Network Address Wireless Problem

Network Address Wireless Problem:

If you are having problems with your wireless connection network address then there are certain steps, which you can take yourself, which may help to rectify the problem, without having to turn to an expert for help. Below we provide you with a few steps that you may want to try if in the future you have a network address wireless problem.

First off, check the connection between the wireless router with that to the modem you are using. You need to make sure that all the cables have been inserted correctly and that the lights, which show the connections status, are on.

If you discover that there is a problem between these then you need to spend some time checking the following:-

1. If you can replace the cables that are connecting the wireless router to the modem as this may have become damaged. It is important that you check in the manual that come with your router to see that in fact you are actually using the right cables.

2. After replacing the cables you discover that the status lights remain off then it might be an idea to try and connect another device to the network to see if this is affected at all. If this does not work then it is a good idea to check the port configurations at either end of the network and reconfigure if you need to in order it is running at the right speed and using the right duplex mode.

3. Even after you have carried out all the above and you still find that you have no network connection then check to make sure that the wireless adapter, which has been, installed n your device is working correctly. For those who are running Windows applications on theirs you just need to go to control panel, then network connections and verify that it is showing as enabled.

4. Next you will need to check and verify that the settings on your Wireless LAN are correct. This will also help you to identify the actual port IP address as well as the subnet.

5. After checking and verifying the LAN settings you now need to move on and check/verify the TCP/IP settings. To do this you will need to once more go into the network connections panel. After going into the TCP/IP settings you need to click on the repair button and hopefully this will help to rectify the problem that you may well be having with your network address.

However if you find that after trying the various different things mentioned above you have not been able to fix the network address wireless problem it may be time you looked more closely at the hardware you are using. Often you may find it is a simple case that the wireless adapter, the router or the modem you have in place are not functioning correctly and need to be replaced.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/847224

How to Protect Your Wireless Network

How to Protect Your Wireless Network:

How to Protect your Wireless Network

Having a home wireless network means that you can say goodbye to Ethernet cables forever and turn every room into your office. But if you don't have the right security half your neighbors could end up poaching your broadband.

Protecting your network is essential if you want to keep your broadband fast, private and hacker-free.

There are a few ways to protect yourself and there are also different levels of security, from basic to the more advanced. But once these settings have been saved you will be safe and secure and ready to log on wherever you are.

Wireless encryption

To protect yourself from hackers you need to set up a WEP or WPA Personal (WPA-PSK) key.

• WEP is a simple 64 or 128Bit encryption but offers limited security and is relatively easy to break
• WPA-PSK, in the forms of WPA-TKIP which offers better security and is backwards compatible with older routers and USB keys, and WPA2-AES which offers the best security and better wireless performance but which is not compatible with all older hardware

You can set up your encryption key when setting up your wireless router, and there should be an explanation of how to do so in your instruction manual.

Internet security

In addition to having an encryption key, you also need to install a few other things:

• A firewall
• Anti-virus software
• Anti-spyware software
• Anti-phishing software

You also need to ensure that any software that you have installed is always up-to-date. Hackers are continually updating their methods and developing new viruses so make sure that you regularly run live updates on the internet to make sure that your version of windows and your anti-virus software is also up-to-date.

Name your wireless

Giving your wireless signal a name, or a service set identifier (SSID), is an easy way of identifying it and can be set at the time of installation. Doing this will also allow you to enhance your security settings using wireless isolation.

Wireless isolation

This is a way of hiding your wireless network so that other people cannot "see you", making your network more private. Once you have set your SSID then you can change the settings on your router to isolate your wireless, making you "invisible".

Access lists

Access lists give an added level of security to your network. As well as having to have the password for your network, any user's computers would also have to be on the access list. They would be identified by the computer's MAC code (like a fixed address) via the router.

Now that you have set your security, you can rest assured that no one else is using your broadband or hacking into your files.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/521610

Wireless High Speed Broadband: How It Works

Wireless High Speed Broadband: How It Works:

Wireless broadband is surely an Internet technology which includes high-speed internet connections over the atmosphere. Wireless broadband internet units work on radio ways to send out information over the air, actually without depending on some kind of actual physical network. By using wireless high-speed, you are able to gain access to the net minus the utilization of traditional cable wires. It could be employed by individuals and businesses which expend a lot of time period on the run journeying via one fixed site to one more. Additionally it is helpful for people living in countryside and somewhat remote locations.

The principle technique wireless broadband internet network may be for linking LAN towards internet which allows for any connection of services just like data, voice, and video, over the exact same tube. Besides linking to the device via a mesh of wire connections, the pc accumulates transported data from radio wave towers. These devices obtains the data and then these details is altered into a radio signal which can be received by a Wi-Fi adapter found within the computer. This support is being widely used by outsourcing software development providers for connecting global.

This type of wireless networks normally work at frequencies lower than SIX GHz and internet connection speeds from 256 kbps to various megabits per second. In just offshore program improvement company, wireless broadband networks have many base stations which provide a specific location with network connectivity. As opposed to traditional wire or ADSL high-speed broadband which purposes a phone line, a wireless broadband offers Internet having access to your PC through a wireless link by utilizing towers over areas that the company hosts. With wireless broadband connections, the modem carries a built-in antenna that can get in touch your computer very easily to several towers.

With this type of technologies, you'll be able to carry your pc and still access the Internet as long as the service provider still covers your location you'll be planning. This type of wireless networks normally work at frequencies lower than SIX GHz and internet connection speeds from 256 kbps to various megabits per second. In just offshore program improvement company, wireless broadband networks have many base stations which provide a specific location with network connectivity. As opposed to traditional wire or ADSL high-speed broadband which purposes a phone line, a wireless broadband offers Internet having access to your PC through a wireless link by utilizing towers over areas that the company hosts. With wireless broadband connections, the modem carries a built-in antenna that can get in touch your computer very easily to several towers. With this type of technologies, you'll be able to carry your PC and still access the Internet as long as the service provider still covers your location you'll be planning.

One more thing which can make broadband a quick connection is due to its frequency range. A bigger frequency range only shows that a lot more information may be placed in a specific channel in contrast to using baseband lines. Going back to the road lane analogy, which means that on one lane there may be more vehicles that will fit at the same time and, which, of course, result to reduced traffic and faster internet connection.

Network Address Wireless Problem

Network Address Wireless Problem:

If you are having problems with your wireless connection network address then there are certain steps, which you can take yourself, which may help to rectify the problem, without having to turn to an expert for help. Below we provide you with a few steps that you may want to try if in the future you have a network address wireless problem.

First off, check the connection between the wireless router with that to the modem you are using. You need to make sure that all the cables have been inserted correctly and that the lights, which show the connections status, are on.

If you discover that there is a problem between these then you need to spend some time checking the following:-

1. If you can replace the cables that are connecting the wireless router to the modem as this may have become damaged. It is important that you check in the manual that come with your router to see that in fact you are actually using the right cables.

2. After replacing the cables you discover that the status lights remain off then it might be an idea to try and connect another device to the network to see if this is affected at all. If this does not work then it is a good idea to check the port configurations at either end of the network and reconfigure if you need to in order it is running at the right speed and using the right duplex mode.

3. Even after you have carried out all the above and you still find that you have no network connection then check to make sure that the wireless adapter, which has been, installed n your device is working correctly. For those who are running Windows applications on theirs you just need to go to control panel, then network connections and verify that it is showing as enabled.

4. Next you will need to check and verify that the settings on your Wireless LAN are correct. This will also help you to identify the actual port IP address as well as the subnet.

