Topic: Wi-Fi

Although the number of Wi-Fi hotspots is exploding it's clamed that they will become obsolete in the near future.

As you would expect the claims come from the mobile industry, Ericsson's chief marketing officer to be precise, who was speaking to delegates at the European Computer Audit, Control and Security Conference in Stockholm.

While using mobile broadband maybe more convenient than having to find a hotspot, there are two flaws in his argument. The first is regards to the speed difference between a Wi-Fi connection and using a mobile device, but this a minor problem with carriers improving their networks.

The main problem is down to cost, using a Wi-Fi connection at say Starbucks, costs the user nothing and there is no commitment. A mobile connection on the other hand is likely much more expensive, even though Bergendahl says that it could be as low as €20 a month.

National Express has said that the number of Wi-Fi users on the East Coast railway has tripled during the first month since offering a free service.

Although it's been free for first class passengers for some time, unsurprisingly many 'normal' passengers didn't really want to fork out the £4.95 an hour to get connected. Now it's seen number of those connecting jump from 30,000 in December to a whopping 100,000 in January, with more that 85 per cent connecting using a laptop.

It seems that you need to watch out if you live in Berwick and decide to use someone's Wi-Fi connection.

Berwick police have arrested two men after they were caught sitting in a car and using laptops, it seems that they were piggybacking an unsecured wireless network, although it's not known what they were in the process of viewing at the time.
The men were charged under under the 2003 Communications Act with dishonestly obtaining a communications service and were bailed pending further enquiries.

Neighbourhood Inspector Sharon Stavers told the Berwick Advertiser that Wi-Fi users should ensure that there wireless networks are properly secured. "They should make sure that all the security systems are in place to keep their computers safe," she says.

Users of the popular Gmail service could be open to an attack via Wi-Fi according to claims by a security researcher.

Robert Graham, CEO of Errata Security says that because of the way that the Google handles secure SSL connections. When a user connects to Gmail it starts off using a secure SSL (HTTPS) connection, but if for some reason it fails then Gmail will resort to sending unencrypted data.
The claim is that an attacker can extract an unencrypted session ID which will allow them to again access to the account.

But if you use a free public email service for your highly sensitive data then what would you expect?

Islington Borough Council is extending its existing wireless network to provide free high-speed internet access for everyone.

The scheme is an extension of the area’s Wi-Fi Technology Mile which we first reported on back in 2005 and ran for nearly 2.5 miles along two main shopping streets. The council have been increasing this to serve local housing estates covering up to 10,000 homes in inner London.

The aim is to bridge the digital divide and allow those without internet access to  to boost their skills and broaden their prospects. It claims that the service is being widely used and has become the  UK’s most widely-used wireless network. The council have also equipped a learning bus with 15 PCs and a trainer and visits the Canonbury estate each week, offering residents help with writing CVs and job searching.

The council also uses the service for it's own mobile applications, including email and estate management.

While many got high-tech pressies getting them to work seems to have been more of a struggle for us Brits.

BT have said that nearly a third of the technical support calls it received on Christmas day were wireless-relate with punters confused over their new laptops, iPhones and other Wi-Fi devices. Things were not all wireless related with fifteen per cent of callers having problems with software, ten per cent with digital hardware and a further ten per cent were having trouble with new operating systems (i.e Vista).

Remember that Wi-Fi was revealed as a major heath hazard and users were digging out their tinfoil hats, well it seems (unsurprisingly) that things were a bit exaggerated.

Back in May on the Panorama programme Wi-fi: A Warning Signal, fears were raised that Wi-Fi was more dangerous than mobile phones and caused many schools to rethink their wireless policies.

Well after two complaints by viewers the beebs Editorial Complaints Unit (ECU)  decided to have a look at the claims, the results are that the programme had given an unbalanced impression of scientific opinion and that Wi-Fi installations give off a higher level of radiation than mobile phone masts was wrongly suggested.
Even one contributor to the show, Professor Michael Repacholi, said that the scientific issues had been presented in an unbalanced way and that the treatment of his own contribution had been unfair.

So it's safe to remove those hats now.

Nearly half of people questioned by security firm Sophos admitted that they had illegally connecting to someone else's Wi-Fi network.

Fifty-four per cent said they had 'piggybacked' an unsecured wireless router even though the practice is illegal and have seen a couple of prosecutions in the past.

He went on to stress the importance for having a correctly set-up Wi-Fi system.

Too many Brition leave there Wi-Fi connection unsecured according to a government sponsored safety campaign.

Get Safe Online claims that there are 19 million households in the UK have wireless networks, but of that number 7.8 million leave their connections totally unsecured. But although other can connect to their network 88 per cent of users had security software installed on their PCs and laptops, although the report doesn't mention if this was up-to-date or just part of bundled software installed when the PC was new. It also revealed that 35-44 year-olds are the most safety conscious age-group.

There doesn't seem to be a day that goes by without a free Wi-Fi service launching.

Commuters travelling on National Express coaches between Cambridge and London have been used to it's free service, and now it's being extended to include the route between Milton Keynes and Canary Wharf in London also targeting those who commute to the City.

It's also based on the Vodafone 3G network so can provide up to 3.6Mbps to each coach via the Moovera hardware installed.