Wireless Network Speeds

Question: How Fast Is a Wi-Fi Network?

Theoretical vs. Actual Network Speeds

Like most kinds of computer networks, Wi-Fi supports varying levels of performance depending on which technology standards it supports. Each Wi-Fi standard is rated according to its maximum theoretical network bandwidth:

• 802.11b offered up to 11 megabits per second (Mbps)
• 802.11a and 802.11g offer up to 54 Mbps
• 802.11n offers up to 300 Mbps

The performance of Wi-Fi networks practically never approaches these theoretical maximums. 802.11b networks, for example, generally operate no faster than about 50% of theoretical peak, around 5.5 Mbps. Likewise, 802.11a and 802.11g networks generally run no faster than 20 Mbps. And even though 802.11n rates at 300 Mbps compared to wired Fast Ethernet at 100 Mbps, the Ethernet connection can often outperform 802.11n Wi-Fi in real-world usage.

Factors Limiting Wi-Fi Connection Speeds

The disparity between theoretical and practical Wi-Fi performance comes from network protocol overhead, radio interference, physical obstructions on the line of sight between devices, and decreasing signal strength with distance. In addition, as more devices communicate on the network simultaneously, its performance will also decrease. A Wi-Fi network connection operates at the highest possible speed that both devices (endpoints) can support. An 802.11g laptop connected to an 802.11n router, for example, will network at the lower speeds of 'g'.
On home networks, the performance of an Internet connection is often the limiting factor in end-to-end network speed. Even though most residential networks support sharing files within the home at speeds of 20 Mbps or more, Wi-Fi clients will still connect to the Internet at the usually lower speeds supported by Internet providers.
Wi-Fi performance continues to be improved with future generations of the technology. Speeds upwards of 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps) are expected with next-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi.

Suggested Reading

• How Can I Achieve an 802.11n Speed Rating of 300 Mbps?
• How Fast Is 802.11g Wi-Fi Networking?
• What Is the Actual Speed of an 802.11b Wi-Fi Network?
  
  
  courtesy: About.com

Do you have phone commitment issues? Welcome to No-contract-plans.com!

Unexpected charges, fees and unsupported phone models.???

You want to get out, but even breaking the cell plan contract will cost an alarming amount of money. So you wait it out, losing money every day the plan is active. Maybe you need more minutes, or you want the latest Droid but can’t switch, or you’re just not sure what your financial situation will look like in four months. Why tie yourself down like that? Fortunately, service providers have responded to the public’s growing demand, and there are dozens of viable no contract plan options for consumers looking to stay connected without committing to anything long term.
On this site, we give the specs on various popular no contract plans, service providers, and phone models. Whether you’re looking to cut your bill, or you’re due for a new phone, we’re confident that with a little browsing, you’ll definitely find the no contract plan for you!

Prepaid Or All-Inclusive?

Not surprisingly, there are two main options when choosing a no-contract phone. You can either pay as you go (“prepaid”) or you can sign up for monthly service, and pay each month. Both options let you walk away whenever you choose to, which is the main attraction. Typical wisdom is, if your phone and data usage is limited and you can reliably anticipate it, you’ll probably be fine with a $20 or $40 phone plan. Most of the major providers, such as Verizon, Boost Mobile, and Straight Talk, all offer these types of “top-up” plans, which were originally made popular in the UK and Europe. To reload your phone, you get either a physical card with a scratch-off PIN, or your new mobile refill PIN is sent via encrypted email.
However, if your usage is less predictable or you’re always chatting, texting, and streaming video, you’ll probably be better off with an monthly no contract plan. These can be PIN or account based, depending on the provider. Often, a phone is included in the startup package. These plans can be for either a set amount of minutes and data, or they can be unlimited for the month. If you buy a set amount monthly plan and go over, you’ll need to set yourself up with unlimited minutes. However, reviews indicate that most of these plans do compare favorably to yearly cell phone contract plans, making this an exciting option.

