Wireless and Wired Networks for Internet Access

Blake DumasWireless Operations,

Interlink Computer Connection

Broadband Wireless and Home Networking

Part I:Broadband Wireless

Definitions

• LAN - Local Area NetworkThe computers in your home/office

• WAN - Wide Area NetworkYour Internet connection and the people

around you

• Downstream throughputThe capacity of data you can receive

• Upstream throughputThe capacity of data you can send

Internet Access Technologies

• Dialup/ISDN

• DSL

• Cable

• Wireless

Low-Speed Technologies

Dial-Up• Requires analog phone line to dial provider• < 56 Kbps maximum downstream• Ties up the phone line

ISDN• Requires digital phone line to dial provider• 64/128 Kbps flavors

Traditional Broadband

DSL• Uses phone lines to deliver high-frequency

signal separate from phone conversations• Usually 768 kbps – 1.5 Mbps downstream• Only reaches 2-3 miles from Central Office

Cable• Uses cable television infrastructure to deliver

broadband• Typical 1.5 – 2 Mbps downstream• Bandwidth shared among users

Wireless Technologies

0 1 2 3 4 5 GHz

Cellular700-900MHZ

802.11b/g2.4-2.48GHZ

802.11a5.7-5.8GHZ

6

• No phone lines or cable television required• Farther distances covered• Rural areas are able to receive broadband• Interference can pose a problem

Interlink Wireless

• Based on Motorola Canopy technology• Operates at 5.7-5.8 GHz• Does not require phone lines or cable• Persistent connection, no waiting to dial• Stationary customer antennas are aimed at

access point clusters• Limited by line-of-sight

Canopy Equipment

Internet

Access Point Cluster Subscriber Module

Technical Aspects

• Uses Motorola protocol rather than 802.11• 5.7 – 5.8 GHz frequency range• Dynamic Time Synchronization Spreading

(DTSS) and Frequency Shift Keying (FSK)• Access Points coordinate times each sender can

send• Transceiver and antenna integrated into a single

module• Power and Ethernet delivered on one cable

Interlink Wireless Coverage

Peoria

Itasca

Abbott

Hillsboro

Milford

Hubbard

Bandwidth Comparison

56K Dialup

ISDN

Dual ISDN

Res. Wireless

Bus. Wireless

500 Kbps 1.0 1.5 2 Mbps

Maximum Download Throughput

Canopy Security

• Uses proprietary protocol, unlike 802.11• Fragments data into 64-byte packets and

reorders• Assembly, order, and disassembly of packets

remains unpublished• Motorola chip not available to the public• 64-bit Data Encryption Standard (DES)

encryption

Part II:Home Networking

Single Computer

Wired LAN

Wireless LAN

LAN HardwareHome Router• Shares Internet connection among multiple

computers• Hides your internal network from the world• Assigns addresses to computers on the network• Can serve as a wireless access point and print

server

Dlink 714+

LAN Hardware (cont.)Ethernet Adapters

802.11 Wireless Adapters

Netgear FA311 Netgear FA511

DLink 520+ Netgear MA401

Residential Wireless Features

• Persistent “always on” connection• 1500 Kbps downstream / 192 Kbps upstream• 2 email accounts• 10 Mb web storage space• Local service and support• Equipment lease included in cost• Less than the cost of an extra phone

line + dialup

$39.95 / mo.$99 one-time installation

Questions?

Also, visit our website for more information about wireless and other services we provide

www.hillsboro.net