These new regional wireless networks such as the one being introduced by Road Runner is an extension of their ISP (Internet Service Provider) network. It is a wireless network setup for home use, providing subscribers with the freedom to log-on anywhere, any time in the house or location. Wireless is really a new future that is almost on top of us.

Interview with Jeff Henry, RR General Manager
Time Warner Road Runner is about to roll-out of their Wireless Road Runner Networking Service for home use. In a conversation with Jeff Henry, RR General Manager, I determined that this is really good stuff. The official roll-out is Monday, March 17^th. In the past, Road Runner has stayed away from being a network ready ISP. They provided service to home users, who connected directly into their Direct Cable modem for the service. Wireless Road Runner Networking Service is a real network ready system. Up to 254 IP addresses can be used inside the Wireless Router. Road Runner is truly attempting to give subscribers the ability to have more than one computer on the network.
 
The service uses a Netgear Router developed in the Cable Home Laboratories. It conforms to the DOCSIS (Data Over Cable System Integration Specification). This router contains much more than the usual broadband router. Cable Home Laboratories has upgraded the router so that it contains all the broadband router goodies and direct Cable things as well. The Direct Cable modem is built-in for starters. It contains DHCP (Dymanic Host Control Protocol), enhanced NAT (Network Address Translation), channel discrimination control (parental control), and an enhanced firewall. The router has a four Ethernet port switch, and a USB connection. It contains a wireless Access Point. The router has been modified to meet a Quality of Service for many additional things.

This is where it really gets interested. The router is capable of providing access to other digital devices such as audio receivers for real-time audio streaming. All the device needs is a IEEE 802.11b port. You then can assign one of the 254 IP addresses to the audio receiver and have streaming audio. RR is providing seamless home service for all IP devices. RR is XBOX compatible. Any Wi-Fi 802.11b wireless device is compatible. 

The $24.95 roll-out pricing special gives you the Netgear router, one wireless PC Card for a laptop, and one desktop computer connection. RR will setup the network for you. The monthly subscription price is $14.95 on top of the regular RR $44.95 subscription. Four additional computers can be connected for an additional one time fee of $44.95.

Key benefits seem to include mobility in the house. Everyone can enjoy high-speed connection service at the same time. The simplicity of not having to install Ethernet network cabling in the house. Advanced security from the router firewall ,and, of course, the parental control feature built-in the router.

RR is offering 24/7 technical service to maintain the quality of service.

Wireless Specification Basics
Wireless LANs are networks in which the nodes (connected computers) talk to each other (communicate) over radio waves. The radio waves (frequency) can penetrate walls, floors, tree leaves, and other barriers up to a point. The radio frequency range varies with the IEEE 802.11 series specification requirements with the effective range in a closed area of 250 to 400 feet. The radio frequency carries the data from computer host to host in the LAN. Wireless networks operate like any network, with one exception, no cabling. The networking protocols work in wireless networks just like cabled networks. The main advantage of wireless is the fact of NO CABLE. A user does not have to string cable from computer host to host, room to room, etc. The second advantage of wireless is the mobility of the hardware. My network and Internet connections are in my office upstairs. I take my laptop downstairs to an easy chair, surf the Net, and watch TV at the same time. The chair and TV are closer to the beer. I have searched for network files on other computers, printed on the network printer, and used the broad band connection from that comfortable position.

There are several wireless network technologies on the market today. Each must conform to a set of standards so that all the components can operate together. As with other technology areas of the computer and networking industries, wireless equipment manufacturers could not get their equipment to work together until they started talking together. It was like the early network OS/equipment days, where you as the user were locked into one manufacturer for everything. Then, as with other networking manufacturers, they started working together to develop standards that would allow different manufacturers components work together. This resulted in the several standards that are in existence today, Wi-Fi802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, hiperLAN2, HomeRf, Bluetooth, and IrDA. All of these are based loosely on the IEEE 802.11 wireless Ethernet specification finalized in 1997.

The IEEE 802.11 Series
I will try to not bore you with the details of the IEEE 802.11 series specification. However, now that we are on the topic, this standard specifies a single MAC (Medium Access Control) sub layer and three physical layer specifications. These OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model layers are part of the over-all networking standard. The MAC sub layer is part of the Data Link Layer 2 and the Physical Layer is OSI Layer 1. These are the OSI sub layer specifications that handle the data movement as it leaves and enters the computer host, i.e., the Network Interface hardware connection. (See my Comm Corner column, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol; How does It all Fit? December, 1998.)

