3G / 4G possibly coming to the London Underground.

We have Virgin Media's WiFi between stops but this looks to improve on that. 

http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/20/london-underground-3g-4g/

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/long-term-economic-plan-for-london-announced-by-chancellor-and-mayor-of-london

TfL to trial new bus WiFi technology

The trial will see WiFi technology installed on a route 12 bus, operating between Dulwich and Oxford Circus, and a route RV1 bus, which operates between Covent Garden and Tower Hill, that will allow passengers to keep in touch through email and social media, browse the internet and even complete their weekly grocery shop.


Suppliers of the technology include: 

• On bus WiFi - Bluepod Media
• Upper deck seat availability - Timespace Technology
• Passenger information screens - Moviken Group and Navaho Technologies Ltd.

http://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2014/august/tfl-to-trial-new-bus-technology

Devolo DLAN av200 powerline adapters

So I inherited some Powerline adapters from some tenants that moved out. Probably because the small one made a worrying humming sound when plugged in. That got thrown and and Ethernet cable was run to where I wanted to use the main adapter. I wanted wireless coverage for the garden given that summer is getting closer and it works perfectly. 

A quick firmware upgrade and config and it was dead simple. There is a shorter character limit on the SSID as I couldn't put the main homes wifi SSID in but apart from that I was impressed. 

It replaced our Netgear N2200 that I was trying to get working as a wireless hotspot on the end on an ethernet cable but it was causing either DCHP or routing issues when setup correctly (i.e. DHCP disabled and a static route to the gateway).

http://www.devolo.com/en/Downloads/dLAN-200-AVplus

Verizon LTE now available in 35 NYC subway stations

London underground is falling behind. Admittedly, Virgin Media have done a good job with the Wifi rollout compared to hotspots such as TheCloud (It was poor when it was in Waterloo Station) but we need 3/4G!   

http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/28/verizon-lte-nyc-subway/

7Gbps Capable Home WiFi Standard 802.11ac-2013 on the Way by 2015

Might wanna hold out for those 802.11ac-2013 devices...

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/01/ultrafast-7gbps-capable-802-11ac-2013-home-wifi-standard-way-2015.html

ISP Sky Broadband Launch Wireless Booster and Offer Half Price Service

Well it's been a long time coming, other providers offer Homeplug products when their routers can't cut the mustard in larger home or homes with wifi unfriendly walls. Obviously nothing will beat a Ethernet connected up house but that involves a lot more work.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/12/isp-sky-broadband-uk-launches-free-wireless-booster-device.html

Eurostar connectivity to get a lot better.

"Commuters travelling on the Channel Tunnel route could soon benefit from even faster wireless Internet access, alongside a seamless switchover at international borders, after Nomad Digital announced that its connectivity solutions would also be installed on 10 of their latest e320 trains.

The 320 series, which first surfaced at the end of 2010, can travel at speeds of up to 200mph (Miles per Hour) on parts of the track that support such performance and are also able to negotiate different signalling equipment and power supplies between countries (i.e. fewer changeover stops required)."

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/09/new-eurostar-e320-train-fleet-get-faster-wifi-internet-access.html

OS X 10.8.5 update more than doubles 802.11ac file transfer speeds

Apple's latest update squashes a speed-sapping bug in the 2013 MacBook Air.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/09/os-x-10-8-5-update-more-than-doubles-802-11ac-file-transfer-speeds/

BT - the next OTT provider thanks to 4G - The Full Spectrum

Very interesting. Do BT have something like Vodafone's SureSignal in a USB form to connect their routers to customers local mobile phones.

FON doesn't really work well in my opinion but if the range was good on these add ons and BT was to give them out free or dead cheap they could build a pretty big (although patchy) 4G network pretty fast. Combine that with a spectrum sharing agreement with another 4G supplier and there are some interesting concepts to explore for all parties involved!

BT - the next OTT provider thanks to 4G - The Full Spectrum

AnandTech | The Joys of 802.11ac WiFi

AnandTech | The Joys of 802.11ac WiFi

TalkTalk offering better HomePlug AV adapters.

