAndroid, so you're never without a search engine to find yourself a connection.

8. Search for Hidden Networks

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If you aren't near a documented hotspot, that doesn't mean you can't sniff one out. We've shown you a number of apps that'll help you find free, hidden Wi-Fi networks, and we've also mentioned that electronics stores are a great place to start looking (since they need Wi-Fi for their display units), as are premium lounges in airports. With a little bit of searching, you can bring all the hidden hotspots out of the woodwork. Just don't tell too many people, or they might start protecting their network.

7. Browse the Right Sites

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This won't get you access to the whole internet, but if you're just looking for Wi-Fi to pass the time, see if the local paid hotspots offer any sites for free. Delta Airlines, for example, offers free access to Amazon, People magazine, and the Wall Street Journal in-flight. It won't help you check your email, but you can certainly keep busy browsing Amazon and reading news, and you won't need to spend a dime.

6. Sign Up for a Loyalty Program

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Some businesses—like Kimpton and other hotels—will offer you free Wi-Fi if you join a loyalty program with them. It's not a bad deal considering most loyalty programs are free, and as long as you have a good spam filter in place, you won't have to deal with those nasty newsletters they send out after you sign up.

5. Find Some Coupon Codes

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With a little foresight, you can rack up some coupons and have them ready when you need Wi-Fi access on the go. Sites likeRetailMeNot are always great for finding vouchers, and you can often see if that hotspot company has any partners that regularly offer deals (You can often find GoGo deals through their partners likeGadling, for example). Following that company on Twitter can often score you some coupons, too. If you're in a big building like an airport, you may even be able to find some codes at nearby shops, too.

4. Get Around Time Limits with MAC Spoofing

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Sometimes you find free Wi-Fi, but you're only limited to a few hours. If you don't want to get up and find a new hotspot, you can do some simple MAC address spoofing to extend your time. Either spoof a new MAC address to get another few hours, or if you're really sneaky, spoof someone else's MAC address that has unlimited access to the paid service, and get unlimited Wi-Fi that way.

3. Get Wi-Fi From Your Cable Company

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You might not realize this, but if you subscribe to cable internet at home, you probably have free access to all of their Wi-Fi hotspots around town. If you live in a big city, you might even get hotspots from other cable providers too. Check your provider's web site for a map of nearby hotspots, or if they have one, download their mobile app from your app store of choice and find them that way.

2. Tether Your Phone

If you have a smartphone, one of the more obvious—but always useful—options is to tether your 3G or 4G connection to your computer. We've talked about our favorite tethering apps for both iPhone and Android, but know that they'll take a little preparation beforehand. iPhone users will have tojailbreak first, and Android users will have toroot (but only for Wi-Fi tethering; USB tethering can be done without root access). The nice thing about this method is that it works pretty much anywhere, so as long as you prepare your phone beforehand, you'll never be without a connection. Photo by Paul Irish.

1. Hack Into Protected Networks

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If you're in a Wi-Fi emergency and you absolutely have to connect, you can take some desperate measures and do a little hacking. We've shown you how to crack both WEP and WPA passwords, and all you need is a live CD. However, it may take a bit of time, so it may or may not work in a bind, and it probably isn't worth getting in trouble over. We don't really recommend doing this, though it can be useful to do it to your own network so you know how to protect yourself. You've been warned.

With all of these tips, it's very important to remember that when you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, you're opening a lot of your data up to the world. So, when employing these strategies, be sure you're also doing everything you can to stay safe on public Wi-Fi networks. Got any of your own Wi-Fi hunting tips to share? Let us know in the comments.

reference : lifehacker

Wireless Network Security

WI-Fi, thanks to its easy setup and widespread use, has made itself popular in many households. The wireless technology connects multiple devices, including computers, phones, and tablets, thus making it easier for them to ‘communicate’ with each other. So, for example, you want to control your living room computer whilst sitting comfortably in your bedroom, thanks to Wi-Fi, you can do that simply by installing a fewremote control apps on your smartphone. Moreover, you can snap a picture of yourself, send it to your laptop, and then send it to your printer for a nice printed pic. The possibilities are endless; however, they’re not without risks.

These days, more and more wireless networks fall prey to intrusions, hacking, and unauthorized usage due to the user’s failure to adopt necessary security measures.  

Here at TechSource, we've compiled a nice list of all the essential steps you must take in order to secure your wireless network.

Make sure your Wi-Fi network is encrypted

This is the first and the most important of tips. Never, and I repeat never keep your Wi-Fi network open. In your router’s wireless settings section, you’ll find a bunch of options that will help you encrypt your network. Here’s some information about the different protocols you’ll need to choose from in order to keep the intruders at bay: 
WEP: Wireless Equivalent Privacy, or WEP is a security algorithm that was introduced by IEEE in 1999. Recognizable by the key of 10 or 26 hexadecimal digits, WEP has, since its introduction, been criticized for its flaws. Consequently, another security algorithm known as WPA was introduced, thus making WEP obsolete. Despite its widely publicized fallacies, WEP is still widely used, thus exposing the network to unwanted attacks. If you’re setting up a new network, it’s strongly recommended that you stay away from WEP and go with WPA2 instead. Furthermore, if you’re using WEP, be it your office or home network, it’s important that you switch to WPA2 as soon as possible.

