LostInTechnology

A Lesson On Wireless Technologies

Posted on 18. Sep, 2009 by Mike.Panic in Miscellaneous

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Until recently, being connected meant a physical connection between devices to get them to communicate. Today, there is a multitude of different ways to wirelessly connect, share and transmit information, allowing us to be free from wired restrictions.

Here we look at six wireless technologies to explore their benefits vs. limitations.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is actually trademarked for certified products based on the IEEE 802.11 standards, commonly called Wireless LAN. This allows interoperability between two wireless devices. Linksys is one of the industry leaders in this field, and the WRT54GL Wi-Fi home router is among the most popular in today’s market.

It allows home users the ability to access one common Internet connection (DSL, Cable, FiOS, etc.) and share files between each computer. The downside to this device is that each computer must have a Wi-Fi connection point on it as well, though most laptops today come with them, usually added hardware is needed for desktops. The device also doesn’t allow seamless connectivity with television or most other multi-media devices in the home.

Ultra-wideband

Ultra-wideband is radio technology is used at a very low energy for short-range, high-bandwidth communications utilizing a large portion of the radio spectrum. In other words, it is a wireless technology that allows large amounts of data to be transmitted over a short range. One of the most interesting applications of UWB technology is IOGEAR’s wireless USB to VGA kit that transmits video from your computer to your television set.

Because Ultra-wideband technology was purposely built to handle high bandwidth, utilizing it in this USB to VGA system makes perfect sense to not only utilize your home television as a larger monitor, but to stream movies and music from the local hard drive or the Internet (utilizing Wi-Fi technology). With no wires and a range of about 15’, this combo device will allow you to take full advantage of sites like Hulu and Netflix to stream 720p video right to your television without directly connecting them to each other.

3G

3G, or third generation, is the latest telecommunication hardware standard allowing for mobile networking. The iPhone sprung this standard into popularity when AT&T released the iPhone 3G version. This technology allows cellular phone users to access the internet from almost anywhere there is reception, but they cannot utilize a Wi-Fi connection with out the specific hardware also being installed.

For those who need online access away from home or the office, this technology is great, but it comes with limitations. Download speeds, or the speed at which a website loads is currently limited to 14.4 Mbit/s, drastically slower than a Wi-Fi connection. Often expensive data plans through cellular carriers are also needed to utilize this technology and it only works well for Internet connectivity.

EVDO

EVDO is a standard for high speed wireless broadband, the acronym is short for Evolution, Data Only / Optimized. EVDO in theory has a transfer rate of 2.4 megabits per second, much faster than the 3G technologies; nearly as fast as residential high speed internet from cable or DSL for that fact.

Unlike traditional wireless networks where a physical path between two connection points, EVDO utilizes the Internet Protocol, or IP standard, breaking data into smaller sized packets. Because of this, no bandwidth is wasted on the connection itself, only when a site loads. Mobile giant RIM has used some of this technology in their Blackberry devices, but it has not gone more mainstream due to most US carriers utilizing CDMA or 3G Internet Technology.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is an open wireless protocol for transferring data over short distances, mostly cellular phones and computers. It creates a personal area network; often requiring a pin number to transfer files and is most commonly seen to link wireless headsets such as the Aliph Jawbone to cellular phones or for connecting a computer to printer, keyboard and/or mouse.

Bluetooth connections often fail if too many devices try to connect together at once though, and transfer speeds are still considerably slower than a hard-wired alternative. With a range of up to 100m though, Bluetooth can fill a gap where other wireless technologies fail.

IR

IR, or InfraRed is most commonly used in household remote controls, although at one point it was used to transfer data between cellular telephones and computers, this technology for data transfer is all but dead. Because of line of site and transfer speed limitations, it is primarily only used for remote controls, such as the LogiTech Harmony 1100, in home multi-media settings, no computer or cellular device has come equipped with a sender or receiver in many years.

Conclusion

Thanks in large part for the need to be connected, our culture has forced technology to connect us wirelessly to accomplish things we want in our daily lives efficiently. In cases like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and UWB technology, the lack of wires between devices creates an aesthetically pleasing environment as well.

(By) Mike Panic is a network administrator and professional photographer with a passion for writing and shares many of his stories through photos at Mikepanic.com and in words at Randomn3ss.

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Tags: 3g, bluetooth, evdo, ir, wifi, wireless