News and reviews of networking products, including hubs, switches, routers, and wireless/wi-fi adapters

‘Quicky Jr. II’ USB antenna triples laptop range

Peter Cohen — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:10:00 -0700

The Quicky Jr. II is a new USB device that purportedly triples the wireless networking range of a Mac laptop.

Apple updates Time Capsule, AirPort firmware and Final Cut Pro

Dan Moren — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:47:00 -0700

Apple updated its Time Capsule and AirPort Base Station firmware on Tuesday along with a minor update for Final Cut Pro.

Nova offers ExpressCard-based 3G modem

Peter Cohen — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:22:00 -0700

Nova media's GlobeTrotter Express 441 works in ExpressCard slot-equipped MacBook Pros.

Switch network settings with ease

Glenn Fleishman — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:44:00 -0700

OS X's built-in Location feature lets you quickly change network settings based on where you are. Glenn Fleishman shows you how to get the most out of this feature, and how to tweak it with third-party tools.

Troubleshoot your Internet connection

Glenn Fleishman — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Is your Net connection feeling poky? Are downloads taking forever? The problem could lie anywhere along the line from your Mac to your ISP. Glenn Fleishman explains how to get things back up to speed.

WWDC Preview: iPhone 3.0 hopes from an IT pro

John C. Welch — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:54:00 -0700

Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference opens on Monday. John C. Welch predicts what changes in iPhone OS 3.0 mean for the IT crowd.

CIOs: Your networks have already been compromised

Carolyn Duffy Marsan — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:50:00 -0700

NEW YORK CITY – CIOs should stop focusing on intrusion detection and prevention systems and start dealing with the computers on their networks that have already...

Apple releases AirPort Utility 5.4.2 update

David Dahlquist — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:07:00 -0700

Apple on Wednesday released the AirPort Utility 5.4.2 update which addresses some minor bugs and adds a few goodies to boot.

Baby monitors, microwaves said to cause Wi-Fi interference

Matt Hamblen — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:41:00 -0700

A report from a regulatory authority in the U.K. has found that baby monitors, security cameras and microwave ovens are causing interference for Wi-Fi users, moreso than overlapping Wi-Fi signals

Understanding Wi-Fi's two spectrum bands

Glenn Fleishman — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:41:00 -0700

The versions of AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule released earlier this year can operate simultaneously over the 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum bands. Glenn Fleishman looks at common problems and solutions that might plague you in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands and offers advice on manually setting channels in both bands or creating two unique networks with a simultaneous dual-band base station.

Eight iPhone apps and services for system admins

John C. Welch — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:28:00 -0700

John C. Welch rounds up the iPhone apps and services that make his IT job go a lot smoother.

AT&T defends SlingPlayer's Wi-Fi limit

Dan Moren — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:21:00 -0700

Sling Media's recently released SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone application will not work over AT&T's cellular network, in order to prevent potential network congestion.

Sprint to offer mobile 3G Wi-Fi device

Peter Cohen — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:29:00 -0700

Sprint will begin offering Novatel Wireless' MiFi 2200; it provides Wi-Fi access to Sprint's 3G data network.

Wi-Fi hotspots get a second wind

Mikael Ricknäs — Mon, 11 May 2009 07:59:00 -0700

Wi-Fi hotspots are back in the spotlight. Cheaper international data roaming and better indoor coverage will help hotspots remain relevant.

Tether a BlackBerry Storm 9500 to your Mac with launch2net

Peter Cohen — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:45:00 -0700

You can now tether RIM's BlackBerry Storm 9500 smartphone to your Mac as a cellular modem using launch2net from nova media.

How to secure your home network

Glenn Fleishman — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:19:00 -0700

A reader writes Macworld, asking about the best way to set up a home network so both Macs and Windows PCs can securely connect to it, without letting any intruders in. Glenn Fleishman explains how.

Is it time to cut the Ethernet access cable?

John Cox — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:18:00 -0700

A range of companies with wireless LANs are discovering that 50% to 90% or more of Ethernet ports now go unused, because Wi-Fi has become so prevalent.

How Bluetooth got as fast as Wi-Fi

John Cox — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:47:00 -0700

Network World interviews Kevin Hayes, who was the technical editor for the 802.11 Protocol Adaption Layer -- one of the big changes in the just-announced Bluetooth 3.0 specification.

Data transfer rates to jump with Bluetooth 3.0

Agam Shah — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:19:00 -0700

A standards group approved specifications for a new Bluetooth standard that speeds up wireless data transfers between devices.

The embarrassment of American broadband

Jonathan Seff — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:49:00 -0700

Other parts of the world offer ultra high-speed Internet access for reasonable prices, so what is it that the United States is lagged behind?

Is Bluetooth 3.0 on the horizon?

Ian Paul — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:41:00 -0700

According to several industry blogs, the short-range wireless standard Bluetooth 3.0 will get its official launch on April 21.