Broadband access to the Internet is becoming more and more of a necessity all the time in order to be effective in business and our personal lives. However, getting access- and maintaining that access wherever you go- isn’t always the easiest thing in the world to do. In some places getting on the Internet at a high speed is easy to do. For example, your office probably has a T1 connection, or if it’s a small business it may have a cable based high speed Internet connection or maybe even some form of DSL. If you take your work on the road with you; bookstores, coffee shops, hotel rooms, airports, libraries, and even some fast food restaurants can all offer wireless hot spots. But sometimes you need to connect to the Internet from other places like your car, a client’s home, or even the beach. There is a solution to this dilemma, and it’s the same solution that most mobile phones use to access the Internet. It’s called a 3G network and Cingular has an array of products that allow you to access what’s essentially a wide area, broadband wireless hot spot.

The most basic way to access the 3G network is to get a special wireless card that fits into an open slot in your lap top computer. With this option you’ll be able to get on the Internet when you have line of sight of a cell phone tower rather than just within the range of a wireless router. This greatly increases the number of areas in which you can get on the Internet. You’ll be able to access files form servers at work, program your DVR to record a great new TV show that you just heard about, check up on your home computer, and possibly even use a VOIP service through this kind of broadband connection in order to save money. (Though Cingular does let you bundle voice services with its 3G Internet access services.

Another way that you can get onto the 3G network is to simply connect your phone to your laptop and use it as a cellular modem. There are several ways to do this, but the major requirement in addition to the phone and the laptop is the service plan, special software- which is free to download- and some way of connecting the phone and the laptop. While you may use a USB cable or a serial cable, in some cases you’ll be able to use an infrared connection or Bluetooth technology for even more convenience!

Perhaps the most convenient way to take advantage of the 3G network is to have the cellular modem hardware built into your laptop itself. Right now you can get Dell and Sony laptops among others with 3G cellular modems built into them. Of course that’s probably the easiest way to get access to the Internet through your laptop no matter where you take it. That’s because anytime you try to install a new device in you’re laptop you can’t be one hundred percent sure that it will work, and even if you know how to coax it into working, there’s no guarantee that it will work smoothly. Having it installed in the factory will eliminate a lot of hassle.

In all, this technology is a great way to stay connected no matter what you do or where you go!

By: Julia Hall

If you aren’t very tech-savvy, this article should help you understand the difference between some of the terms that are thrown around these days in regards to wireless technology and the internet. Going shopping for a cell phone with internet capabilities or a wireless internet card for your laptop, you will hear more foreign terms than at a Star Trek convention. All jokes aside, it’s important to know what the technology does before signing any service contracts.

Most cellular phones today, smart phones included, run on the 3G network for both voice and data access. 3G, evolved from its predecessor 2G, is used by practically all of the major cellular provider companies. Under perfect conditions, which almost never occur for the average consumer, 3G can reach speeds of up to 3Mbit/s. In layman’s terms, that’s more than 50 times faster than dial-up. However, average speeds are about 20 times faster.

4G technology is the successor to 3G. It will soon become the standard for cellular wireless. The technology is currently available, but is still being perfected. The goal is to reach “ultra-broadband” speeds, which is in terms of gigabits per second. To put it simply: extraordinarily fast. The current technology on the market is already gauged at three to four times faster than 3G.

When looking for mobile wireless for your laptop, you generally have two options. The first is to purchase your card from a cellular phone company. The current standard, as with their phones, is 3G service. Prices among the major companies range from 30 to 60 dollars a month. Your other option is to find an independent provider that offers the faster speeds of 4G.

Obviously, one is faster than the other, but each has its own pros and cons. 3G technology only works where the signal reaches. Therefore, if you come across a dead spot in cell phone signal, you will lose your access to the internet. However, in spite of dead zones here and there, 3G coverage spans the U.S. The same cannot be said of its successor, yet. Currently only available in major cities, researchers are working to expand the cover of 4G technology.

It’s important to check out the coverage in your area when shopping for wireless internet technology. The last thing you want to do is get stuck with a contract and you can’t even pick up good signal where you live and work. If you don’t think you are getting an honest answer from your salesperson, ask around to your friends, family and neighbors. There’s no better advice than from someone with experience.

The face of technology is changing every day, especially in the way that we are able to access the internet. Our society depends so heavily upon that access. We always want the newest this and the fastest that. That’s why teams of scientists around the country are constantly developing new methods of connectivity and new gadgets for us to play with. It’s important to stay abreast of the latest developments so that you always get your money’s worth when purchasing new technology.

