CCMP (Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol) is the preferred encryption protocol in the 802.11i standard. CCMP Cryptography CCMP is based upon the CCM mode of the AES encryption algorithm. CCMP utilizes 128-bit keys, with a 48-bit initialization vector (IV) for replay detection. The Components of CCMP The Counter Mode (CM) component of CCMP is the algorithm providing data privacy. The Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code (CBC-MAC) component of CCMP provides data integrity and authentication. CCMP and RSN Unlike WRAP (Wireless Robust Authenticated Protocol), CCMP Read More

SMS (Short Message Service) is a protocol for sending and receiving brief text messaging over digital cellular networks. Most people send SMS messages from the very small keypads on their mobile phones, and most people who receive SMS messages read them on the tiny screens of their mobile phones. Because of those considerations, and because SMS messages are limited to 160 characters, most people who use SMS learn to type messages using a number of popular SMS shortcuts. SMS Shortcuts These are some of the more common SMS shortcuts. 2D Read More

A Linksys wireless router is a device that converts digital information into wireless radio waves and vice versa. Linksys wireless routers, like other wireless routers, are used for wireless computer networking. They use an antenna and an Ethernet or coaxial cable connection to allow computers to connect to a wireless network that is within range. A Linksys wireless router typically establishes a wireless network in a home or office building, but any nearby computer can communicate with the router if a password or other form of encryption is not protecting Read More

Bluetooth is a specification for short distance wireless communication between two devices. Bluetooth Specifications Fixed/Mobile Mobile Circuit/Packet Both Max Bandwidth 1Mb Range 10 meters Frequency 2.40GHz-2.483.5Ghz (U.S. and Europe) or 2.472Ghz-2.497Ghz (Japan) Host Network None Definer Bluetooth SIG Bluetooth technology is named after Harald Bluetooth, a Danish king who managed to consolidate Denmark and a part of Norway in the 1900s. The choice for the name of this technology is a manifestation of how influential and central the companies from this region are to the telecommunications industry. Bluetooth is a Read More

Wireless routers are network devices that combine the functionalities of a router and a wireless access point. Wireless routers can be connected to broadband modems to provide wireless access to the Internet to two or more computers or laptops within a home environment. They enable greater mobility for laptops and other portable computers. They can also operate in a wired LAN (Local Area Network) or wireless LAN network. Some wireless routers have built in modems as well. Wireless routers are secure as they act as a hardware firewall. They provide Read More

WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is an interim standard by the WiFi Alliance to comply with the security protocol designed for wireless security. WPA will most likely be rolled into an eventual IEEE 802.11i standard. This protocol was an outcome of numerous severe flaws researchers had discovered in the preceding wireless security system called Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). WPA (W-Fi Protected Access) Modes of Operations WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) features two very different modes of operation: WPA Enterprise Mode WPA PSK (Pre-Shared Key) Mode Requires an authentication server Does not require Read More

A smart antenna is one that transmits or receives multiple radio frequencies at once. Smart antennas increase data transfer rates and reduce errors by handling several copies of the same information. Conventional antenna systems consist of one antenna that serves as a transmitter and one that serves as a receiver. This is starting to change, however, as smart antenna systems are introduced. The three most common smart antenna systems are 1) SIMO (Single Input Multiple Output), in which one antenna is used as the transmitter and two or more are Read More

A USB WiFi antenna is a device that provides a computer with access to the Internet when in range of a WiFi access point. It also refers to a USB-based wireless adapter that also provides a computer with Internet access but connects to specific wireless routers rather than public WiFi access points. USB WiFi antennas connect to a computer via a male-to-female USB connection and depend on Plug and Play technology to automatically install themselves and run on the host machine.   How USB WiFi Antennas Work A USB WiFi Read More

802.11a is one of the many standards used for high speed wireless networks, usually referred to as Wifi. This standard was created by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) in 1999 and uses several different frequencies including 5.15-5.35/5.47-5.725/5.725-5.875 GHz to send and receive data from one electronic or computer device to another. There are many different standards of the 802.11 used today for wireless communication; the other popular standards include 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n. The standard 802.11a has been available for several years, but has not caught on Read More

A wireless router is a wireless device that connects one computer or a whole network to another computer or network. It is possible to have a wireless network in a home or office. Travelers definitely come across wireless networks at most international airports. A wireless router, which is responsible for sending information from one computer to another, powers a wireless network. The router help the user to share a single Internet connection between two or more computers, which can be on the same floor or even on different floors. Wireless Read More