Webs’ Random Ideas

A group at work here just got in a WiFi drill that sends data to a base unit over WiFi. Being an IT guy and having worked in networking I am always very very skeptical of such devices.

The 2.4 range is for the most part open and companies can make devices that broadcast how they want to, following FCC rules. But the FCC is under staffed and manned to adequately enforce everything that happens, so companies end up with devices that blast RF everywhere and take out wireless, in our case, LWAPP.

So we hooked up the base unit, got the wireless drill operating, and pulled out the spectrum analyzer to see what the drill was doing in our WiFi environment. The results? We found nothing. I was shocked and thought for a second the equipment might be malfunctioning or our spectrum software or device was somehow not working correctly.

Everything was operating as it should. So why didn’t we see it? This drill uses the a newer wifi protocol, zigbee: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZigBee. Its a wireless mesh protocol that operates at 900 mhz in the US. All WiFi today in the US is either 2.4 or 5 ghz. So anything wireless at 900 mhz is a network admin’s wet dream.

The Zigbee protocol is interesting, but I will leave it to another post. We approved the device and I was pleasantly surprised.

I’m watching a webcast right now of AirMagnet’s new product. Pretty impressive what it can do. Their best new feature? The specialized wireless card needed for their software is now USB. How long has USB been out and they are finally making use of it?

I give them a break because it was probably easier for them to just use PC Cardbus and PCMCIA, but geez. Get with the times.

For all my gripes though I would highly recommend their XT product for anyone working with Wireless day in and day out. That and I recommend to install the software on a mini. Much easier to walk around with a sub 1lb laptop for 5 hours than a 5 pounder.