By: Jason Tandle

There’s a new class of gadgets that are proving themselves to be more and more useful for people in business who need to stay mobile. These gadgets are all based on wireless networking technology that allows business users to connect to the Internet or their home offices just about anywhere they go. It’s not based on WiFi technology- that type of broadband wireless connection is far too limited in range. Instead these devices take advantage of the G3 network which is very similar to what mobile phones use. The G3 network is mostly used by smart phones like the Treo and the Blackberry for functions like surfing the Internet and sending and receiving email. But more and more often, the users of laptop computers are taking advantage of the G3 network in order to do research while they’re on the go as well as correspond with the home office, customers, or other colleagues while they’re out doing their jobs.

There are three main types of gadgets that can help laptop computers to get onto the Internet using a G3 connection. The most common type of device is a simple card that can plug into one of the expansion card slots on the side of a laptop computer. These cards are available from several providers of wireless phone service including Cingular and Verizon, and look a lot like the same type of card that you can plug into an older laptop computer in order to use it to get onto the Internet using a WiFi hot spot. These are probably one of the more cost effective ways of getting onto the G3 Network.

Another way that you can get onto the G3 network using a laptop computer is to buy a laptop with the necessary hardware built into it. There are actually several computer manufacturers that can provide machines with the necessary electronics built right in. Of course, these are state of the art computers and will be expensive for that reason, but you will have a lot of added convenience built in. For example, you don’t have to worry about getting the card up and running every time you boot up. Because it’s a fully integrated component right out of the factory, you can have a lot more confidence in it working properly every time you use it.

Perhaps the most novel solution- and practical from the standpoint of not necessarily having to buy any extra hardware- is using your mobile phone as a cellular modem. This is a great way to combine different gadgets and can be accomplished using a USB connection, a serial cable, or even a Bluetooth wireless connection, depending on what kind of hardware set up you have. If you happen to have a mobile phone capable of this feat, this kind of set up may very well be the most practical one for you.

Regardless of which type of gadget you choose to use to take advantage of G3 technology, you’ll have to get a subscription form a wireless carrier. Fortunately, these subscriptions don’t tend to be very expensive in the overall scheme of things, especially if you can bundle it with mobile phone service.

In all, these gadgets provide you with plenty of options that will allow you to go online just about anywhere.

By: Julia Hall

You spent all of this money on this stupid wireless internet router and cards and now the thing doesn’t work! Just relax. Let’s do some wireless internet troubleshooting to find out what is going on and maybe we can solve your problem and get you up and surfing in no time.

Buying The Right Stuff

Wireless internet troubleshooting begins in the store where you are buying your equipment. All wireless routers and wireless network cards do not magically work together. The first rule in wireless internet troubleshooting is to make sure your equipment is compatible. Wireless routers only work with certain types of wireless network cards and that information is always printed clearly on the box. So when you are matching up the wireless router you want with the wireless network cards make sure you check the boxes and make sure it will all work together. If you are unsure then ask a clerk for assistance. Wireless internet troubleshooting is easier to do when you buy the right equipment.

Firmware Updates

When you are wireless internet troubleshooting the first thing you look for is connections and plugs to make sure everything is plugged in correctly. Then you check the indicator lights to see if everything is operating correctly. Sometimes when you are wireless internet troubleshooting you will notice that your indicator lights will just click to off every once in a while. When you reboot everything it works fine for a little while and then it dies again. This may be an indication that you need to update the firmware on your router. Firmware is a blast of commands that are sent to your router that update its internal brain and allow it to function properly. The easiest way to accomplish this is to simply call the manufacturer of your wireless router and have them walk you through the steps to update your firmware. Once you learn how to do it you can do it yourself and you should check for firmware updates at least once every three months.

Bad Modem

For some reason people refuse to believe that their internet provider has sent them a bad modem. Broadband modems are not perfect and they can go bad just like any other equipment. If you have tried everything else in your wireless internet troubleshooting then you may want to call your internet provider and have them check your modem. They can do that from their office and can tell you almost instantly if there is a problem. Broadband modems are like any other piece of electronic equipment in that they can fail too. So if you have tried everything else then do not rule out the broadband modem, call your provider and have them run a check.

By: Ralphy Jarvis

In this article I’ll help you understand the answer to a computer terminology question I find a lot of people asking: “How does wireless Internet work?”.

Before I can answer this question, I have to mention that there are two basic types of wireless Internet: a wireless Internet connection through a device called a router (this type of wireless Internet is called WiFi), and then there is wireless Internet access through the cell phone network.