5. After checking and verifying the LAN settings you now need to move on and check/verify the TCP/IP settings. To do this you will need to once more go into the network connections panel. After going into the TCP/IP settings you need to click on the repair button and hopefully this will help to rectify the problem that you may well be having with your network address.

However if you find that after trying the various different things mentioned above you have not been able to fix the network address wireless problem it may be time you looked more closely at the hardware you are using. Often you may find it is a simple case that the wireless adapter, the router or the modem you have in place are not functioning correctly and need to be replaced.

How to Protect Your Wireless Network

How to Protect Your Wireless Network:

How to Protect your Wireless Network

Having a home wireless network means that you can say goodbye to Ethernet cables forever and turn every room into your office. But if you don't have the right security half your neighbors could end up poaching your broadband.

Protecting your network is essential if you want to keep your broadband fast, private and hacker-free.
There are a few ways to protect yourself and there are also different levels of security, from basic to the more advanced. But once these settings have been saved you will be safe and secure and ready to log on wherever you are.

Wireless encryption
To protect yourself from hackers you need to set up a WEP or WPA Personal (WPA-PSK) key.

• WEP is a simple 64 or 128Bit encryption but offers limited security and is relatively easy to break
• WPA-PSK, in the forms of WPA-TKIP which offers better security and is backwards compatible with older routers and USB keys, and WPA2-AES which offers the best security and better wireless performance but which is not compatible with all older hardware

You can set up your encryption key when setting up your wireless router, and there should be an explanation of how to do so in your instruction manual.

Internet security
In addition to having an encryption key, you also need to install a few other things:

• A firewall
• Anti-virus software
• Anti-spyware software
• Anti-phishing software

You also need to ensure that any software that you have installed is always up-to-date. Hackers are continually updating their methods and developing new viruses so make sure that you regularly run live updates on the internet to make sure that your version of windows and your anti-virus software is also up-to-date.

Name your wireless
Giving your wireless signal a name, or a service set identifier (SSID), is an easy way of identifying it and can be set at the time of installation. Doing this will also allow you to enhance your security settings using wireless isolation.

Wireless isolation
This is a way of hiding your wireless network so that other people cannot "see you", making your network more private. Once you have set your SSID then you can change the settings on your router to isolate your wireless, making you "invisible".

Access lists
Access lists give an added level of security to your network. As well as having to have the password for your network, any user's computers would also have to be on the access list. They would be identified by the computer's MAC code (like a fixed address) via the router.
Now that you have set your security, you can rest assured that no one else is using your broadband or hacking into your files.

Home Networking Secrets - How To Do It the Easy Way

Home Networking Secrets - How To Do It the Easy Way: More and more of us are adding devices to our home networks - an extra PC for the kids, Xbox or Wii, a media sever to store all our music and photos. The ability to share music, photos and videos across all the PCs in your house has never been easier.

Yet with all this growth, a recent survey conducted by ABI Research showed one in three consumers reported difficulty in setting up and maintaining their home network. 25% of all wireless devices are returned to the store simply because it was too hard to setup and not a defective product. This notion is further enforced by Best Buy's Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens who acknowledged that the complexity of installing a wireless network is evidenced by the fact that return rates on wireless networking devices drop to nearly zero when his installers do it. Really there are a lot of great network products out there, but unfortunately they do not always do a good job of explaining very simple to set up.

This is one of the reasons that big stores love home networks, it seems complex and hard to set up. Its easy to get frustrated with it. So if you return a wireless router to the store how hard do they have to sell you on letting them ease your frustrations by having them install it for you.

Another reason they love home networks is the time it can take to set up a network. Usually there's software to install, the PC will need a reboot, add security passwords and need another reboot and we all know how long that can take. So if you have two PCs on your network the time needed is doubled, want to add a printer you can all use, time doubles again as more software is added to each pc and yet more reboots.

Final reason is maintenance. Want to add a new pc or printer they will gladly come out and spend more time adding the new device. If the network stops working do you know where to start troubleshooting?
Truth is home and small business networking is not that difficult if you have some technical knowledge. Setting up times and maintenance can be greatly reduced with the right software. With great software you do not even need the technical knowledge to get a multi-device network running.

Whenever I go to someones home to set up a network I show them them Network Magic. This software is by Cisco, one of the leading companies in business high tech networking. I explain how by using this software their network can be set up quicker, be more secure and easier to maintain

Setting Up
Simply install Cisco Network Magic to each PC in your home. The Essentials version has licenses for up to 3 devices. The Pro version lets you connect up to 8 devices. Cisco Network Magic adds a level of simplicity to many of the most common setup problems encountered. These issues include enabling wireless security and discovering and adding each device to the network, whether wired or wireless. With Cisco Network Magic, you can instantly connect all of your devices to the network, without the usual difficulties.

Once your network is up and running, Cisco Network Magic makes it easy to see what is happening on the network through a Network Map which is a visual representation of of all the devices that are connected to your home network, as well as possible intruders. The map also provides additional details about those devices, including IP addresses, connection status, alerts about software updates, as well as easy access to any tasks related to each device. By utilizing the features of the map, you can view and control many aspects of your networked devices, without having to go to each device individually so no more running back and forth.

File and Printer Sharing
ABI Research has also found that more than 33% of home network owners said they use their network for file sharing, and 40% share a printer among multiple computers. Cisco Network Magic helps make the process a snap, with built-in file and printer sharing tools.

To share files with your other computers, simply click on "Share a Folder" and a software setup program known as a "wizard" walks you through the steps. If you want to see what folders are shared on one computer, or all of your networked computers, you can do that as well. Cisco Network Magic even puts a shortcut on your desktop, making it easy to access all the music, photos, videos and other files available on your networked computers. With multiple computers in a household, it becomes very cumbersome and expensive to outfit each one with its own printer. If you want to share a printer among multiple computers, Cisco Network Magic has an easy setup process. The program will make the printer available to all computers on the network, and will even automatically install the printer drivers on the different PCs for you.

Parental Controls
If you're like millions of concerned parents, you worry about the content that your children are exposed to on the Internet. Perhaps you would also like to control when your children have access to the Internet. With the Internet Access Controls in Cisco Network Magic, you can do all of this and more.

Cisco Network Magic offers controls that allow you to manage when and where your networked computers access the Internet. You can restrict Internet access to certain times of the day, making sure your kids are doing their homework and not surfing the web or chatting with their friends online. All of this can be done remotely, via a password-enabled tool so the controls you put in place stay there.

Computer Reports and Network History
The reports feature of Network Magic offers a convenient way to keep track of what sites have been visited on your connected computers. The program can be setup to email a link to a detailed report each day, showing when the computer was online, the programs that were used (and when they were used) computer health status, each website that was visited, and the Internet bandwidth consumed by each computer. Network history shows you which computers and other devices have connected to the network, along with any intruders that may have attempted to connect.

Troubleshooting
One of the most frustrating aspects of managing a home network is troubleshooting when one of your devices gets disconnected. Your computer's operating system offers limited solutions for fixing a problem with the PC, and no help for reconnecting other devices like game consoles or Internet-connected TVs. Network Magic offers a variety of troubleshooting solutions for your network connection, as well as file and printer sharing. When your connection is lost, the Network Map will clearly show you where the break is. Click on the "Repair Connection" button from the map to have the software walk you through a step-by-step guide to fix your network connection. The "Troubleshoot Sharing" task will do the same when you have file and printer sharing problems
.
If you're still having trouble after using Network Magic then its worth having someone come in and help you. So why do I recommend Network Magic to my clients if it means less work and money? Because I would rather my clients only need to call on me as a last resort and to know that when I a working for them I'm not wasting their time and money on tasks that can be made simple and easy.

