WiFi:

WiFi is a family of communication protocols developed for wireless local

area networks. The protocols are largely based upon the IEEE's 802.11
standard and subsequent revisions to it, though several proprietary
extensions to the standard are in widespread use. While WiFi is most
commonly associated with providing wireless Internet access to personal
and laptop computers, the technology is slowly being adopted by
cellphones, PDA's, portable gaming devices, and many other consumer
electronic devices. WiFi compliance testing and product certification is
handled by the WiFi Alliance, an umbrella group of wireless equipment
manufacturers.

WiFi has many benefits over traditional wired networks, however it's
drawbacks must also be taken into consideration when planning a local
area network for wired or wireless use. WiFi enables Internet access in
places unaccessible or impractical by use of cable such as existing
structures that cannot be modified, large undeveloped lands such as
construction zones, and even swimming pools. Untethered Internet access
allows a VOIP telephone or PDA to be used throughout a home or office,
and there is no danger of pets or rodents gnawing a cable. Additionally,
the cost of a single consumer-grade WiFi router may be significantly less
that the switches and wiring that large offices with many endpoints would
otherwise need. However, WiFi cannot yet offer the high data transfer
rates that cables can, and they are more susceptible to interference.
Battery life of portable components is also reduced due to the need of
powering the wireless transmitter and encode/decode processing power.
Finally, wireless transmissions are vulnerable to interception via malicious
third parties who may spy on data, or even change it en route. Common
WiFi security schemes such as WEP and WPA have proven crackable and
cannot be relied upon.

The name WiFi is short for 'wireless fidelity', a play on the term 'Hi-Fi'
used to describe high fidelity audio reproduction. Although the WiFi
Alliance takes the official stance that the terms are not related, the
group's documentation makes several references to the use of 'WiFi' as
shorthand for 'wireless fidelity'. The name was invented by Interbrand
Corporation as a marketing buzzword for the new technology, as the
official IEEE 802.11 specification on which WiFi is based did not have a
name. The term 802.11 was deemed too technical for the average
consumer that the technology is marketed for, hence the need for a
name. Interbrand also designed the WiFi Alliance's logo such that it could
be easily identified both in print and molded into a product's plastic
casing. This allows the logo to be used to identify WiFi Alliance approved
products, avoiding consumer confusion and ensuring device compatibility.

WiMAX:
WiMAX is an IP based, wireless broadband access technology that
provides performance similar to 802.11/Wi-Fi networks with the coverage
and QOS (quality of service) of cellular networks. WiMAX is also an
acronym meaning "Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
(WiMAX).

WiMAX is a wireless digital communications system, also known as IEEE

802.16, that is intended for wireless "metropolitan area networks".
WiMAX can provide broadband wireless access (BWA) up to 30 miles (50
km) for fixed stations, and 3 - 10 miles (5 - 15 km) for mobile stations. In
contrast, the WiFi/802.11 wireless local area network standard is limited
in most cases to only 100 - 300 feet (30 - 100m).

With WiMAX, WiFi-like data rates are easily supported, but the issue of
interference is lessened. WiMAX operates on both licensed and non-
licensed frequencies, providing a regulated environment and viable
economic model for wireless carriers.

At its heart, however, WiMAX is a standards initiative. Its purpose is to

ensure that the broadband wireless radios manufactured for customer
use interoperate from vendor to vendor. The primary advantages of the
WiMAX standard are to enable the adoption of advanced radio features
in a uniform fashion and reduce costs for all of the radios made by
companies, who are part of the WiMAX Forum™ - a standards body
formed to ensure interoperability via testing. The more recent Long Term
Evolution (LTE) standard is a similar term describing a parallel technology
to WiMAX that is being developed by vendors and carriers as a
counterpoint to WiMAX.
Mobile Communication:
Mobile phones and their network vary very significantly from provider to
provider and country to country. However the basic communication
method of all of them is through the electromagnetic microwaves with a
cell base station. The cellular companies have large antennas, which are
usually mounted over towers, buildings and poles. The cell phones have
low-power transceivers that transmit voice and data to the nearest sites
usually within the 5 to 8 miles (8 to 13 kilometers away).

When a mobile device or phone is turned on, it registers with the mobile
telephone exchange or switch. It is a unique identifier and is alerted by
the mobile switch when there is an incoming phone call.

The handset listens for the strong signals from the nearest base
stations. When a user moves, the mobile device handoff to various
nearest sites during phone calls or while waiting between calls it reselect
the nearest cell phone sites.

Cell sites have relatively less power radio transmitters. They broadcast
their presence and relay communications between the mobile handsets
and the switch. On the other hand, the switch connects the call to the
same or another mobile network or subscriber.
The dialogue between the mobile phone handset and the cell phone site is
a stream of the digital data, which includes the digitized audio. This
technology depends on the same system as of mobile phone operator.
Some mobile phone technologies have adopted the AMPS for the analog
communication and D-AMPS, CDMA2000, EVDO, GSM, UMTS, and GPRS
for the digital communication. Each mobile phone network has a unique
radio frequency.

There are different mobile communication methods, such as SMS, WAP,

WLAN, WIFI, GPRS, Bluetooth, Infrared, IrDA and I-Phone etc. Mobile
phones are different from the cordless telephones because they only
operate within the specific range. Many types of the mobile computers
have been introduced including the Laptop computer, Subnotebook,
Portable data terminal (PDT), Personal digital assistance (PDA), Tablet
personal computer and smart phone.

