Nickname: truehawk

Review: I replaced my other Wi-Fi modems with a Belkin pre-N router about six months ago. Love it, very stable and very good quality. About once a month, both the Wi-Fi modem and the router have to be unplugged and reinitiated or they freeze due to some sort of static buildup. This also occured with my previous B and G standard routers, so it is not a function of pre-N, but of some hardware problem.

Date reviewed: May 12, 2006 4:24 PM

Nickname: Just Wait

Review: The other comments are valid in this posting. Wi-Fi is filling a temporary position till WiMAX and IMS/FMC combine to truly provide IP services everywhere at "wireline rates". The carriers need to be able to provide high bandwidth revenue rich services with the same quality level as wireline technologies or there will be no demand. Good discussion!

Date reviewed: May 12, 2006 12:41 PM

Nickname: JeffHarvey

Review: The real story here is that the Moto-Cisco effort uses SIP signalling for VoWiFi. So that real integration with the celluar networks cannot occur until the latter deploy IMS. In the meantime, UMA-based cellular-WiFi integration (www.umatechnology.org) makes much more sense - otherwise Nokia would not have just announced the 6136.

Date reviewed: May 9, 2006 11:03 PM

Nickname: Chris

Review: Where is WIMAX in this story? WIMAX will take the advantages of WiFi and impove on it with greater range (measured in miles/kilometers), QOS, and performance. Fixed WIMAX equipment just began shipping this year, mobile equipment will be available early next year. The WIMAX Forum has over 500 companies working on making this happen. WIMAX and VoIP together are going to be extremely disruptive for the incumbent telcos. The barriers to entry are coming down (pure IP-based WIMAX networks are less expensive to implement than proprietary cellular networks)and many new entrants will join this space (i.e. Craig McCaw's Clearwire).

Date reviewed: May 8, 2006 7:04 PM

Nickname: Poligraf

Review: This so-called report is nothing else but shallow attempt to discredit new revolutionary technology that aims to liberate the consumer (sadly this category includes the author?) from the monopoly of the selected group of a large carriers whose goal is frankly an increase of their bottom line at the expense of the entire nation(s). In comparison, people would be outraged by tobacco vendors pushing cigarette ads to teens while the aforementioned author/article lobbies for the rights of large carriers to continue selling user unfriendly low quality greatly underperforming services at a premium. I can't help but quote Albert Einstein: "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."

Date reviewed: May 5, 2006 8:26 PM

Nickname: Jacomo

Review: What a disgraceful piece of reporting. Instead of talking to just the cell carriers and those influenced by them (Motorola and Cisco), a well reported piece would investigate what the service providers are planning for this incredible new Wi-Fi marketplace. The Wi-Fi space is not only dynamic and growing at an incredible pace it will literally explode over the next two years as these exciting new metro area Wireless Mesh Networks come online and begin providing consumers true broadband portable/nomadic and mobile access to their entertainment and a major threat to the big cell companies. By the way this whole Wi-Fi convergence idea scares the big carriers because it will effectively replace their data services in major metro markets and have a major impact on their voice when VOIP over WiFi rolls out.

Date reviewed: May 4, 2006 4:06 PM

Nickname: Matt

Review: The views expressed in this article seem to paint Wi-Fi as a technology which is lagging. We believe that Wi-Fi has improved significantly in 2006 and the Pre-N devices offer greater speeds, coverage and reliability than ever. Our business is providing wireless solutions to the residential market for networking, distributed audio, and home automation control. Wi-Fi has proven to be quite reliable and stable. 802.11N will allow us to wirelessly stream HDTV to a plasma or projector on any wall the consumer pleases (assuming there is power). I don't see broadband over powerline being reliable and relying on coaxial cable is the same as placing the tv wherever the cable jack is. The future is wireless - and the Wi-Fi revolution is leading the way. Matt Peters Wireless Home Naples, FL

Date reviewed: May 4, 2006 1:41 PM

Nickname: Joe C

Review: With the cut-throat competition in the cellular space, surely a smart operator out there will seize the initiative and roll out a converged offering to gain market share.

Date reviewed: May 4, 2006 6:10 AM

Nickname: sinsins

Review: I agree that this is certainly not a good year for Wi-Fi. The chaos in standards had dragged the industry down. However, I believe that wireless internet will eventually take over cellular phone network. If some companies refuse to adopt the technology, others will. Especially when WiMAX eventually comes around, this would allow kilometers of coverage and much faster speed. I'm currently using the HTC Dopod 800 I got in Hong Kong, which allows me to log on to WiFi on campus and call my parents and my friends on Skype for free. PDA phones with Wi-Fi capability are selling very well in Asia. HTC's stock price just hit record high in the Taiwan stock exchange. All in all I'm certain that wireless Internet access will replace cellular phones eventually. I think the article sounds too pessimistic about this.

Date reviewed: May 3, 2006 11:57 PM

Nickname: jose cuervo

Review: Wi-Fi has many disadvantages -venues holding people hostage with exhorbitant connect day rates, amateur-level of network monitoring and management, spotty availability. All the high-speed 3G cellular technologies avoid these problems and at a better price for regular users. Enterprise-class network monitoring and management, signal just about everywhere, and you can roam (stay connected while in motion) to boot.

Date reviewed: May 3, 2006 5:48 PM