Top 5 Home Network Problem Areas:

1. Wireless Network Connection 
2. Printer Sharing 
3. Troubleshooting 
4. Connecting New Devices 
5. Wireless Network Security
6. Cost. Network Magic reduces all of these. Its a great price and is a one off fee, no yearly subscriptions like some software.

Bonus Secret: Most times when your network is down, a simple restart will get everything back; just follow this procedure.

1. Shut down all the pcs and network devices
2. Shut down your router
3. Shut down the box provided by your cable company or phone company for internet access
4. Wait 5 minutes and then start up the cable/phone box again
5. Wait five more minutes and start up your router
6. Wait 5 more minutes and startup your pcs one by one

Fixed Wireless Broadband

Fixed Wireless Broadband:

Nobody could have predicted the popularity of the internet today. There are many different ways to access the internet, from dial-up to DSL to broadband internet to fixed wireless broadband. As you probably know, for the best online experience you need a fast connection. Dial-up access is notoriously slow, especially by today's standards. If you plan to do anything more than check your email, it's almost a requirement to have high-speed internet access. Broadband, or high-speed internet access, has a speed at least ten times that of dial-up.

DSL and Cable choices for broadband internet access run over existing telephone and cable lines.
Another choice in broadband internet is wireless broadband, which uses radio waves to eliminate cables. The choices here include fixed wireless broadband and mobile broadband. Fixed wireless broadband includes a system setup in a specific location, such as your home as office. This system requires no wires, unlike dial-up, DSL, or cable internet. Fixed wireless broadband is also gaining popularity for use in remote areas where no cables already exist. The solutions are better than wired internet because you can move around the space without worrying about whether your laptop is connected via cables to your internet access. Wireless technology is easy to install. Commonly known as WiFi, fixed wireless broadband offers high speeds for internet access. Wireless internet access is available through many phone companies, and it is becoming more available each day.

Fixed wireless broadband uses state of the art technology to deliver internet availability in a convenient package. With wireless internet, you'll no longer be tied to the places where your internet access cable can reach. Imagine surfing the internet while laying in bed or lying on the couch. These are just a few of the possibilities with fixed wireless broadband, which frees your internet access from cabling, allowing much more mobility. Although the signal can be slowed by walls or other obstructions, there are not any serious downsides to fixed broadband so long as the signal reaches everywhere you need it to.

When setting up your broadband, you'll need to select those computers that can access the network, while maintaining your privacy. Make sure your broadband network is not visible to anyone you don't know, or anyone within the vicinity of your network will be able to use it.

Wireless Network Adapter Can Not See the Wireless Network? Learn to Fix It

Wireless Network Adapter Can Not See the Wireless Network? Learn to Fix It:

Many a times, if we have a home set up of network, we used to find problems related to wireless network adapter and internet connection. Every day, people complain of wireless network adapter can not see the network. This article will help you to give an insight into the causes and how to fix such issue.

More often, if your computer can not connect with the wireless network, then the reason may be because of wireless network adapter either switched off or disabled in software. Many a times, it is difficult to determine whether network adapter has been switched off or disabled. Through device manager, it becomes easier to know whether network adapter has been disabled through software or not.

To fix such error, run device manager, click on view and select show hidden devices, under network adapters, uninstall everything except for the Bluetooth stuff and restart the computer. In such cases, the wireless network must work. If it does not work after doing this, which is extremely rare, then use system restore to edit the changes that you had made recently for connection. Many a times, you need to roll back your adapter driver.

Another alternative solution to this problem is if your computer is discrete, plug in a USB or PC card and then shut down after making sure that it is plugged firmly and then reboot it. If the wireless network is designed in a way that it is hot-swappable which means plugged in while the computer is on, it is quite better to shut it down and then perform the action so that it provides a chance to the operating system to reset?

To fix this error and many more errors easy, safe and fast you should get a registry cleaner toolkit. I have made a comparison chart about the best registry cleaners that you should check out.

With my 12-years computer experience as an software developer, I know about the windows platform more than anyone else. It is so complex that you cannot keep you system in a good condition manually.

Common Cause and Solutions to Laptop Wireless Problems

Common Cause and Solutions to Laptop Wireless Problems:

More and more people are using their laptop to do their daily task. Most of them use it to connect to Internet via wireless connection. Laptop wireless problems are one of the common problems that a laptop user usually faces. Here are some tips that will hopefully help you solve some common causes of laptop wireless connection problem.

One factor why laptop problems occur is different manufacturer has different ways of implementing how to use their laptop wireless systems. Laptop wireless connection problem is a big problem especially if you rely on connectivity to do your work. Laptop wireless problem can have many causes and sometimes the simplest solution to this kind of problem is by first checking your wireless network adapter to see if it is on.
Remember that some laptops will have small buttons on the side to turn its wireless network adapter on while on others brands you will need to enable it via its operating system.

The first step you should do in troubleshooting your wireless connection is by checking if your laptop's network adapter in the Device Manager is enabled or not. You need to enable your network adapter if it is disabled. If your laptop uses a PCMIA or USB wireless adapter, remove it and insert it again. After you inserted it again you can tell if your laptop wireless problem is fixed by the lights on the adapter.

Driver compatibility is another thing that you should check if you are experiencing wireless connection problem. Making sure that the correct device driver is installed for your particular wireless Internet adapter. Checking if the right driver is installed in your system makes sure that you will not run experience all kinds of problems with your laptop wireless. You should also make sure to install the router properly.

If you are sure that your router is working perfectly then the problem that you might be experiencing with your wireless connection is due to low signal from your wireless network. Try to move closer to your access point and see if your connection will improve. If not then try placing all your cordless phones, microwaves, and other electrical equipments 1m or more away from your access point or try to reposition it where it will be accessible near you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3537253

How to Secure Your Network?

How to Secure Your Network?:

Network security is a method of preventing your computer network from the unauthorized user access, email spoofing, Trojan horses, denial of service, hacking, viruses, spyware and intruders etc. There are different securities mechanisms are being employed to protect the network. If a hacker gets control of your computer or network, he can send viruses or steal your company's confidential data. Similarly if any computer in your network is infected with the viruses or spyware, all other computers will also be infected if no proper security system has been implemented. Securing a network is most important job description of the network administrators, security specialists, network engineers and IT managers. You can secure your computer network by the following security methods.

Network Security Tips
Use Virus Protection Software
Don't open unknown email attachments
Use regular backup of your critical data
Make boot disk
Use Firewall program
Authenticate users
Implement Security Policy in your network
Keep an inventory of your software and hardware and make a list of all the devices.
SCAN TCP/UDP services
Don't provide more rights to the system resources than necessary.
Perform the network security testing and find the holes and fix them.
Place your server at very safe place.
Prepare an Assistant Network Administrator and train him/her about all the security related matters so that he/she can control the network in your absence.
Monitor the user's activities on the internet and block all the unwanted websites, web applications which have security risks.
If you have wireless network then the following methods are very helpful in securing your wireless network.
Wireless Network Security
SSID (Service Set Identifier) -
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access)
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol)
MAC Addressing (Media Access Control)
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
Encryption

Fix Wireless Network Connection

Fix Wireless Network Connection:

A network packer sniffer(s), commonly referred to as a wireless sniffer, network analyzer or packet analyzer is a computer hardware or program that logs traffic passing over a digital network by listening and intercepting packets of data. The information obtained by the wireless sniffer is used to determine whether or not there are unusual or erroneous packets in the transmission of data. This will help in maintaining an effective data transmission.

