[OFF TOPIC] Re: Wireless ethernet?

Richard Dynes (rdynes@sun1.varcom.com)
Mon, 09 Aug 1999 14:13:14 +0000


Mailing lists wrote:
>
> In message <Pine.LNX.4.10.9908081852180.1354-100000@asdf.capslock.lan>
> Mike A. Harris writes:
>
> >I am wondering if it is possible to have a laptop computer with
> >some form of 10Mbit ethernet connection or faster that is
> >wireless and free of any form of line of sight connection as
> >well.
>

There's a wireless standard called 802.11, that uses FHSS (Frequency
Hopping Spread Spectrum), or DSSS (Direct Sequence SS) for 1MbPS or 2
MbPS wireless links.

This standard was extended by the IEEE to 11 MbPS last year, and the
Apple / Lucent product appears to be the first commercial release of
it. I _believe_ that the product is DSSS based.

Other features IIRC: Links are secured with a 64 bit encryption
scheme. Topologies may be peer to peer, or peer to a central server.
Ranges in the 50m range see right, at least in the common
environments. Apparently, many (10?) of these LANs may be overlaid,
but I suspect that this is frequency division, since the 10 or 11 bit
chip length won't support that many different orthogonal codes.

It's all 2.4GHz ISM band stuff. One company is offering an active
antenna with 1 km or so range.

-Richard

-- 
    Richard Dynes
    rdynes@varcom.com

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