TalkTalk are offering re-branded Dlink HomePlug AV adapters to customers who struggle to get WiFi around the home. It's a nice move and if they can get a good wholesale price it might even be a bit of a money spinner.

I know Sky do the wireless adapters for the set top boxes and these are cheaper but sometimes aren't the best for streaming if you have a weak signal...

I've recently been given some Devolo dLAN AV Wireless HomePlug adapters (Even better was they were free when they cost >£50) so i'll have to give them a try sometime.


http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2013/03/isp-talktalk-uk-prep-new-500mbps-powerline-and-wifi-adapters.html

River Thames to bathe in upgraded long-distance WiFi

Nice, I wonder if this actually covers the full distance of the Thames like it claims, I'll have to pop down by Kingston river and give it a test when its upgraded. I'd dubious as no matter how good your AP is, it still has to contend with the output power of the device sending back to it.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/29/river-thames-wifi-upgrade/

Ofcom announce the 4G auctions bidders

Interesting not to see Virgin in there as they were running some 4G trials.

BT are in the mix via Niche Spectrum Ventures Limited.

I was kinda hoping for a surprise from a a big name fixed line ISPs but it seems they aren't interested.

B Sky B have The Cloud.

TalkTalk operate an MVNO

So I guess they consider the fix line market a core technology for another generation at least.

Going forward with fibre, the speeds will certainly beat 4G but 4G does bring down the latency on mobile connections. It'll be interesting when there is a mature 4G network in place, we might see more and more people willing to forgo a fixed line to save costs.

Thinkbroadband:
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5637-ofcom-announce-the-4g-auctions-bidders.html

Sky Broadband Sky Hub pictures and hands-on

I was part of the trial for this and find it a really good (free when you sign up) consumer product. The WiFi is definately better compared to the previous Sagem models.

So far I've changed the subnet, Secured the interface, Allowed remote connections (make sure you change the default password if you do!!!), forwarded a few services and reserved DHCP IP's. All of which are working fine.

No issues with any devices including an Onkyo Amp, Xbox, Wii, Macbook, Panasonic Blu-ray, Sky STB's and various switches (cheap and expensive).

It's a shame they didn't go for a gigabit Ethernet ports as more and more integrated devices in the home evolve but its not a massive deal. I just use one port into a gigabit Linksys cisco switch as home as I move a lot of files about between SSD's.

Review: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/48017/sky-broadband-sky-hub-preview

Review: http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5504-new-sky-broadband-router-reviewed.html

Virgin extends free London tube WiFi coverage till 2013

I've enjoyed using this at Waterloo / Aldgate East but I would never pay for it unless it covered the tunnels as well as it's only for quick travel checks / updating new articles / pulling e-mails, all of which I can do on my way into the station....

Would have loved for The Cloud to extend into the Underground as I really like their service top side in Waterloo. Helps me catch football matches on my way home from work in the evenings.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/17/virgin-media-tube-wifi-extension/

Cisco acquires WiFi data firm ThinkSmart Technologies

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/26/cisco-acquires-wifi-data-firm-thinksmart-technologies/

Netgear D6300 mates 802.11ac WiFi with ADSL, risks one heck of a mismatch

Hmm Engadget sees this as a bit strange but the fact that people have a lot of traffic flying between devices internally with media centres etc make this seem like common sense to me. A lot of people will reside on ADSL 2+ until FTTC/P reaches their price point they are willing to pay...

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/17/netgear-d6300-mates-802-11ac-wifi-with-adsl/

Broadcom promises triple-speed 5G WiFi for mobiles in early 2013

http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/25/broadcom-5g-wifi-for-mobiles/

O2 brings free WiFi to London in time for the Olympics - The Inquirer

Les hope it's better than Virgin Media's patchy coverage on the TFL underground.

O2 brings free WiFi to London in time for the Olympics - The Inquirer

Milestone for wi-fi with 'T-rays'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18072618