In other words, the network analyzer will capture packets of information that pass through a digital network. Packet sniffing is very similar to wire tapping a telephone line. Legitimate packet sniffing is primarily used to monitor network performance and to troubleshoot problems that may occur in a network. The sniffer can also capture traffic on parts of the network using one software program. However, this will depend on whether the network is a hub or a switch. Some administrators prefer to use sniffers to obtain information from other networks as opposed to sniffing traffic or data. Extracting data from other networks can be accomplished with the help of a monitoring port.

Since data transmitted through a computer network is in digital form, packets obtained from the network are decoded from the digital form to a format that humans can understand. This will make it possible for the administrator to read the information that is being transmitted between networks. By deciphering this information, the administrator will be able to identify the root cause of the problem and fix it.

Apart from capturing data packets, there are some packet sniffers that can also generate traffic. Such devices are commonly referred to as reference devices. Reference devices are normally used to test protocols. Protocol testers can be used to create protocol-correct traffic that can be utilized in functional testing. The main objective of introducing false traffic to a network is to determine how well the wireless sniffer or packet analyzer can detect and deal with errors.

While packet sniffers are primarily used to analyze problems, they also have a variety of other applications. For instance, they can be used to detect network intrusion attempts, network misuse, debugging server communications, isolate exploited systems, monitor network usage, gather network statistics, provide data for network monitoring and filtering suspicious content from networks. All said and done, having a network packer sniffer(s) is very important if an efficient computer network desired. I hope this article helps to understand what a packet sniffer is.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6841237

Home Wireless Networks

Home Wireless Networks:

A home wireless network can be set up using wireless local area network (WLAN) devices. A wireless LAN has a wireless interface that enables wireless communication amongst the computers and peripheral devices that are a part of the LAN. A wireless LAN has limited range and is designed to be used only in a local environment such as a building, office complex or home. The main advantage is the flexibility and mobility provided by a wireless LAN.

A wireless home network can be installed easily by connecting a wireless router to the network. The router must be placed in a central location within the home. Computers which are placed close to the router, or in the same room as the router, receive better network speed. Most wireless routers support broadband modems while others support phone line connections. Each computer connected to the wireless LAN must have a wireless LAN card installed.

It is mandatory to name the wireless network and to ensure that all the computers on the WLAN share the same network name. Though a wireless router contains a built in access point, one may have to use a wireless access point if an existing Ethernet home network is extended. The access point must be cabled to the switch, hub or LAN router.

Unlike cellular networks with fixed frequencies, users in WLANs have to share frequencies, which sometimes lead to collisions. The choice of frequency depends on whether microwave, spread spectrum, or infrared communication is being used.

The primary WLAN standards include the IEEE-802.11 series and HiperLAN. The IEEE-802.11 (Wi-Fi) standard supports 1 Mbps data rate and several choices of physical medium such as spread spectrum and infrared. An additional feature of this standard is the battery conservation for inactive or idle wireless users. Faster 54 Mbit/s 802.11a (5 GHz) and 802.11g (2.4 GHz) standards are now available. New standards beyond the 802.11 specifications, such as 802.16(WiMAX), are currently being developed and offer several enhancements such as longer range and faster transfer speeds
.
The HiperLAN standard can be used to support 23.5 Mbps channel rates. However, it allows use of only spread spectrum physical medium and is not very popular.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/218962

Uses of Computer Networks

Uses of Computer Networks: Computer Networks are everywhere. From the distributed systems to the middle ware and to the world wide web, computer networking has proved to be improving in techniques to reach remote areas and applications to serve the purpose.

1. Business Applications: Resource sharing is one of the most popular use of computer networks in the business applications. For Instance, a printer is shared in a network and hence saves a lot of investment in hardware. The computers connected in a network can make use of the printer in the network instead of having separate printers for every computer. Scanners, Cd burners, Fax machines are few other resources which can be shared in a network. Email facility with the help of Outlook application has enabled communication among the members of the company in sending reports and analyzing data. There would be a server handling the requests of all the computers connected in the network. Clients pass the request and the server works on the request by giving the reply.
2. Home Networking: Computers are now a days used just for person to person communication with the help of Internet. Internet can be used to have remote access to the information, person - person communication as discussed earlier electronic commerce, Interactive entertainments like games. Interactive entertainments such as XBOX gaming online and online tutorials which used flash for interactive environment. Now a days, people are buying a computer just for the sake of checking their email which enables person to person contact. With the help of VPN ( Virtual Private Network) one can work and access of office data right from home. In peer -peer systems there is no client system. Every computer in a network is connected to every other computer through wire.
3. Mobile Users: With the advent of technology in improving protocols for better communication, WAP (Wireless Access Protocol is now being increasingly used to communicate in a network. There are two forms of wireless: Fixed Wireless and Mobile Wireless. Desktop computers in an office are neither fixed nor mobile wireless. A notebook computer used in a Hotel room with the help of Ethernet cable is an example of mobile wireless and not of fixed wireless. Networks in old unwired building is an example of typical fixed wireless and not of mobile wireless. Portable office or PDA for store inventory is a perfect example for fixed as well as mobile wireless technology being used. M-commerce is using mobile device for paying cash using credit cards and act as an electronic wallet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4030398

Improving Video Over Wireless Network Performance

Improving Video Over Wireless Network Performance:

Overview
This article discusses how to improve video over wireless performance. Many companies are using various new video content technologies today such as live video streaming, webcasting, video conferencing and web conferencing. YouTube services continue to be popular and are using increasingly more bandwidth as companies use video for training and marketing purposes. Google language translation service can now convert text, making the English text based videos available to other countries as well. Keep in mind that with the proliferation of company VPNs for security purposes, employees can use wireless at work as seamlessly as at home or on a public network.

They can access the same video services from anywhere. This is why wireless is so popular now and the need for video grade wireless infrastructure performance.
The current 80.11a/g wireless access point is easily swamped when several clients start downloading large files and running video applications. The best solution for guaranteeing acceptable video performance is now the 802.11n wireless standard. According to a Cisco forecast study, the number of wireless devices will exceed wired devices on the internet by 2015 and account for 54% of IP traffic. In addition video traffic will account for 90% of the consumer internet traffic by 2015.



Video Basics
Video and voice are real-time traffic streams by nature that are sensitive to network congestion that causes latency (delay). Video has both a data and an audio component. It should be noted that the same performance metrics such as jitter, latency, packet loss and throughput affect video as well as voice traffic across the internet and company network. Packet loss has a greater effect on video while latency affects voice much more. Guaranteeing specific service levels for video on the network could involve implementing QOS, increasing network bandwidth, network design changes and equipment changes. All these improvements are for the purpose of making the network "video ready". Companies increasingly use web conferencing, webcasts and video conferencing for meetings and for training purposes. Colleges use it to deliver courses as well. It is a very cost effective tool to decrease company travel costs.

Types of Video
It is worth discussing the various types of video services popular today and where, from a networking perspective, consumers source the content. Note how most of the services are across the internet.

• Live Video Streaming over the internet of company Webcasts and TV broadcasts typically delivered to your desktop.
• Web Conferencing to the desktop with applications such as Skype and the very popular Go to Meeting service.
• Video Conferencing service that runs from and across the company network with Cisco Telepresence and equipment from companies such as Tandberg and Polycom.
• Progressive Video download from companies such as YouTube to the desktop.
• Broadcast Video multicast of one to many video streams such as Netflix.

Video Performance
H.323 defines a suite of protocols for audio and video traffic including H.264 and G.729 protocols. It is a framework for developing multimedia applications on a company network. The G.729 protocol is a popular audio codec for compressing audio traffic at 8 Kbps with a 10 ms delay. The H.264 video codec standard is the most current adopted video compression standard. It specifies 24, 30 and 60 frames per second (fps) for high definition (HD) video conferencing with compression from 1.5 Gbps of video traffic to 4 Mbps at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and 30 fps.