Wireless routers are very common in homes, offices, and “wireless hotspots” like you find at coffee shops, airports, and elsewhere. These are basically just small electronic “boxes” that hook up to your Internet connection so you can share the connection between several computers, or simply to give you the freedom to place your computer wherever you want, and not just next to the cable or phone outlet.

The cell phone data network (wireless Internet through the cell phone network in other words) of course is very widespread — pretty much everywhere where you can get a cell signal — and can be used not only with a cell phone but also with a growing number of computers.

Now if you want to get really technical, these two types of wireless Internet work differently. But in a general sense, if you simplify things and explain them in a basic way that will make sense to the average person, they both work along the same general lines.

So how does wireless Internet work? One way to think of it is by comparing it to a portable phone.

With a portable phone, something most of us have in our home, the phone has two parts: a handset and a cradle.

The cradle gets plugged into the phone line — the connection to the phone network — and takes that connection and broadcasts it via radio waves more or less in all directions.

If the handset is within range of the signal, it picks up this signal and relays the telephone connection so you can make or receive a call.

Wireless Internet, whether its via a cell network or a wireless router, works the same basic way: you have a connection to the Internet, which is sent out wirelessly to a receiver of some sort, very much like a portable phone cradle sends out the telephone connection to the handset.

The broadcast can come from a wireless router hooked up to a cable or DSL Internet connection, or the broadcast can be from a cell phone tower hooked into the cell phone network and relaying the Internet connection.

On the other end you have a “handset”, which is a receiver in a computer, smart phone, or other device. This could be a WiFi card in a laptop or desktop computer for the one type of wireless Internet, or a receiver in a cell phone or laptop using the cell data network.

I hope that makes sense.

By: Worth Godwin

From netbooks to laptops, there are plenty of WiMAX-ready devices on the market. Dell, Toshiba, Samsung, and other manufacturers are offering PCs that are set-up to provide wireless broadband access. WiMAX is the technology that allows you to get serious work done while on the run. It taps into your city’s 4G coverage area so that you’re online anywhere at anytime.

Does your laptop not come with a WiMAX chip? No problem. If your city offers 4G, you simply get a pocket-sized USB modem to slide into the side of your notebook. Because 4G is portable, it’s also ideal if your laptop has a longer battery life, so that you can go mobile for long periods.

How does 4G relate to WiMAX? This fourth generation of wireless Internet service uses radio waves from WiMAX towers to allow for reliable, lightning fast download rates. By lightning fast, we’re talking about download speeds of 4 to 6 megabits per second. It’s similar to the speeds you’ve only been able to get through cable wires or DSL at home. For contrast, consider the average download speed of 3G from cell phone companies – about 1 megabit per second.

This new high-speed technology translates to mega-mobility. Your laptop can operate online in a moving train or bus or in a taxi cab. You can video conference with peers anywhere in the coverage area, which extends for miles. While 3G is effective for smaller tasks, 4G through WiMAX is effective for video streaming, watching movies and TV shows through Netflix or Hulu, or downloading iTunes albums. Kids (and adults who are children-at-heart) enjoy online Xbox and Playstation gaming.

Where are 4G networks located in the US? They are in most major cities, and more cities are added every month. By the end of 2010, there will be more than 120 million potential customers in the country. You can get online in any city with 4G coverage, but with an optional dual mode 3G/4G card, you can still access 3G if necessary.

4G is the solution to the old problems of mobile Internet connectivity. Your choices in the past were to either have slow 3G speeds and a portable connection, or fast speeds in fixed locations (at home or at a Wi-Fi hotspot). This dilemma of slow versus stationary has been resolved by WiMAX technology – you don’t have to choose anymore.

The target customer of 4G is anyone who’s on the go. Modern Americans aren’t in fixed locations for long – they’re pulling carpool duty, watching a sports event, or hanging out at the park or mall. WiMAX allows adults and kids alike to have the freedom to get online at any of these places. Laptops, notebooks, and netbooks can work overtime now.

This telecommunications solution is ideal for those who want to combine work with play. If you want to go to bring the kids to the park but also get work done, now you can. If you want to download a lecture on the bus but play online games afterward, now you can. WiMAX delivers a giant dose of convenience for those who need to be online anywhere and everywhere.

By: Laura Williamson

What is meant by Wireless internet access?

Wireless internet access is a Local Area Network (LAN) that operates through radio waves instead of wires. This means that an Internet connection can be accessed as long as you’re within the range of the Local Area Network (which is also referred to as “hot spot”), and there is no need for wires or a landline phone.