Cellular Network:
Cellular communications has experienced explosive growth in the past two
decades. Today millions of people around the world use cellular phones.
Cellular phones
Allow a person to make or receive a call from almost anywhere. Likewise, a
person is allowed to continue the phone conversation while on the move.
Cellular communications is supported by an infrastructure called a
cellular network, which integrates cellular phones into the public switched
telephone network.

The cellular network has gone through three generations. The first
generation of cellular networks is analog in nature. To accommodate more
cellular phone subscribers, digital TDMA (time division multiple access)
and CDMA (code division multiple access) technologies are used in the
second generation (2G) to increase the network capacity. With digital
technologies, digitized voice can be coded and encrypted. Therefore, the
2G cellular network is also more secure. The third generation (3G)
integrates cellular phones into the Internet world by providing highspeed
Packet-switching data transmission in addition to circuit-switching voice
transmission. The 3G cellular networks have been deployed in some parts
of Asia, Europe, and the United States since 2002 and will be widely
deployed in the coming years.

GSM:
GSM is an acronym that stands for Global System for Mobile
Communications. The original French acronym stands for Groupe Spécial
Mobile. It was originally developed in 1984 as a standard for a mobile
telephone system that could be used across Europe.

GSM is now an international standard for mobile service. It offers high

mobility. Subscribers can easily roam worldwide and access any GSM
network.

GSM is a digital cellular network. At the time the standard was developed
it offered much higher capacity than the current analog systems. It also
allowed for a more optimal allocation of the radio spectrum, which
therefore allows for a larger number of subscribers.

GSM offers a number of services including voice communications, Short

Message Service (SMS), fax, voice mail, and other supplemental services
such as call forwarding and caller ID.

Currently there are several bands in use in GSM. 450 MHz, 850 MHZ,
900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 1900 MHz are the most common ones.

Some bands also have Extended GSM (EGSM) bands added to them,
increasing the amount of spectrum available for each band.

GSM makes use of Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) and Time
Division Multiple Access (TDMA).
GPRS:
The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a new nonvoice value added
service that allows information to be sent and received across a mobile
telephone network. It supplements today's Circuit Switched Data and
Short Message Service. GPRS is NOT related to GPS (the Global
Positioning System), a similar acronym that is often used in mobile
contexts. GPRS has several unique features which can be summarized as:

Speed

Theoretical maximum speeds of up to 171.2 kilobits per second (kbps) are

achievable with GPRS using all eight timeslots at the same time. This is
about three times as fast as the data transmission speeds possible over
today's fixed telecommunications networks and ten times as fast as
current Circuit Switched Data services on GSM networks. By allowing
information to be transmitted more quickly, immediately and efficiently
across the mobile network, GPRS may well be a relatively less costly
mobile data service compared to SMS and Circuit Switched Data.

Immediacy

GPRS facilitates instant connections whereby information can be sent or

received immediately as the need arises, subject to radio coverage. No
dial-up modem connection is necessary. This is why GPRS users are
sometimes referred to be as being "always connected". Immediacy is one
of the advantages of GPRS (and SMS) when compared to Circuit Switched
Data. High immediacy is a very important feature for time critical
applications such as remote credit card authorization where it would be
unacceptable to keep the customer waiting for even thirty extra seconds.

New Applications, better Applications

GPRS facilitates several new applications that have not previously been
available over GSM networks due to the limitations in speed of Circuit
Switched Data (9.6 kbps) sage length of the Short Message Service (160
characters). GPRS will fully enable the Internet applications you are used
to on your desktop from web browsing to chat over the mobile network.
Other new applications for GPRS, profiled later, include file transfer and
home automation- the ability to remotely access and control in-house
appliances and machines.

Service Access

To use GPRS, users specifically need:

• a mobile phone or terminal that supports GPRS (existing GSM

phones do NOT support GPRS)
 • a subscription to a mobile telephone network that supports GPRS
• Use of GPRS must be enabled for that user. Automatic access to
the GPRS may be allowed by some mobile network operators, others
will require a specific opt-in
• knowledge of how to send and/ or receive GPRS information using
their specific model of mobile phone, including software and
hardware configuration (this creates a customer service
requirement)
• A destination to send or receive information through GPRS.
Whereas with SMS this was often another mobile phone, in the
case of GPRS, it is likely to be an Internet address, since GPRS is
designed to make the Internet fully available to mobile users for
the first time. From day one, GPRS users can access any web page
or other Internet applications- providing an immediate critical mass
of uses.

Bluetooth:
Bluetooth is kind of like a low powered wireless radio for small devices
like cell phones or other devices that connect over short gaps in
proximity.

Its primary purpose was to support wireless activity in simple networking

devices, like cellphones, PDAs etc. its range is typically within 30 feet,
and can connect at a little less than 1 mpbs. They also feature a dynamic
topology known as Pico net or (PAN), which can support between 2-8
Bluetooth peer devices, which communicate through specially specified
protocols designed for Bluetooth (existing versions are 1.1, 1.2, 2.0).

The standards are similar to 802.11b and 802.11g, but it can not even
remotely be called a replacement for Wi-Fi. It is slower and limited in
signal range, plus it cannot support many devices.
However as far as security goes the issue is pretty much the same. It is
not that hard to hack into, and is not very compatible with other
standards. (It is ratified as IEEE 802.15.1)