RadioLAN wireless is CSMA/CA and is a peer to peer network. The CA(collision advoidence) is done by ack'ing directed Etherenet frames as they are sent. This allows a positive response for each frame, and unlike wired Ethernet provides for automatic retransmission of the Ethernet frame if it is not ack'ed. RadioLAN has been providing a full 10Mb Ethernet wireless products since 1996 and is available in over 20 countries around the world. In addition to the indoor LAN distribution product family, there is a outdoor point to point product for distances of up to 1 mile.
-- Hugh Tebault, June 27, 1999
A cheaper alternative, based on 802.11, might be "AirPort", developed by Apple and Lucent. More information can be found here.
I haven't had the chance to test it, though. I'm just repeating what the Apple marketing guys are telling me...
-- Edmund Weitz, July 30, 1999
HPUX O8i ACS 4 PQAs Y2K+ Y? Cost of bandwidth.Will ACS clients ever exist on Palm Pilots. Well I can dream.
I can't wait for something cheaper than the current USD$1 per 3K of palm.net<->Palm VII transmissions. One such transmission unit is approximately 40 bytes upstream (from the pilot) and 360 bytes downstream uncompressed*. Scary huh? And since it's not a raw interface to TCP/IP (much is stripped, between you and those tiny radio towers on the hilltop is simply a few UDP packets floating around)--and a pseudo CGI GET, you're expected to get no spontaneous updates from the server. It's a Quid Pro Quo situation. Give something (a preset cgi request) then you get something back (latest cgi response).
* To help you visualize 40 bytes upstream (using hash characters to represent ascii text and spaces):
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** To help you visualize 360 bytes downstream:
######################################## ######################################## ######################################## ######################################## ######################################## ######################################## ######################################## ######################################## ########################################
Note: since it's not pure info (but html mark ups and get requests as well, cry :(
-- Li-fan Chen, August 7, 1999
I just wanted to add some more recent information. As of Feb 2000, it is possible to set up a home wireless network using 11Mb 802.11 (HR) for a very reasonable price. I'm using lucent's ISA adaptor inside my desktop system ($60 for isa adaptor and $180 for the pcmcia card that goes inside) that's acting as my wireless bridge. The bridge is running linux 2.2.9 + pcmcia + wavelan2_cs driver available from lucent. Then my laptop, also running linux, but could easily run anything else, also needs a pcmcia card and drivers.Total cost was only $220 for the bridge, and $180 per laptop (it helps that the laptop and adaptor was paid for by our lab). not too bad.
Another option is the Apple airport base station, a little more expensive, but adds a modem too.
cheers.
-- karan bhatia, February 21, 2000