If there is Wireless internet access in a certain area like a coffee shop for example, this covered area or “hot spot” where the signal or the waves can reach, can provide laptops, cell phones, game consoles, etc., (with built-in Wi-Fi detectors) with an internet connection without need for dial-up or connecting to a modem.

This sort of connection is possible through a “central hub” which draws in the internet connection. This central hub is to be found at the main computer called the “server”, and the connection of Wireless internet is transmitted through this hardwired device which then broadcasts the connection and makes it accessible to those within the “hot spot”. Anyone within this area of connectivity that can then gain access to the internet connection is called the “client”.

How do you get Wireless internet access?

There are two main components that are essential in order for you to be able to gain Wireless internet access: a broadcaster and a receiver. These must be organized in specific positions in order for you to be able to make use of this form of Internet access.

Usually, in setting up a broadcaster, this means you have to set up a home network by means of a wireless router. This will help you gain Wireless internet access and also allow you to be able to print even if you’re in a remote location as well as allow you to share files and printers with other computers within the Local Area Network’s radius.

Internet access will most probably be delivered through a wired connection in the case of a home network. Usually, this can then be connected to the router by means of an Ethernet connection. The router then becomes the central hub or component of the wireless internet interface. The router or central hub then becomes the means for sending and receiving signals over the air, as well as those signals needed in order to gain wireless internet access. This process can then be called Wi-Fi.

Aside from this method, you can also use a wireless access card. This card allows you to access Internet service via cellular system.

The other important component that is needed to gain Wireless internet access is a Wireless Receiver. Lots of devices nowadays like computers such as laptops come with built-in wireless cards. For cases of devices without these wireless cards, they can be added to the device by means of a USB port in order to be able to access connectivity. There are also other slots or ports that you can utilize depending on the wireless receiver you will use. In order to make sure or determine if your device can be used for Wi-Fi access, always check which slot or hardware your device has in order to determine what type of wireless receiver you need or which type of card.

By: Eddie Perea

In part 1 of this series on IP addresses in wireless internet CCTV, I looked at how most home networks share a small number of identical IP addresses, so your neighbour’s laptop could easily have precisely the same address as your own laptop or your internet CCTV camera! Here in part 2, I’m going to show why these duplicate addresses don’t cause chaos when messages are sent across the internet.

Let’s use an example to show how devices can communicate successfully even if they share the same address. Say your laptop has an IP address of 192.168.1.5 and your wireless internet CCTV camera has an address of 192.168.1.101. Let’s also say that your neighbour’s laptop has, by coincidence, the same address as your laptop: 192.168.1.5. Before we go any further, you may be thinking that the odds of this are infinitesimally low. Well, actually they are not. This is because most home networks have IP addresses that tend to be in the same few ranges, often from 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.255 or from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.255.

Back to our example, this means that when your neighbour tries to connect to your wireless internet CCTV camera (assuming you have given him the password), we would have a problem if only the home networks’ IP addresses were used, because your neighbour’s laptop on 192.168.1.5 would send a message to your camera at 192.168.1.101, but when the camera replies, would the reply go to back to your neighbour’s laptop on 192.168.1.5, or your laptop on 192.168.1.5, or someone else’s computer somewhere else in the world that also happens to have a 192.168.1.5 address? Clearly this would not work, and that’s why the internet has its own set of IP addresses that are universally unique. Continuing the above example, when your neighbour’s laptop at 192.68.1.5 in his network sends a message to your internet camera, first of all the message will reach his router, which wraps it up so it is labelled with your neighbour’s single unique internet IP address, say 74.125.45.100, and sends it to your network’s unique internet address, say 209.191.93.53. Note that the household or “internal” address of your neighbour’s laptop, 192.168.1.5, is never sent across the internet at all. Now, when the message reaches your house, more specifically your router, the router hands it to your wireless internet camera. In this way, home networks throughout the world can reuse the same IP addresses.

There is something missing from this explanation that you may have spotted. How does your router “know” that a message coming in is for your internet CCTV camera, if that camera’s IP address of 192.168.1.101 is not sent in the message? The answer is that your camera is allocated a “port” number, which is sent with the message. So your neighbour, when logging into your camera, would type not just your internet IP address of 209.191.93.53 into his browser address bar, but rather 209.191.93.53:8765, where 8765 is the port number allocated to your camera. Your router would need to be set up to know that any message coming in with a port number of 8765 is to be “forwarded” to the camera. This is what we know as “port forwarding”, which is really outside the scope of this article.

IP address theory is a complex business, but when it comes to working with wireless internet CCTV, you only need to know the basics, and hopefully this series of articles has helped to achieve that.

By: Michael I Harper