General Meeting
First, Frank Keeney went over the SoCal Linux Expo. We set up a wireless network so anyone at the expo could use the Internet free with a wi-fi card. We had a booth and showed off all kinds of wireless gadgets. [see write-up here].
Frank & Mike Outmesguine then went over some recent pricing plans and hardware available for the various data services offered by cellular carriers nationwide (esp. SoCal). We focused on data plans using what is coming to be called the third generation wireless, or 3G. We grouped these types of 3G data services into two groups: Cell phone and cable, and PC-Card.
Frank covered the plans offered by the carriers with several cell phones capable of being used as a modem for your laptop or PDA. You could order the phone service, and use a special cable to connect a computer directly to the internet at speeds of about 100k.
Frank also went over a very cool and useful tool called Radio Mobile to find the propagation pattern of wireless stations. This software is free, and has many useful features usually found in very expensive plotting software.
Mike then covered the plans offered for the single device setup using a PC-Card (without cables, or a cell-phone) plugged directly into a laptop or PDA. These plans are more expensive, but offer greater convenience for the busy professional or mobile worker. This is the update 3G technology that will eventually replace CDPD throughout Southern California.
Also, Mike showed off one of the cooler gadgets to come around lately, the T-Mobile Sidekick Hiptop computer made by Danger, Inc. The Sidekick is a small-sized device somewhat like a Blackberry. It has a built-in web browser, email client, AOL instant messenger, phone, a little camera, as well as a few more fun and useful tools. What makes this product unique is the price-to-feature offering: $199 + $40 per month. [Correction to the video: The Sidekick email client does display PDF files, does not display PowerPoint.]
Trevor Marshall then gave us his presentation on wireless networks. This was the same fascinating presentation he gave at the WLAN Security Conference in Paris, France last June. The main focus is how one can secure a WLAN network by choosing the right hardware to reduce signals emanating beyond your established usage area. I couldn’t possibly do it justice writing a synopsis here, so I encourage you to watch his presentation and the following demo and Q&A in Part 2 of the meeting video.
Presenter:
- Trevor Marshall, PhD
- http://www.trevormarshall.com/
- Dr. Marshall is a frequent speaker and writer on wireless subjects. He has spoken at Comdex and will be speaking at the upcoming 802.11 conference in Santa Clara.
Presentation Topics:
- PCMCIA Card Antennas
- Access point antennas
- Signal, Noise, Propagation, Attenuation
- Multipath Reflection and Distortion
- Reasons to Limit Signal to Workspace
- High Gain Antennas: Gain vs. Frequency
Other Topics:
- Hot news! Cheap 3G mobile data - Full Use Internet - check traffic and email on the road!
- Overview of Radio Mobile
- Pasadena Area wireless network, updates and maps
URLs & Documents from the meeting:
- CarrierTable1 PDF - 3G cell phone data plans document with direct links
- CarrierTable2 PDF - 3G PC-Card data plans document with direct links
- Radio Mobile - Free software to plot simulated coverage patterns of wireless stations
- Flyover AVI (1.5 MB download) - Sample flyover output from Radio Mobile
- OCNow - Live freeway traffic for Southern California and beyond
- T-Mobile - Information on Sidekick Hiptop
Special Thanks to the following:
- LPBN for providing video archive and live streaming
- Pasadena IHOP and their big meeting room
Where the elite meet to eat while reviewing geeky feats