WPA: Wi-Fi Protected Access or WPA is a security protocol designed to address the security fallacies in the aforementioned WEP protocol. Introduced in 1999, WPA wasn't completely adopted until early 2000s, since many routers faced compatibility issues whilst upgrading. WPA did, to an extent, address the many issues WEP faced; however, WPA too had a few vulnerabilities of its own. Soon, in 2004, IEEE introduced WPA2, which has, since then, become the most secure protocol of the lot. Since 2006, WPA2 has been made mandatory for all new devices, thus there’s very little chance that you won’t have the protocol in your newly purchased router. So, in short, if you’re creating a new wireless network, simply go for WPA2, as it is the strongest of the bunch.

Use a creative wireless network name

If you’re surrounded by basement-dwelling hackers and perpetual snoops, here’s a nifty little tip that will help keep them away from your network. Simply name your network’s SSID something like <> STATE POLICE, <> OFFICIAL MILITARY NETWORK, FBI Protected Access, Skynet, the list is endless. Just use your creativity and it might help you ward off those hackers for good.

Use a Firewall

Using a firewall is like having security guard at your door that keeps a watchful eye on everyone who goes in and out. By allowing only legitimate connections to pass through and blocking unwanted connections based on a certain set of rules, the firewall secures the network from a variety of threats that lurk around on the Internet. Nowadays, routers come with firewall built-in; however for those that don’t have any, setting up an extra firewall is not that hard.  

You can install firewall on individual Ubuntu or Linux Mint machines by typing in this simple command in the terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T):

sudo apt-get install gufw

For more info on how to use firewall on Ubuntu, read the manual.

Windows, on the other hand, comes with a built-in firewall that’s actually quite effective in keeping away the baddies. If you find installing firewalls on individual computers a tad tedious, you can convert an old PC into a firewall by using a firewall distribution.

10 Tips for a Total Online Security

                                                     With the sudden rise in the Internet usage across the globe over the past  few years, there has also been a rise in the amount of online scams and  frauds. Today most of the Internet users are unaware of the most prevailing online threats which pose a real challenge for their safe Internet usage. As a result, Online Security has become a questionable factor for the most Internet users. However it is still possible to effectively combat online insecurity provided that the users are well aware of the common scams and frauds and know how to protect themselves. A study shows that over 91% of the Internet users are unaware of the online scams and are worried about their security. Well if you are one among those 91% then here is a list of 10 tips to ensure your total online security.

1. Always install a good antivirus software and keep it up-to-date. Also install a good anti-spyware to keep your PC away from spywares. Click Here for a list of recommended anti-spyware softwares.
2. Always visit known and trusted websites. If you are about to visit an unknown website, ensure that you do not click on suspectable links and banners.

3. Perform a virus scan on the files/email attachments that you download before executing them.

4. Regularly Update your operating system and browser software. For a better security it is recommended that you surf the Internet through the latest version of your browser program.

5. Never share your password (email, bank logins etc.) with any one for any reason. Choose a strong password (A blend of alphanumeric+special symbols) and change it regularly, eg. every 3 months. Avoid using easy-to-guess passwords. (ex. pet’s name or kid’s name)

6. Always type the URL of the website in your browser’s address bar to enter the login pages. For ex. To login to your Gmail account type http://mail.google.com

7. Before you enter your password on any login page, ensure that you see https instead of http. ex. https://mail.google.com instead of http://mail.google.com. HTTPS protocol implements SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and provide better security than a normal HTTP. For more information on HTTPS and SSL see Know More About Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

8. Beware of phishing emails! Do not respond to any email that request you to update your login details by clicking on a link in the body of the email. Such links can lead to Fake Login Pages (Spoofed Pages). For more information on phishing refer What is Phishing?. Also refer How to Protect an Email Account from being Hacked.

9. Always hit the logout button to close your login session rather than abruptly terminating the browser window. Also clear your web browser caches after every session to remove the temporary files stored in the memory and hard disk of your PC.

10. Avoid (Stop) using any public computers or computers in the Internet cafes to access any sensitive/confidential information. Also avoid such computers to login to your email/bank accounts. You cannot be sure if any spyware, keystroke-logger, password-sniffer and other malicious programs have not been installed on such a PC.


By following the above 10 tips your online security can be guaranteed upto 90%. I hope this will help my readers for keeping themselves safe from any of the online insecurities. Cheers! Pass your comments.