Mobile » Wi-Fi

Tools for analyzing WLAN traffic abound

The value of capturing and analyzing network traffic is well established. After all, the generic "sniffer" has been a fixture of networking since the days of "datascopes" on RS-232 connections. Wireless links introduce a number of complicating elements to this process, however -- Wi-Fi protocols are unique at Layer 2, and traffic over the air isn't serialized, as is the case with wire. Simultaneous, competing traffic is often the norm.

By  Craig Mathias | 20 January, 2009 08:53

Tags: wlan

Gadgets get Wi-Fi right (Part 1)

I'm often cautious of devices that claim to have Wi-Fi functionality and support, mainly because connecting to Wi-Fi (especially secure Wi-Fi) can be tricky for devices that don't utilize a browser or some other good input method. In the past, several devices I've tried (digital photo frames, cameras, printers) have failed to connect to my network because of the configuration issues required that weren't completely hammered out by the vendor.

Internet radio appliances roundup

Web-based applications and products like Apple's iTunes have made it easy to turn a laptop or a desktop into a music player. At the same time, thousands of radio stations are re-broadcasting their audio over the Internet to anyone who wants to listen. But what if you want to listen to, say, modern jazz from Mali or pop from Paris without dragging around a laptop? Enter the Internet radio: an appliance that looks like a radio and has an antenna -- but connects over Wi-Fi to the Internet, and streams audio to speakers.