It is important to understand the performance metrics that affect video performance including packet loss, latency, jitter and throughput. Video is sent as a constant stream of traffic in contrast to data traffic such as email that can be re-transmitted with some delay and have no significant effect on service level. Congestion is the basic symptom of a network that is busy and experiencing network performance problems. The queues are busier during times of increased network activity. This causes increased latency, jitter, packet loss, decreased throughput and re-transmission of packets. Implementing quality of service (QOS) will sometimes actually cause dropped data packets to prevent voice/video packet loss. The data packets are then re-transmitted with some delay. The following defines these industry standard performance metrics.
Latency: Amount of time for a packet to travel from source to destination
Jitter: Amount of average variation in latency of each packet
Packet Loss: Percent of packets dropped from source to destination
Throughput: Average number of packets sent during a fixed period of time

Each video service requires different amounts of bandwidth. Some services such as video conferencing are more affected by increased latency, packet loss and jitter than desktop applications. For acceptable video conferencing performance, the packet loss should not exceed 1%, jitter 30 ms and a one-way latency of 300 ms (latency of 150 ms for high definition video conferencing resolution). When these thresholds are exceeded the picture can deteriorate. Bandwidth requirements for video are linked to the specific type of service, amount of resolution and frames per second. For example a standard video conferencing resolution of 704 x 576 at 30 fps requires 768 Kbps - 1 Mbps of bandwidth while a High Definition (HD) resolution of 1080 x 1920 at 30 fps requires 4 Mbps - 12 Mbps. Desktop services such as streaming video and web conferencing have lower bandwidth requirements than video conferencing, however the same latency, jitter and packet loss problems affect video performance. In addition with all services, you have to add an average of 20% additional bandwidth overhead for Ethernet and IP protocol processing.

Video Quality of Service (QOS)
Implementing quality of service (QOS) on a company network is an end to end process starting with the video stream source. Video conferencing end points are often connected to a company edge switch while video streaming to the desktop is internet based. The process of implementing any QOS involves prioritizing traffic for preferential service. Considering video conferencing, the Cisco 3560 and 3750 access edge switches are often used to connect video equipment. The layer 2 data frame has an 802.1p header with 3 bits that can be set for 8 different class of service (CoS) values from 0 - 7. For instance video is assigned CoS of 4 while voice packets are assigned CoS of 5 and the higher number gets better service. High priority data is often assigned CoS of 2.

DSCP is a layer 3 QOS protocol used to specify various types of service (ToS) classes for data, voice and video traffic. DSCP values are layer 3 and as such are set in the first 6 bits of the IP Precedence field of the IP header. The best practice recommendation from Cisco for marking video is a DSCP of AF41. Data traffic is assigned a lower priority such as AF21 for instance while voice is assigned a higher priority of DSCP EF. Video traffic is classified with access lists that define video traffic and a class map is defined for video that matches an access list and points to a specific policy map. The policy map does the DSCP marking of video traffic and the DSCP value is assigned to a queue. Class of service (CoS) packets can be set with a policy map however it is often marked at access switches with SRR and with WRR at distribution/core switches.

Shaped Round Robin (SRR) is a hardware based queuing technique deployed with access switches. SRR allows layer 2 class of service (CoS) and layer 3 (ToS) mappings to queues. The distribution and core network layers typically have 6500 Cisco switches and they use Weighted Round Robin (WRR) hardware queuing. WRR is the same idea however the queuing architecture is somewhat different and only layer 2 class of service values are mapped to queues.

WAN routers are deployed with Low Latency Queuing (LLQ) and Class Based Weighted Fair Queuing (CBWFQ) that assigns video traffic to the high priority queue with a specific priority percentage such as 15%. That guarantees all video traffic will get 15% of the link bandwidth. For instance a 1 Gbps Metro Ethernet circuit will allocate 150 Mbps of bandwidth to video traffic minus protocol overhead. Company WAN links as a best practice should never exceed approximately 33% of available bandwidth for all voice and video traffic. That leaves room for protocol overhead and data packets. Data traffic performance worsens as packets are dropped and video traffic QOS becomes less effective.

Desktop applications use the same QOS tools however the company internet connection and the wireless network factor into the design. In addition the public wireless network you happen to be using affects the overall video network performance. The bandwidth of your home internet connection and congestion affects performance as well as any congestion points across the network. The wireless network is most often where video performance degrades particularly on an 802.11b public network.

Wireless Standards
These describe the industry standard wireless protocols currently deployed.
80.11b

This wireless standard approved in 1999 specifies a maximum data rate of 11 Mbps using the 2.4 GHz unlicensed band in the United States. The band experiences a lot of interference from commercial devices using that frequency. The standard in the United States assigns 11 channels with bandwidth of around 80 MHz at 5 MHz per channel. The United States allocates 3 non-overlapping channels of 1, 6 and 11 with a center frequency separation of 25 MHz per channel. The modulation scheme used with 802.11b is Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) with CCK with characteristics that minimize effects associated with interference. The 802.11b additional data rates include 1, 2, and 5.5 Mbps.
802.11g

This wireless standard approved in 2003 specifies a maximum data rate of 54 Mbps using the same 2.4 GHz band as 802.11b. The 802.11g standard is popular with higher throughput and increased coverage. The same interference problems occur however with the 2.4 GHz band. The 802.11g is compatible with the 802.11b standard and assigns the same 11 channels with 1, 6 and 11 as non-overlapping. The modulation scheme used with 802.11g is OFDM that specifies higher data rates. The additional 802.11g data rates include 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 Mbps.
802.11a

This wireless standard was approved in 1999 specifying a maximum data rate of 54 Mbps using the 5 GHz unlicensed band in the United States. The advantage of 802.11a is higher throughput however the cell coverage is smaller and additional access points will be needed for the same 802.11g coverage. There is much less interference from devices such as cordless phones, bluetooth devices, microwaves and commercial devices using the 2.4 GHz band. There are 23 non-overlapping channels with the current 802.11h specification. Some Cisco devices support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz transmitters on the same access point. The modulation scheme used with 802.11a is OFDM, with higher data rates and minimizing effects of interference. Each country specifies the number of channels and frequencies it allows with the 5 GHz band.
802.16

This is a metropolitan (MAN) wireless standard that provides home and business clients seamless wireless access from anywhere. The line of sight technology specifies a distance of around 27 miles and speeds of up to 120 Mbps. The point to multipoint specification operates in the 10-66 GHz range. There is an 802.16a specification with mesh topologies and non-line of sight with frequencies from the licensed and unlicensed 2 GHz and 11 GHz band at a speed of 70 Mbps. The key problem with any MAN implementation using unlicensed frequencies is interference from similar devices.
802.11n

The new 802.11n wireless standard approved in 2009 defines much faster data rates of 300 - 600 Mbps and 1000 Mbps from access point to network switch increasing throughput from client to access point and access point to network switch. It operates in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands with effective new performance enhancements such as multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and channel bonding.

Wireless Contention
Access points are essentially a less efficient hub style shared media device with a flat broadcast domain. Contrast that with a Cisco Ethernet switch that has 100/1000 Mbps bandwidth per port and broadcast segmentation with VLANs. The switch uses a much more effective media access contention scheme than wireless access points. The wireless network employs an older less effective carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) process to manage client access to the network.

