26. March 2010 by admin.

“Cisco Ethernet switches to play broader roles” - says an article under Trend Analysis, on page 11 of March 22, 2010 issue of Network World…

* But did you know? That Ethernet Switches aren’t affected by a looming change of IP Standards (See my IPv6 article below)? Nope it will just hop across them the same as IPv4 does.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSI_model

Ethernet switches operate at the Data Link Layer, the second rung up the ladder on the way to your software (Application) on your computer. There are 7 layers altogether in this model, which is used as a Reference Model, for how things actually work. Layer 1, the Physical Layer is where wires are connected together to Ethernet Switches and Computers. This is where “signaling” occurs and things are pretty much encoded and decoded in binary. That’s a pretty low level, eh?

Layer 2 deals with “Physical Addressing” but that doesn’t mean IP Addressing it means “MAC” addressing. Thats those long Hexadecimal Addresses that every network card from wired to wireless has. At this level the Ethernet Switch doesn’t know and doesn’t care about IP Addressing. You could be talking about frogs or military aircraft and Layer 2 wouldn’t be any wiser about it. In an Ethernet Switch, as opposed to an old-style Network Hub (which basically just blasted every message to ever computer wether they wanted it or not), *it* keeps track of which MAC addresses are present on each of its ports (those jacks that you plug CAT5 or CAT6 RJ45 connector-type cables into) and builds a table for “Fast Switching” of Ethernet Frames (ethernet smallest unit of messaging) to the correct port. That’s how traffic gets to a port on an Ethernet Switch.

So if an Ethernet Switch is dealing with Ethernet Frames and Mac Addresses - how in the heck do you get IP Traffic (Internet Traffic) to a computer?

Enter “Arp” - Address Resolution Protocol. All computers, in their TCP/IP implementation know how to use a broadcast protocol called ARP. Arp basically are messages sent out by your computer, by the TCP/IP Stack over your Ethernet Card, saying “Arp who has 192.168.1.1?”. The computer that actually has the IP Address 192.168.1.1 answers something like this: “Arp 192.168.1.1 is *me* at MAC address aa:bb.cc:dd:ee:ff:a1:b2″. And from then on, for a little while, all traffic for that IP Address is sent to that MAC address … which our friendly Ethernet Switch knows is on one particular port.

Wireless, forget about the 802.11a/b/g/n protocols, works pretty much the same way. A wireless access point acts as if it were a Port on an Ethernet Switch. Aside from any router functionality that might be in an Access/Router combo unit, it’s just a fancy “wireless Ethernet Switch”.

How about that????

—
Alan Spicer
 
DBA Alan Spicer Telcom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
Computer Services, Wired/Wireless Networking,
Cell/Sat/Landline Communications, General Consulting…
Marine, Business, Small Office and Home Office (SOHO)
 
* Cost Savings and Integration of Multiple Internet Technologies
on board Sail and Motor Yachts * Documentation, Operating
Instructions, and Support after the Sale *
 
* http://www.marinetelecom.net/
* http://www.internetforyachts.net/
* http://www.wifiyacht.net/
* 954-683-3426
 
Mobile Internet! Step up to the HSPA 3G Fast Internet!
 
Ericsson W35 released in the USA. This you’ve gotta SEE!!
Better looking presentation than W25 (you might not want to
hide this one in the Doghouse!) + High Speed Upload which
the W25 did not have.
http://www.marinetelecom.net/Ericsson_W35/
 

Livewire: Access Controller (Service Selector):
http://www.marinetelecom.net/Livewire_Service_Selector/

Posted in Computer Networking onboard Sail and Motor Yachts | 1 Comment »

26. March 2010 by admin.

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/031810-wall-street-beat-tech-pushes.html

Growing confidence has pushed the value of IT company shares up to levels not seen since late 2008, when the implosion of Wall Street sucked the air out of credit markets and dried up technology sales.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq hit an 18-month high Thursday, closing at 2391, its highest point since the end of August 2008. The broader Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index rose to 17-month highs.

Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy 18 months ago this week, on Sept. 15, 2008. In the wake of the bank’s failure, the financial industry and virtually all stock exchanges went into a tailspin. Tech companies suffered along with businesses in every sector.

This week, good macroeconomic news had a lot to do with the across-the-board market increases. For example, the Labor Department Thursday eased inflation fears with a report that its Consumer Price Index for February was flat, following a 0.2 percent increase in January. The Labor Department also said in a separate report that initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 5,000 in the week to March 13. Earlier in the week, the Federal Reserve Board said its federal funds rate would remain near zero at least for the short term, in a sign that it still wants to keep interest rates low, a move that encourages lending and spending.

