About Wired LANs
Wired LANs use Ethernet cables and network adapters. Although two computers can be directly wired to each other using an Ethernet crossover cable, wired LANs generally also require central devices like hubs, switches, or routers to accommodate more computers.
For dial-up connections to the Internet, the computer hosting the modem must run Internet Connection Sharing or similar software to share the connection with all other computers on the LAN. Broadband routers allow easier sharing of cable modem or DSL Internet connections, plus they often include built-in firewall support.
Installation
Ethernet cables must be run from each computer to another computer or to the central device. It can be time-consuming and difficult to run cables under the floor or through walls, especially when computers sit in different rooms. Some newer homes are pre-wired with CAT cable, greatly simplifying the cabling process and minimizing unsightly cable runs.
The correct cabling configuration for a wired LAN varies depending on the mix of devices, the type of Internet connection, and whether internal or external modems are used. However, none of these options pose any more difficulty than, for example, wiring a home theater system.
After hardware installation, the remaining steps in configuring either wired or wireless LANs do not differ much. Both rely on standard Internet Protocol and network operating system configuration options. Laptops and other portable devices often enjoy greater mobility in wireless home network installations (at least for as long as their batteries allow).
Cost
Ethernet cables, hubs and switches are very inexpensive. Some connection sharing software packages, like ICS, are free; some cost a nominal fee. Broadband routers cost more, but these are optional components of a wired LAN, and their higher cost is offset by the benefit of easier installation and built-in security features.
Reliability
Ethernet cables, hubs and switches are extremely reliable, mainly because manufacturers have been continually improving Ethernet technology over several decades. Loose cables likely remain the single most common and annoying source of failure in a wired network. When installing a wired LAN or moving any of the components later, be sure to carefully check the cable connections.
Broadband routers have also suffered from some reliability problems in the past. Unlike other Ethernet gear, these products are relatively new, multi-function devices. Broadband routers have matured over the past several years and their reliability has improved greatly.
Performance
Wired LANs offer superior performance. Traditional Ethernet connections offer only 10 Mbps bandwidth, but 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet technology costs little more and is readily available. Although 100 Mbps represents a theoretical maximum performance never really achieved in practice, Fast Ethernet should be sufficient for home file sharing, gaming, and high-speed Internet access for many years into the future.
Wired LANs utilizing hubs can suffer performance slowdown if computers heavily utilize the network simultaneously. Use Ethernet switches instead of hubs to avoid this problem; a switch costs little more than a hub.
Security
For any wired LAN connected to the Internet, firewalls are the primary security consideration. Wired Ethernet hubs and switches do not support firewalls. However, firewall software products like ZoneAlarm can be installed on the computers themselves. Broadband routers offer equivalent firewall capability built into the device, configurable through its own software.
Broadband Technologies
Bluetooth Seattle broadens the user experience through a transparent mix of technologies
As this special EWT section unfolds, improvements in ultrawideband (UWB) wireless and ultralow-power Bluetooth, it sheds light on the integration of UWB technology into Bluetooth specifications. It also describes solutions that bring the benefits of this integration to consumer and mobile communications products
Bluetooth Seattle is the code name for the merging of Bluetooth technology with WiMedia Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. Through the efforts of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (BT-SIG), these technologies will merge elegantly under the Bluetooth umbrella to offer the ‘next-level’ user experience — ultrahigh-speed connectivity for portable devices.
Table 1 provides a side-by-side comparison of the existing and developing Bluetooth technologies. The leap from 3 Mbps to 480 Mbps that this merger delivers will enable lightning-fast sync-up, sharing and streaming.
Moving toward Bluetooth Seattle
The BT v2.1+EDR specification was ratified and released in August 2007 and will deploy throughout the globe in 2008. Meanwhile, the BT-SIG is hammering out the Bluetooth Seattle specification with product deployment in the 2008/2009 time frame.
Currently, Bluetooth-enabled devices use BT technology to stream low-bandwidth audio — music and voice.
“Bluetooth core technology has become more user-friendly and capable with the addition of secure simple pairing along with low-power modes that extend battery life,” said Gillian Ewers, vice president, UWB marketing at CSR. “The Bluetooth SIG is in the process of expanding the scope of Bluetooth by merging WiMedia UWB technology that will add a new dimension to the user experience — fast high-volume content transfer.”
Cell phones, PDAs and personal media players must be loaded with music content using some type of transfer technology before the music can be enjoyed ‘on the go.’ How music content gets into the device requires a multistep process of connecting a sync cable to a host PC or manually loading a memory card in a PC-connected reader/writer bay. What the Bluetooth camp wants to do is make this process quick and convenient — enter UWB.
Using the high-speed capability of UWB, embedded in the user device and content source, a library of music, photos, videos or other data stored on a network-attached server can be transferred from source to portable device quickly. UWB offers the speed of USB v2.0 and the convenience of not having to connect a cable or run software.
In the data transfer use case, the user experience is enhanced and enabled in rapid device-to-device content sharing, video projector/display/TV connectivity for streaming video, kiosk connectivity for advertising and information.