The effect of CSMA/CA is increased bandwidth usage, packet loss and packet re-transmits with this shared media. In addition there are the standard wireless problems with the 2.4 GHz band interference and multipath signal fade that occurs when the signal bends or is distorted by the building structure. From a practical perspective 15-25 wireless clients can associate with a single access point at anytime and still maintain good performance. This of course changes as more video and high bandwidth applications are used. The 802.11n can actually support all of those clients running simulataneous live video streaming with 14 of them running high definition video streams.

Data Rate, Distance and Frequency
So by now you know there is no warp speed with older wireless. Data rate (speed) and performance metrics decrease as the wireless clients move further from the access point. Beyond an average of 50-60 feet, the speed decreases and latency, packet loss and jitter increase. The wireless network site survey determines where and how many access points should be deployed so each cell (defined coverage area) has a signal strength with 54 Mbps. The coverage area can be extended with a stronger directional antenna. For instance, these are approximate rated distance, speed and frequency specifications indoor for the Cisco 1240AG access point. Note the 802.11a distance is typically half that of an 802.11g radio however this rating was with a stronger 3.5 dBi antenna.
802.11a (5 GHz): 54 Mbps @ 60 ft - 80 ft with 3.5 dBi omnidirectional antenna
802.11g (2.4 GHz): 54 Mbps @ 80 ft - 100 ft with 2.2 dBi dipole antenna

As the data rate increases your effective network range decreases. Clients that want a continuous maximum bandwidth will need to deploy more access points per design. Increasing transmit power will actually decrease network range at higher data rates while increasing the range with lower data rates such as the case with 802.11g access points. The problem is with increased transmit power, the receiver sensitivity decreases with a process called error vector magnitude. That doesn't apply to the wireless clients where transmit power should be set at maximum for best results. The network length or wireless maximum distance is around 100 meters from client to access point, and with Ethernet wired designs 100 meters from access point to switch. The campus design can be extended with additional switch - switch connectivity of course.

Wireless data rates specify maximum throughput however that isn't a practical value. Mixed environments such as 802.11b and 802.11g will decrease throughput for both clients on the same network segment. As mentioned the 802.11b and 802.11g clients are compatible and can associate with the same access point using the 2.4 GHz band spectrum. Throughput for 802.11b is around 6 Mbps however that will vary with antenna type, distance from the access point and transmit power. Configure the access point with 54 Mbps for 802.11g clients and basic 11 Mbps for the 802.11b clients.

That prevents the access point from operating at less than 11 Mbps. Some access points can operate with dual band 802.11a and 802.11g however they are separate logical networks and must have separate wireless site surveys. The 802.11a access point uses the 5 GHz frequency band. As frequency wavelength increases the network range will decrease. The design with 802.11a covers much less distance compared with 802.11g at the same data rates. The higher frequency (5 GHz) signals don't pass through the building structure as easy as lower frequencies.

These are some average bandwidth throughput values and associated wireless standards. From a practical perspective all 24 channels won't be available with the 802.11h standard and 802.11a access points due to channel overrun interference. Note the effect of mixed environment wireless equipment such as 802.11b/g on the same network and decreased throughput. This occurs as well when there are 802.11n access points with older access points on the same network.

802.11b - 6 Mbps x 3 channels
802.11g - 22 Mbps x 3 channels
802.11b/g - 8 Mbps x 3 channels
802.11a - 25 Mbps x 21 channels
802.11n - 150 Mbps/300 Mbps x 21 channels

Decreasing the transmit power of an access point will minimize channel interference. The effective network range can be extended with repeater access points, increasing access point transmit power or adjusting the access point position. Using a higher gain antenna on the access point is an option as well. Cisco access points have a lot of options for deploying antennas with higher gain and sensitivity. Note you should minimize the cable length of any antenna. The longer antenna cabling will attenuate the signals. Some countries limit the maximum access point transmit power setting.

RF Propagation
As mentioned signal attenuation is worse at higher frequencies. There is however a lot of environmental factors that distort, bend and minimize signal strength. The result is something called multipath fading where a signal takes several paths to a destination. These are some examples.
• Diffraction - signal bending due to building structure angles
• Refraction - environmental factors such as humidity can cause signal to bend
• Reflection - water, glass or any smooth surface can bounce a signal distorting or fading it
• Absorption - structures absorbing signal (trees)
• EMI interference - cordless phones, microwave ovens, electrical motors, bluetooth devices

Fade Margin is the amount of receiver sensitivity power that can be decreased while maintaining acceptable network performance. That is a factor with deployment of outside wireless bridges with point to point topologies such as buildings on a campus. Problems with rain will attenuate signals and knowing the fade margin will avoid performance issues. Polarization is the orientation of the radiated pattern from the antenna and like a key must match with transmitting and receiving antenna. The most often polarization used with access point antenna is linear. Antenna can transmit horizontal or a vertical polarized signal.

Improving Video over Wireless Performance
When discussing bandwidth requirements and various video services it is important to note that a wireless network will always require much more bandwidth than your company LAN or your home internet connection for the same video service. An example is high definition live video streaming where the actual wireless bandwidth needed is much higher compared with the LAN or home cable/DSL internet connection. The home internet connection would require 500 Kbps - 1 Mbps. That is not a problem even for home internet where the cable download speed is an average 10 Mbps. The wireless network with access contention and multipath fading problems aren't as efficient and would use an effective bandwidth of 5 - 10 Mbps. In addition, note that packet loss does affect video over wireless performance more than latency and jitter however all metrics can be improved with the following recommended improvements.

1. Deploy the new 802.11n Access Point and Client Adapters
The new 802.11n wireless access point is now rated at 300 Mbps with the new feature enhancement. That is 6x faster than the nearest 802.11g standard. Deploying 802.11n in the 5 GHz band and you have 21 non-overlapping channels available as well. That allows for higher data rates per coverage area. The new enhancements include multiple input multiple output (MIMO), channel bonding, MAC block acknowledgment, payload optimization and unicasting and QOS prioritizing of traffic classes.

MIMO Explained
802.11n uses multiple input/output antennas on the access point and wireless client to increase data rates and decrease re-transmits and packet loss. The access point and clients can send simultaneous traffic streams increasing the amount of data and extending the network range (distance). The current most popular Cisco 1250 AP uses what is called a 2T x 3R MIMO. That is 2 transmit antenna on the access point and 3 receive antenna on the client. The best results occur when all wireless clients use 802.11n adapters and access points are all 80.11n with no mixed environment of 802.11a/g access points.

Channel Bonding
The technique of channel bonding now allows combining of 2 non-overlapping channels in the 5 GHz band to send data at 2x the standard data rate for a theoretical 300 Mbps. In practice the average data rate has been tested at 180 Mbps and 140 Mbps for video streaming. That is pretty impressive compared with 802.11g average throughput of 22 Mbps.

Payload Optimization
The feature of payload optimization or packet aggregation is basically putting more data in each packet sent resulting in more effective use of the transport media.

MAC Block Acknowledgment
Previous access points required that each MAC layer MPDU packet was separately acknowledged with an ACK packet. The new 802.11n standard now uses a single block ACK to acknowledge multiple MPDUs. This decreases the amount of protocol overhead and less bandwidth required.

Multicast to Unicast Traffic

Video over wireless presents a specific problem with multicasting that the wired world doesn't have. Wireless access points do not support multicasting however 802.11n can now convert multicast to unicast streams per wireless client at layer 2.

2. Network Design
The wireless access points should always be connected to a 100 Mbps full duplex switch port. The 802.11n access points should be connected to a 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps switch port. Video end points should be connected closer to the distribution layer and on a less busy line card. The end point video source equipment can be located at the network edge as well, however you should select a switch with all the performance features and preferably located in the data center. Wireless multiple SSIDs should always be defined to segment traffic and assigned VLANs to match the same VLAN schema implemented on the wired network.

