Wireless Internet - 4th Quarter 2007

Clearbuilt would like to wish you a Happy New Year and all the best in 2008. We are looking forward to attacking the new year with renewed enthusiasm. We love what we do for sure, but more importantly we love who we do it for. The relationships we’ve developed over the years have been a blessing we could not have predicted.

Okay…real quick about email, then off to more interesting things. Clearbuilt has recently added all our customers for which we handle some aspect of email to our anti-spam service called Clearbuilt MailFoundry. If you were not set up on it beforehand, then you should notice a dramatic decrease in spam. Please let us know if you have any questions. Now see…I can talk about email without griping about how the major ISPs are pushing the cost of fixing their inadequate spam handling systems down to companies like us.

Did you know there are two basic types of wireless Internet access for your laptop computer? If you ignore all the industry terms (EDVO, CMDA, Wifi, Hot Spots, etc.), then there are basically only two options. We’ll explain those two options in simple terms to help you understand if one or both of these options for wireless Internet connection will work for you.

Unplug Me Please

The importance of an Internet connection is growing every year. As a result, being connected when you are away from your office is necessary for a growing number of people. After all, when you are on the road and need to check your email before a sales call or login to the corporate website to check the latest figures, you may not have time to find a wired connection. This means more and more people are willing to sacrifice the faster wired connections for the flexibility that wireless offers.

The two most popular methods for connecting your laptop computer to the Internet wirelessly are 1) WiFi and 2) mobile broadband. WiFi access can be found in airports, hotels, coffee shops, fast food places and more. They require you to be within approximately 100ft of the network to gain access. Some of the places allow you to connect for free, while other places require a fee (could be by the hour, day, etc.)

Mobile broadband networks act a lot like cell phone networks. They are served from towers and are in fact offered by the major cellphone companies. If you need a connection on a job site or even while headed down the road (while SOMEBODY ELSE is driving), then a mobile broadband connection will be more appealing to you. You will pay a monthly fee for the privilege.

Here’s a look at the benefits and features of each.

WiFi - local area connection

• most new laptops have WiFi built-in
• older laptops need only buy a PC Card or USB device
• can also be used to extend your cable/DSL wired broadband connection wirelessly throughout your office or house
• you have to be within 100ft or so from the network
• you can get free access in certain places (coffee shops, fast food, some airports, hotel lobbies)
• can pay for temporary access in certain places (some airports, hotel rooms, hotel conference rooms)

• terms: 802.11, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n, Wifi, Hot Spots
• distance: approximately 100ft from the network
• speeds: 11Mb/s (802.11b) - 200Mb/s (802.11n) -> these are theoretical speeds. You should expect probably around 1/2 this speed and perhaps less the farther you are from the signal and the more objects that are in the way (walls, etc)

Mobile Broadband - wide area connection

• not built in to your laptop, you have to purchase a USB or PC Card
• requires a monthly plan, most likely from Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T
• access depends on which provider you use, but is generally very good in the major markets and hit and miss outside the major markets
• as long as you can get a signal, there are no fees beyond your monthly plan

• terms: 3G, GSM, 3GSM, UMTS, HSDPA, GPRS, EDGE, CDMA, EVDO, Rev. A
• distance: you must be within coverage, just like cell phones (approx 18 mi from tower)
• speed: roughly between .2Mb/s - 3Mb/s download speed

So if you don’t mind hunting for a public WiFi network (”hot spots”) and perhaps paying a per use fee, then a WiFi Internet connect is perfect for you. On the other hand, if you must have an Internet connection outside of the office without being tied to a hot spot, then you need a mobile broadband connection. You will have to purchase a USB or PC Card device (available for cheap with a contract) and absorb another monthly fee, but the flexibility is awesome.

Conclusion

To talk on the telephone once required wires. Then cell phones allowed you to talk throughout the United States without wires, but your phone wouldn’t work in Europe, for example. Now, our cell phones work globally. This is the path of voice. Wireless Internet connections are taking this path as well. You will one day be able to access the Internet globally using one device and one provider. For now, just unplug me please!

Filed by nb on December 28th, 2007 under ClearPoint