The BT-SIG is working to achieve full Bluetooth backward compatibility while adding UWB in a hybrid radio design. In a typical use case, Bluetooth functionality is working in a discovery mode that determines application need. If the need is voice or music connectivity, the device remains in a basic rate (BR) mode (1 Mbps) or moves to an enhanced data rate (EDR) mode (3 Mbps). If it is established that high volumes of data are to be transferred (music library, video(s), photo(s)), the UWB radios in source and receiver are engaged for the task followed by an immediate return to a low-power BT mode. This entire scenario is transparent to the user.
Bluetooth strengths carry over
To preserve the Bluetooth legacy, low-power operation is essential and battery life must be preserved. This is accomplished by using a low-power standby mode or a low-power BR or EDR mode and using UWB for short burst periods, just long enough for data transfer to take place.
The WiMedia UWB radio has an extremely low power output, on the order of 0.11 mW, and has the highest Mbps/ma ratio of all radio technologies. That means WiMedia UWB is fast and power efficient. The power consumed by the UWB radio is greater than an active BT radio, but the duration of use is short and infrequent.
Bluetooth devices use well-defined application profiles. These profiles ensure that a Bluetooth device will interoperate with any other device designed for that, or those, profiled applications regardless of who or where the device was manufactured. The same will be true for Bluetooth Seattle because the profiles will continue to be used and possibly expanded to add new ones in the future
As this special EWT section unfolds, improvements in ultrawideband (UWB) wireless and ultralow-power Bluetooth, it sheds light on the integration of UWB technology into Bluetooth specifications. It also describes solutions that bring the benefits of this integration to consumer and mobile communications products
Bluetooth Seattle is the code name for the merging of Bluetooth technology with WiMedia Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. Through the efforts of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (BT-SIG), these technologies will merge elegantly under the Bluetooth umbrella to offer the ‘next-level’ user experience — ultrahigh-speed connectivity for portable devices.
Table 1 provides a side-by-side comparison of the existing and developing Bluetooth technologies. The leap from 3 Mbps to 480 Mbps that this merger delivers will enable lightning-fast sync-up, sharing and streaming.
Moving toward Bluetooth Seattle
The BT v2.1+EDR specification was ratified and released in August 2007 and will deploy throughout the globe in 2008. Meanwhile, the BT-SIG is hammering out the Bluetooth Seattle specification with product deployment in the 2008/2009 time frame.
Currently, Bluetooth-enabled devices use BT technology to stream low-bandwidth audio — music and voice.
“Bluetooth core technology has become more user-friendly and capable with the addition of secure simple pairing along with low-power modes that extend battery life,” said Gillian Ewers, vice president, UWB marketing at CSR. “The Bluetooth SIG is in the process of expanding the scope of Bluetooth by merging WiMedia UWB technology that will add a new dimension to the user experience — fast high-volume content transfer.”
Cell phones, PDAs and personal media players must be loaded with music content using some type of transfer technology before the music can be enjoyed ‘on the go.’ How music content gets into the device requires a multistep process of connecting a sync cable to a host PC or manually loading a memory card in a PC-connected reader/writer bay. What the Bluetooth camp wants to do is make this process quick and convenient — enter UWB.
Using the high-speed capability of UWB, embedded in the user device and content source, a library of music, photos, videos or other data stored on a network-attached server can be transferred from source to portable device quickly. UWB offers the speed of USB v2.0 and the convenience of not having to connect a cable or run software.
In the data transfer use case, the user experience is enhanced and enabled in rapid device-to-device content sharing, video projector/display/TV connectivity for streaming video, kiosk connectivity for advertising and information.
The BT-SIG is working to achieve full Bluetooth backward compatibility while adding UWB in a hybrid radio design. In a typical use case, Bluetooth functionality is working in a discovery mode that determines application need. If the need is voice or music connectivity, the device remains in a basic rate (BR) mode (1 Mbps) or moves to an enhanced data rate (EDR) mode (3 Mbps). If it is established that high volumes of data are to be transferred (music library, video(s), photo(s)), the UWB radios in source and receiver are engaged for the task followed by an immediate return to a low-power BT mode. This entire scenario is transparent to the user.
Bluetooth strengths carry over
To preserve the Bluetooth legacy, low-power operation is essential and battery life must be preserved. This is accomplished by using a low-power standby mode or a low-power BR or EDR mode and using UWB for short burst periods, just long enough for data transfer to take place.
The WiMedia UWB radio has an extremely low power output, on the order of 0.11 mW, and has the highest Mbps/ma ratio of all radio technologies. That means WiMedia UWB is fast and power efficient. The power consumed by the UWB radio is greater than an active BT radio, but the duration of use is short and infrequent.
Bluetooth devices use well-defined application profiles. These profiles ensure that a Bluetooth device will interoperate with any other device designed for that, or those, profiled applications regardless of who or where the device was manufactured. The same will be true for Bluetooth Seattle because the profiles will continue to be used and possibly expanded to add new ones in the future
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)