The MAC layer provides services that include Authentication, Deauthentication, Privacy, MSDU delivery, Association, Disassociation, Distribution, Integration, and Reassociation. This determines the addressing schemes for all data packets. The MAC protocol is CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance).

Under this specification, stations, (computer hosts) can operate in two configurations, independent configuration and infra-structure configuration. The independent configuration allows stations to communicate directly to each other as an “ad-hoc” network. This accommodates the wireless connection in the Starbucks Coffee Shop. It is easy to operate, but has the disadvantage of being limited in the coverage area in frequencies and number of stations that can be connected at one time. These ad-hoc stations are in a BSS (Basic Service Set) and operate as IBSS (Independent BSS). 

The infra-structure configuration provides Access Points as the communication access with the other stations. The Access Point serves as the communication to all the stations as part of a Distribution System. The Access Point serves each station as a BSS, and, serves the network with a set of BSSs called ESS (Extended Service Set). More than one wireless station can communicate at once. The Access Point hardware is capable of connecting to other wired LANs. The 802.11 specification addresses only the air-interface between stations.

Roaming within a ESS is possible and Power Management utilities can be used.

The Physical Layer provides two Physical layer specifications for radio, operating in the 2 400 - 2 483.5 MHZ band and one for infrared.

One specification does Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum Radio PHY. This PHY provides for 1 Mbit/s (with 2 Mbit/s optional). The 1 Mbit/s version uses two level GFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying) modulation and the 2 Mbit/s version uses a four level GFSK.

The second specification uses Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Radio PHY. This PHY provides both 1 and 2 Mbit/s operation. The 1 Mbit/s version uses DBPSK (Differential Binary Phase Shift Keying) and the 2 Mbit/s version uses DQPSK (Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying).

The Infrared PHY specification provides 1 Mbit/s with optional 2 Mbit/s. The 1 Mbit/s version uses Pulse Position Modulation with 16 positions (16-PPM) and the 2 Mbit/s version uses 4-PPM.

There, you see, IEEE specifications are really not that bad and can be understood. The 802.11b specification is now rated at 10 Mbit/s under ideal conditions. That is what I get in my Access Point with the laptop.

Short Discussion on Various Specifications
The various specifications are being fought out in the market place. Manufacturers are banding together in associations to promote the standards.

The most widely touted specification is the Wi-Fi802.11b standard. It is being pushed by the WECA (Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance). Products that conform to the Wi-Fi specifications will work under the 802.11b specification and can display the Wi-Fi Logo. This specification got a big boost in 2001 when Microsoft announced that Windows XP OS would include support for Wi-Fi. Also, Intel abandoned its support for HomeRF and began making products for Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi networks communicate data at 11 Mbit/s under the best conditions. The speed degrades automatically to 5.5 Mbit/s, then 2 Mbit/s, and finally to 1 Mbit/s when there are obstructions. It ranges from about 1,000 feet under open areas to about 200 to 400 feet in closed areas.

Wi-Fi5 802.11a is a second generation specification that offers increased bandwidth, 54 Mbit/s, and a range of 50 to 75 feet due to the higher frequency use. It operates in the 5 GHz spectrum. OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) is used to divide the available frequency into eight channels and 52 subchannels. Each device on the network uses its own subchannel once it is signed on and no other devices in the network can use that subchannel. It is not 802.11b backward compatible.

HiperLAN2 is a second-generation European standard that functions in the 5GHz spectrum as 802.11a.

HomeRF is an alliance of companies who formed the SWAP (Shared Wireless Access Protocol) based on cellular voice and 802.11 original specifications. It provides up to 10 Mbit/s.

Bluetooth operates in the 2.4GHz frequency spectrum and uses a technology called FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) to avoid interference. It has a range of about 100 feet and one Mbit/s transfer rate. It is being used in PDAs and some printers among other devices.

IrDA (InfraRed Direct Access) transfers data over a line of sight. It is the third technology being used in the wireless world. PDAs and printers are using this technology.

Conclusion
Wireless is here to stay, makes life easier, and lets me stay closer to the beer. Watch for the Wireless Road Runner roll-out. More will follow on this service.