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Comment Re:Security, Availability, Expandibility. (Score 1) 346

Interesting point, but I think ad-hoc may actually work better then a client / AP network in a high-bandwidth situation due to bandwidth overhead in a repeater-type wireless system (access point). When you are connected Ad-hoc, your data goes directly to the other computer and vice-versa. When you have an AP in the middle, your data goes to the AP, and then the AP sends it to the recipient- if you are both connected to the same AP you have a doubling of data in the same band space. Multiply that by 2 or 3 devices and you see where the problem is. Additionally most networkable games are designed to use as little bandwidth as possible so they work well with a variety of internet connections.

Comment Security, Availability, Expandibility. (Score 4, Insightful) 346

These are the three things that WiFi still can't compete in against a wired network.

Even the most secure wireless is still much more susceptible to attack then a wired network. Even with the most modern access control and protection methods (which are neither cheap nor convenient) the sheer massive avenue of attack WiFi presents creates a problem for many large corporations. Ask JPMorgan Chase how much WiFi connectivity they have. Or pretty much any US Government building.

Even if you do as the article suggests and call in an expensive contractor to map out the best locations for access points, you have to find out if it's even feasible to run network and power to that location. Even with the best-possible placement you are going to have dead zones, and the size and location of dead zones will vary depending on the devices used. My Toshiba laptop got service in places a virtually identical Macbook did not- let alone the poor wireless reception most mobile phones and devices provide. So you have to deal with irate users, and try to find places to install additional access points to cover the dropped zones.

When I worked for a small non-profit K-12 school, during teacher inservice days I always had to install 2 additional access points in the gym so that the teachers could all connect on their laptops, as the single AP currently serving the gym was not sufficient. Even then, transferring any large file from the server or online either brought the network to a standstill or required tethering each machine to an ethernet cord to do the transfer. Most high-tech oriented conferences, the wireless is all but useless if it's available publicly, due to the hundreds of devices all connecting within a limited frequency space and bandwidth. There is just not enough bandwidth in a small space available to deal with more then a handful of data-rich connections. Spread across multiple spheres of AP reception the problem is reduced, but not eliminated! My bedroom is WiFi-connected only due to wiring constraints and connecting from my laptop to my server via VNC or to copy files is very... very... slow. And really, try having a LAN party over wireless- I can run hundreds or thousands of network cables through a small room and connect everything I need for nearly any project or task inexpensively, and know that the network will be robust. Working with WiFi in anything other then a solo arrangement is a lesson in frustration.

TL;DR - Until security protocol and access control methods are more robust and available; until tools to design, implement, and test wireless networks are more plentiful and robust; and until bandwidth availability is not on par with but exceeds that of standard CAT5- wireless is but an adjunct, a convenient add-on to the main structure of a wired network in a business. ... err, not that I'm impassioned about it, or anything.

The Almighty Buck

Huffington Post Fights Back Against NY Times Paywall 57

As you may recall, we've recently the New York Times' stumbling efforts to implement a paywall on their website. Now in an effort to combat the growing trend of hiding content behind annoying attempts at monetization, the Huffington Post has taken a strong stand against the paywall by setting up a paywall of their own that blocks out NY Times . "On HuffingtonPost.com you can view the first 6 letters of each word at no charge (including slideshows of adorable kittens). After 6 letters, we will ask you to become a digital . You may choose to subscribe to see the rest of each word individually, or choose a package to access all words of more than 6 letters." expect this to be a particularly devastating response, given how much of the HuffPo's content is appropriated and re-used by the NY Times.
Spam

Verizon.net Finally Moving Email To Port 587 195

The Washington Post's Security Fix blog is reporting that Verizon, long identified as the largest ISP source of spam, is moving to require use of the submission port, 587, in outbound mail — and thus to require authentication. While spammers may still be able to relay spam through zombies in Verizon's network, if the victims let their mail clients remember their authentication credentials, at least the zombies will be easily identifiable. Verizon pledges to clean up their zombie problem quickly. We'll see.
Unix

Why Do We Name Servers the Way We Do? 1397

jfruhlinger writes "If you use a Unix machine, it probably has a funny name. And if you work in an environment where there are multiple Unix machines, they probably have funny names that are variations on a theme. No, you're not the only one! This article explores the phenomenon, showing that even the CIA uses a whimsical server naming scheme." What are some of your best (worst?) naming schemes?

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