Tech vendors, however, have been helped by a steady stream of upbeat IT-specific news, and have led other sectors in the recovery from recession lows of a year ago. Nasdaq computer stocks are up by 73 percent in the past 12 months, while telecom stocks have jumped 53 percent during the same period. In comparison, the broader Dow Jones composite has risen 44 percent in the past 12 months.

(more at the link above…)

—

Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net - http://www.wifiyacht.net

+1 954 683 3426

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

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26. March 2010 by admin.

Many of you may know that we sell Ericsson Cellular Mobile Broadband Routers, Satellite Systems for Marine, and WiFi Hotspot Sharing Systems (www.wifiyacht.net) for Marine, but… You may not know that we also come onboard and do Site Surveys and can explain to you what you have as far as Internet and Voice Communications, as well as Computer Systems. We often get called on Captain or crew changes to come decypher the existing systems and make recommendations for upgrades or improvements. Methods to implement least-cost routing of Internet Data and Voice Calling are offerred.

We also do general Laptop and Computer Service, Upgrades, and Replacements. We build small-form-factor (about the size of a small laptop) PC Computers for Navigation and Communications machines. If you are running on older PC hardware  we can replace it with more power, memory, and a much smaller computer footprint (the space required for the computer.)

Please give a call…

—

Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net - http://www.wifiyacht.net

+1 954 683 3426

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

Posted in Main | No Comments »

26. March 2010 by admin.

Kind of like a “March Madness” Sale. Ericsson W35 March to the end (to the end of March) Sale… For 6 days only. This sale will NOT repeat.

Buy 1 additional accessory, for example an MCX to N-Female Radio Cable (you need it anyway) and get your Ericsson W35 for: $450.00 + $25.00 Shipping and Handling to U.S. and Canadian Addresses.

Current Retail Price on Ericsson W35: $520.00 + $25.00 Shipping and Handling.

$545.00

-

$475.00

————-

$70.00 … That’s a $70.00 Savings on Ericsson W35. Additional accessories at normal prices. Sales tax applies for orders landing in Florida.

* Good through March 31, 2010. Payment must be received by midnight 3-31-2010. For 6 days only. This sale will NOT repeat.

—
Alan Spicer
 
DBA Alan Spicer Telcom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
Computer Services, Wired/Wireless Networking,
Cell/Sat/Landline Communications, General Consulting…
Marine, Business, Small Office and Home Office (SOHO)
 
* Cost Savings and Integration of Multiple Internet Technologies
on board Sail and Motor Yachts * Documentation, Operating
Instructions, and Support after the Sale *
 
* http://www.marinetelecom.net/
* http://www.internetforyachts.net/
* http://www.wifiyacht.net/
* 954-683-3426
 
Mobile Internet! Step up to the HSPA 3G Fast Internet!
 
Ericsson W35 released in the USA. This you’ve gotta SEE!!
Better looking presentation than W25 (you might not want to
hide this one in the Doghouse!) + High Speed Upload which
the W25 did not have.
http://www.marinetelecom.net/Ericsson_W35/

Posted in Cellular Voice and Internet | No Comments »

26. March 2010 by admin.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/192365/us_wireless_carriers_take_different_routes_toward_fast_4g_service.html?tk=nl_dnx_h_crawl

The Big Four wireless providers updated and expanded their 4th Generation wireless network plans. Each is taking a very different direction.
Mark Sullivan

Mar 24, 2010 9:00 pm

CTIA 2010, Las Vegas–The buzz over new, super-fast 4G networks is louder than ever here at the CTIA 2010 show. Everybody from handset makers to network infrastructure makers to app developers to network testing companies is talking about what they are doing to prepare for or participate in the movement of the entire ecosystem of wireless companies toward fast 4G service.

4G technology differs from 3G service in that it handles all services — voice, internet access, etc. — in the same way, as packets of data. 4G also uses different, and better, wireless spectrum than 3G service does, and is capable of providing far better speeds to far more people at the same time.

The two competing flavors of 4G wireless technology — WiMAX and LTE (long-term evolution) — are actually very similar technology-wise, but they operate in two different kinds of wireless spectrum.

(…more at the link above)

P.S. This might be interesting as well:

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/WiMax-Part1.html (Parts 1, 2, and 3)

—
Alan Spicer
 
DBA Alan Spicer Telcom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom
Computer Services, Wired/Wireless Networking,
Cell/Sat/Landline Communications, General Consulting…
Marine, Business, Small Office and Home Office (SOHO)
 
* Cost Savings and Integration of Multiple Internet Technologies
on board Sail and Motor Yachts * Documentation, Operating
Instructions, and Support after the Sale *
 
* http://www.marinetelecom.net/
* http://www.internetforyachts.net/
* http://www.wifiyacht.net/
* 954-683-3426
 
Mobile Internet! Step up to the HSPA 3G Fast Internet!
 