Use a hierarchical design with any new wireless/wired deployments and where possible spread out and connect access points across multiple network switches instead of a single switch. Consider doing some performance monitoring on the network to eliminate media mismatches. For example a network switch with a Gigabit port that is uplinked to a switch with a 100 Mbps interface. As well WAN circuits are most often the slowest link compared with the switch infrastructure.

• Have a proper wireless network site survey done for each band to minimize signal overrun and optimize coverage.
• Deploy internal client adapters instead of external USB style at your laptop for best performance.
• When deploying 802.11a/b/g access points (mixed environment) with 802.11n access points, it is better to assign the 802.11n access points and clients to the 5 GHz band where there is more non-overlapping channels and less interference.
• Use all 802.11n access points and clients where possible instead of mixed environment and at least 2T x 3R x 2S spatial streams.
• Use additional access points per coverage area with 802.11n at 5 GHz for increased data rate, range (distance), number of clients and network availability.
• Deploy more powerful extended range antennas to increase the data rate and range.
• Clean up problems with any sub-optimal routing on the network.
• Consider deploying the WLC 4400 WLAN controllers. This requires a firmware upgrade on all 1100 and 1200 series autonomous access points, however there are advantages such as advanced RF management features.

3. End to End Quality of Service (QOS)
Any good quality of service deployment must consider both wired and wireless QOS techniques for guaranteeing end to end performance. The wired QOS has already been discussed here with Shared Round Robin (SRR) and Weighted Round Robin (WRR) hardware queuing on switches. As well there is Low Latency Queuing (LLQ) and Class Based Weighted Fair Queuing (CBWFQ) implemented on WAN routers. DSCP and CoS packet marking is used to prioritize specific traffic types for preferential queuing. Wireless now has Wireless Multimedia Extensions (WMM) that classifies traffic with 4 categories according to traffic type. These include voice, video, best effort and background. This provides a guaranteed service level for video traffic during times of network congestion.

The layer 2 data frame from the switch has an 802.1p field where the class of service (CoS) bits are set. The access point examines that field and queues traffic with a specific CoS setting to the assigned queue. The voice traffic queue is the highest priority queue and any traffic queued there is serviced before video and data. Any wireless clients not using VoIP will have video prioritized first. Note that although queue 3 best effort has a CoS of 0 that queue is still higher priority than background traffic. Cisco VideoStream application layer enhancement allows assignment of video traffic to a priority stream according to a VLAN or SSID assignment for preferential queuing.

Access Point Priority Queuing:
Queue 1: Voice Traffic CoS = 6,7
Queue 2: Video Traffic CoS = 4,5
Queue 3: Best Effort (Transactional Data) CoS = 0,3
Queue 4: Background Traffic (Email) CoS = 1,2
Call admission control is a type of QOS that limits the number of video sessions to avoid oversubscription of the priority queue at the switches and routers. The use of a gatekeeper service monitors the number of video sessions and denies any additional sessions based on the bandwidth setting of the queue. The priority queue is configured with enough bandwidth for a specific number of sessions and any requests for additional sessions are denied if that exceeds the queue size.

4. Bandwidth
As mentioned, doing a performance assessment of the current network will identify where additional bandwidth is needed. The company WAN is the most common source of problems with bandwidth. The prevalence and low cost of Metro Ethernet Gigabit circuits today make it is a great opportunity to deploy it on the company network.
Copyright 2011 Shaun Hummel All Rights Reserved

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Fixed Wireless Terminals and GSM Gateways

Fixed Wireless Terminals and GSM Gateways:

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile. The use of GSM Gateway and Fixed Cellular Terminal products can implement certain cost effective functions when used with PBX telephone systems. The gateways provide a mobile service link and allow greater versatility, especially for businesses that operate in remote situations.

In addition to allowing a valuable link to personnel working in the field, a GSM Gateway can produce remarkable savings on call charges. Certain mobile phone tariffs provide free calls to other mobile phones on the same package. By linking from the PBX system and paying only the line rental for the SIM card, a company can save thousands of dollars in call fees. For this reason, GSM Gateways are not exactly popular with mobile networks.

Once a GSM Gateway facility is properly set up it can be used exactly as an extra phone line and has all the services familiarized by mobile phone technology such as an answering service, voice mail and speaker phone facilities.

The services and possibilities of use are endless. For companies who employ operatives in a remote location or who work independently, the system lends itself ideally to a vigilant role and to provide security to those whose work involves a safety issue. For companies who operate a land line service and also provide workers with a mobile facility, the costs are inhibitory and completely avoidable: with the introduction of GSM technology, such companies would make instant savings by cutting out the land to mobile fees and re-directing the calls mobile to mobile, which are in fact free of charge.

For small companies, one or two GSM channel gateways are usually enough to provide an effective saving and provide users with adequate mobile resources. For larger corporation, up to 30 channels might be in operation at one time, making massive savings for the company and providing the added bonus of having employees in contact at all times at little cost.

An added incentive is the capability to be connected to the internet in remote areas via GSM technology. This makes instant help available to employees who work in the field and who would otherwise have no access to company information and help facilities. This tool is an indispensable asset to salesmen who rely upon the internet for sales presentations to remote customers.

The price of GSM technology varies according to requirement but without exception, the introduction of a GSM Gateway will achieve enormous savings and provide a significant communication asset to any company.

GSM and FTM Gateway
If you currently have a fleet of mobile phones (2+) on a fleet plan then GSM or FWT will give you FREE calls from your office to your staff. Think about how much you'll save! The GSM gateway has a SIM card that is also on your Fleet plan. This way whatever fleet deal you've negotiated is also extended to your office land line phones. Learn more about GSM Gateway

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What You Need to Know About Working Wirelessly

What You Need to Know About Working Wirelessly:

My husband and I are often on the road, and when we head out we always take along our laptops. We do, though, have totally different reasons for bringing them along. He likes to get online, and needs his internet fix. I, on the other hand, don't go online for anything. I prefer to do things like take notes, write blog posts, articles and things of that nature. Even though I like to go online, I don't do it while traveling. Wondering why?

The biggest reason - security. Many people I know, including my dear spouse, would not hesitate to whip out their laptops whenever they can get online. They particularly love free wireless offerings at hotels, airports, restaurants and coffee houses. I cringe, and hang on tighter to my laptop, disable all network access and say a little prayer for my friends.

If you don't already know, public wireless networks are not always secure. There are people who set up fake wireless networks with the intention of luring people to get on the Internet through them. They call these illegal networks evil twins because they are often set up in the same place as a legitimate wireless network. This confuses some users because they think the network is part of the legitimate service.
Once you get online through an evil twin's network, the operator will try to access your computer. In most cases they succeed. While in your computer, they'll attempt to look for sensitive data. Anything they can use or make money from including your business documents.

Someone who is setting himself or herself up as an evil twin can even go into your computer and install a program that just waits for the right time to steal your information. This secret program will sit quietly as you go about your business online and the minute you enter any sensitive information, it reports this back to the operator. Now that person has access to your account and likely many others since so many people use the same logins for multiple sites. Setting up a wireless evil twin network isn't hard to do, and it's so portable it can be carried in a backpack. People are out there doing this, so this isn't to scare you but to make you well aware of the hazards of using the internet while you travel.

Maybe you're thinking you'll be OK since you have firewalls and and other security settings installed on your laptop. Well, the problem with firewalls, is this. Your firewall security is likely set to high for internet connections but since you are dealing with an evil twin you'll need to remember that the network operator is on the same network as you. Security settings for in-network traffic is usually quite relaxed, allowing anyone on the same network to enter and leave as they please.

Think of a network as a home and each bedroom in the home is a computer. When you allow someone into your home, it is likely they will have access into each and every room. If you locked one of those rooms, it could stop them, depending on what you use and the quality of the room's doors and locks. So the best prevention is to not let people in the house.

You really are safest staying off the internet altogether, but if you must go online make sure you turn up your in-network security settings. Be safe by not opening any emails you are not positive about, and don't log into sites containing sensitive information. There is a commercial I've seen on TV that shows a couple sitting at a bar on the beach paying their bills. This is sending the wrong message so please don't do what they did! If you absolutely must check your email while you're away, try using your cell phone instead.

Lynette Chandler helps entrepreneurs understand and apply the many powerful yet affordable tools are available to entrepreneurs today. Get this free course "How To Use Technology To Improve Your Marketing" today at TechBasedMarketing.com

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Laptop Cannot Connect To wireless Networks

Laptop Cannot Connect To wireless Networks: In Windows XP, right-click on the network adapter icon in your system tray and select Repair. Your computer disables the network adapter and then brings it up. In Vista, right-click on the network adapter icon in the system tray and select Diagnose and Repair.

Rebooting The Computer

If resetting the network connection doesn’t work, then reboot your computer. I know it’s a pain, but this is Windows after all, and sometimes it needs the computer equivalent of a swift kick in the behind. Rebooting solves a lot of problems. After a reboot, Windows gets a fresh chance to do things in its own order and from scratch, which is often enough to fix a problem with the computer.

Checking the wireless association

At this point, you’ve rebooted your computer so you know that it wasn’t some sort of transient thing that most computers experience. the problem must either be between you and your router, the router itself, or with the rest of the Internet.

If you can, try plugging your computer into the router using an Ethernet cable instead of using wireless. If things work with a wire, then the problem must be with the wireless connection. If not, you can troubleshoot the router. Go back to your list of wireless networks and make sure you’re connected to the right one!
If your computer loses connection to your original access point, it will try to find another one and associate with that, even if it doesn’t belong to you or work properly. You might not even notice this happening at the time.

If you’re not connected to the right wireless network, or you’re not connected to any network, review Chapter 6 to configure your computer. Try it with both the built-in Windows configuration and your vendor’s configuration tool. Pay close attention to the signal strength as you configure your network. A low strength is a sign that you need to either move your router to a better spot or add a second access point for more coverage.

Put your computer in the same room as the access point while configuring, just to make sure. Incorrect passwords are often the culprit when dealing with association problems. Review the settings on the wireless router and make sure that they match those on the computer. If Wireless Protected Setup is available to you, then use that method. If, after all that, you can’t associate with your wireless network, skip ahead to the end of this chapter and upgrade your router firmware and your computer’s drivers.

Checking and Verifying your IP settings

If you’re able to associate with an access point and you are still having problems connecting to the Internet, then it’s time to make sure you’re getting a proper address. In Windows XP, right-click on the adapter in the system tray and select Status.

Then click on the Support tab and click Details. In Vista, choose Start Control Panel Network and Sharing Center. Click on the Status link next to your wireless adapter and then click Details. You are looking for the following information:

1. IP address (or IPv4 address in Vista)
2. DHCP Server
3. Default gateway
4. DNS Server

Check IP address

The IP address identifies your computer on the network. The IP address probably begins with 192.168, though it could also begin with 172 or 10. These are the reserved private network addresses and are used for people behind routers.Check Links Below 4 More detailed Expaination

Change Your DHCP Address

Change Your DHCP Address: If U whats things working properly within your network, you want to use DHCP addressing. If your computer was set up with a static address for a reason, such as to work with an office network, then you have to switch your settings every time you change networks. It would be worth your time to find out if you can use DHCP on the other network.

1. In Windows XP, right-click on the adapter icon in your system tray and select Status.
2. From that dialog box, click the Properties button. A dialog box like the one below with appears.

3. In the This Connection Uses the Following Items area, scroll down until you see Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Select that line and click the Properties button.

4. The two radio buttons should be on Obtain an IP Address Automatically and Obtain DNS Server Automatically. If the buttons are on a different option, change them.
5. If you had to make changes, then continue clicking the OK button to get out of all the menus. You should be able to obtain an address now.

How To Connect A Laptop To A Wireless Network

How To Connect A Laptop To A Wireless Network: Connecting your wireless device to a wireless network is very easy. In fact, the wireless connectivity aspect is so important to wireless devices that it’s been that device makers minimize your role in connecting to a network. For more devices, connecting to the Internet isn’t much different from how you do it with your personal computer.

Here’s how you connect your wireless device to a network:

1. Turn on wireless networking if it’s not already enabled. This step is different for each device. Some devices may require you to call up a connectivity-related settings page or perform some sort of key manipulation to turn on your wireless connection. Alternatively, you can also use Start Settings Connections Wi-Fi and select the check box to enable wireless connectivity.
2. Select an available hotspot that is detected by your wireless device and validate it.
3. Select Internet Explorer or any other Web browser of your choice that is supported and available on your wireless device.
4. Browse to a Web page to confirm your wireless connection is working. That’s all there is to it.

When traveling, your mobile device can connect to a Wi-Fi network as easily as Windows Vista can since Windows Mobile and Vista share similar zero configuration technology. This makes it simple for them to detect and connect to nearby Wi-Fi Networks.

This saves you the hassle of configuring your device every time you’re in range of a wireless network. Of course, as with Windows Vista, once you connect to a wireless network with your wireless device, most devices will remember the security key (WEP/WPA) so that you can quickly recall a frequently used network. If you connect to a new network, you’ll still need to know the security key to connect the first time.

Setting Up a VPN Connection

Follow these steps and you find it’s pretty easy to set up your own VPN connection (one of which is shown in the picture below). If you have set up other network connections using Windows Vista’s Network and Sharing Center, it is even easier for you.

Here’s how you set up the VPN connection:

1. Click the Start menu and select Control Panel. The Control Panel opens.
2. Click Network and Internet. The Network and Internet dialog box appears.

3. Click Network and Sharing Center. The Network and Sharing Center appears.
4. Under Tasks, click Set up a connection or network and then Connect to a workplace. The Picture Below shows this being done. The Network Connection dialog box appears. Despite the menu selection’s name, the VPN connection can be made anywhere, not just to a company network.
5. Select whether to create a new connection or use an existing connection, as shown in the image below. This procedure creates a new connection.


6. Click Next. The Connection dialog box appears and lets you choose how to connect, either using your Internet connection or dial-up.
7. Select your Internet connection, as shown in the image below.
8. Enter the domain name or IP address of the computer to which you are connecting, as shown in the image below. You can get this information from your network administrator.


9. Click Next. You can enter the login name and password for the VPN connection.
10. Click Create. Your new VPN connection appears in the Network Connections dialog box, as shown in the image below.

How To Fix Wireless Networks

How To Fix Wireless Networks: My wireless network is not sending out wireless singles to my PC/Laptop this is sometime cause by upluging your router..Ok.. Lets try the problems

Was your wireless network working, then you did something, and then it stopped working? Even if you did something, that shouldn’t have made a difference. Maybe you installed some new software, changed a name, or were rearranging some cables. If so, undo what you did. If it’s not undo able (such as moving cables around), make sure everything was exactly the way it was before.

Most computer problems happen because something was changed. It’s okay to change things, but when the change makes your computer break, backing out of the change is faster than fiddling around. to continue reading this article go to Part 2