Ericsson W35 released in the USA. This you’ve gotta SEE!!
Better looking presentation than W25 (you might not want to
hide this one in the Doghouse!) + High Speed Upload which
the W25 did not have.
http://www.marinetelecom.net/Ericsson_W35/
 

Livewire: Access Controller (Service Selector):
http://www.marinetelecom.net/Livewire_Service_Selector/

Posted in Cellular Voice and Internet | No Comments »

26. March 2010 by admin.

AT&T Announces 3G MicroCell

http://www.cable360.net/ct/news/thewire/AT-and-T-Announces-3G-MicroCell_40596.html

AT&T has announced it plans to begin its national roll out of 3G MicroCell beginning in mid April, with new markets activating in cities across the continental United States for the next several months. AT&T 3G MicroCell is a femtocell to support both 3G data and voice services.

3G MicroCell allows residential customers to route wireless phone calls and data connections (or sessions) across a home broadband connection. The solution is designed to benefit customers who live in homes that have coverage impediments that consistently interrupt wireless spectrum, such as dense wall and roof construction or unfavorable terrain.

Developed in conjunction with Cisco and in a public trial in select markets since September 2009, AT&T 3G MicroCell is available for a one-time cost of $149.99.  Consumers will be able to activate the device the same day it is purchased with self-install instructions.

Minutes used through the MicroCell affect only the account of the phone making the call. There is no requirement to purchase separate service for the 3G MicroCell.

* Alan Spicer says… Ummmm, yawn uhhhhhhhhhahhh… Let me get this right:

“3G MicroCell allows residential customers to route wireless phone calls and data connections (or sessions) across a home broadband connection.”

Ummmm, what did you say? Allows residential customers THAT ALREADY HAVE INTERNET to ummmm have DATA? And Voice by cellular … ummmmm using their own BROADBAND INTERNET that they already pay for. Ahhhhhh ummmmmm why wouldn’t they just use their Internet that they already have? And use some VOIP - that’s Voice Over IP service for voice for much less than an AT&T 3G and Voice Service Plan?

Well grant it, some people, who already have the 3G AT&T and Voice and might have it working everywhere except home … or an office … might want this. Other than that it seems like time, energy, expense - that ought to spent on putting some *real* 3G into areas on “The Map”, you know the one that blocks the TV in the commericals? Who gives a sheit about peoples houses or whatever. My phone drops a lot of calls in the house too. How about uncrowding the existing 3G where it gets bad sometimes due to iPhones? Well I’ll venture to say that I’m sure those things are being “looked at”.

“such as dense wall and roof construction”

Yah… there’s something *dense* somewhere. I’m just trying to get a bead on it.

 ”Minutes used through the MicroCell affect only the account of the phone making the call. There is no requirement to purchase separate service for the 3G MicroCell.”

Um, what? the minutes from a cell phone only affect the account of the ummm cell phone? That changes *nothing*. It should be FREE while piggy-backing on the customers own Broadband Connection. I mean ummmm $300 one time for a device (I’m guessing on the price or cost) vs The Cost of Bandwidth in a Cellular Tower? AT&T just saved a bunch of money on their car insurance by switching to customers bandwidth.

* Is anybody reading this stuff????

P.S. We sell swamp land in Florida. Ummm well we also sell 3G Voice and Internet Routers - which could rather easily take an external antenna - and bring that 3G Cellular Internet into the house or business, as well as the convenience of being able to plug the “Cellular Voice” part of it into regular RJ-11 telephone equipment, say Cordless Phones, or even an Office PBX system.

So it’s not like someone didn’t *nail* this problem already. FemtoCell would basically use your broadband connection … to provide the “backbone” or “back link” to AT&T. The Internet is a given. You already had that. Voice well they are probably relaying using VOIP back to their “switches” in their network that handle voice calls. With this you could still only take your voice calls on your “cellular” device.

With, for example, Ericsson W35 - you could have your voice calls to regular (non cellular) telephone gear. The 3G Internet, let’s say your home Broadband Internet goes down, could be a backup Internet. With FemtoCell if your broadband landline (or cable modem) connection goes down … so does voice … and any 3G they were makeshifting off of it.

(This is the Kettle calling the Pot Black, signing off…)

—

Alan Spicer Telecom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net - http://www.wifiyacht.net

+1 954 683 3426

communications (at) marinetelecom.net

Posted in Main | No Comments »