Supported No Contract Smartphones & Phone Models

As smartphones, with their heavy bandwidth usage, become more popular around the world, they too are supported by no contract plans. Both the iPhone, Blackberry, and the Droid can be set up to provide service with a no contract plan. Not all phone models are supported, though, so if there is a specific phone model that you have your heart set on, check first to see if there’s a no contract carrier that supports it.

Service Coverage

The other major question to ask, of course, is if you’ll get service. As with a contract phone plan, it’s advisable to check with a specific carrier before committing, especially if you live in a less urban area. These days, phone service is nearly guaranteed in major cities, but it can still be spotty as you travel. Similarly, if you’re frequently out of the country and want your phone, you may need a whole separate plan when traveling. We’ve given a rundown of coverage areas for different sites, and usually you can check a zip code to on the official provider’s site to see if they offer coverage. Also worth noting is that coverage may be different for different phone models. For example, Straight Talk, one of the biggest no contract phone providers, has fantastic US coverage for most models, but is still building up its Droid network.

                           visit www.no-contract-plans.com

                                                FF: Sage Harman

 

Google Unites Gmail And G+ Chat Into “Hangouts” Cross-Platform Text And Group Video Messaging App

Google just announced a new unified messaging service today that will be available across multiple platforms and now the iOS app is officially available to download on the App Store.

Today at I/O, Google rebranded “Hangouts” as a new unified, cross-platform messaging system. It lets people text, photo, and group video message across Hangouts’ Android and iOS apps, plus its Gmail and Google+ site integrations. Hangouts rolls out today, replacing Google Talk [GChat] and G+ Messenger. While it doesn’t support SMS yet, it could challenge Facebook Messaging and Apple’s iMessage.
For over a year, whispers from GigaOm, Droid Life  and others signaled Google would undertake a big unification of its fragmented messaging offering. Today Google will offer new free iOS and Android Hangout apps, the Google+ integration, and you can upgrade from Google Talk to Hangouts by clicking on your photo in the Gmail chat list. There are currently no plans for other platforms like Windows Phone or Blackberry.
Google’s Vic Gundotra said at I/O today in San Francisco that “Technology should get out of the way so you can live, learn, and love.”  Operating systems and devices shouldn’t matter. You just want to talk with those you care about. That’s the point of the revamped Hangouts. It brings humans and conversations to the forefront.

Hangouts Is The Messaging Kitchen Sink

Presence, Circles, And Delivery

Let’s take a closer look at the features Hangouts offer. Presence, or knowing when friends are available to chat, is a big focus. You can see when friends are on Hangouts, if they’re currently typing, and if they’ve seen your messages [also known as read receipts]. Using Google+ Circles, you can select specific friends or a whole group to start a chat with.

Hangouts takes care to deliver your messages to whichever web interface or mobile app your friends are using. If you’re offline, Hangouts will store your messages until you return. Unlike Google Talk, it won’t send you an email every time you get a message while offline. It only pings you by email if someone starts a conversation with you while you’re away. Hangouts won’t send you duplicate notifications on different platforms, and you can snooze notifications all together if you need some quiet time.
The idea is that you can start, stop, and restart a conversation as you move between platforms, and you can chat with friends across the desktop, Android, and iOS devices.

Text, Emoji, Photos, And Video

Of course you can send simple text messages, but where Hangouts shines is in vivid multi-media communication. To spice up your words, you can add any of 850 hand-drawn emoji. You can send photos in Hangouts, which are saved to a saved to a Google+ album that you and you conversation partners can view, edit, and share later. In fact, you can go back and view your photo and messaging history at any time, or you can turn history off so your dispatches aren’t saved.

The crown jewel of Hangouts is its namesake’s video chat. You can talk face to face with up to 10 friends at once. When you’re in a video chat, you’ll see who is talking in a big window while the rest of your chat partners are shown in tiles below. Friends’ Hangouts will ring when you call them, and they’ll get notified if they miss the digital meetup.
But Hangouts video isn’t just a group FaceTime. Google added a bunch of bells and whistles. You can add visual and sound effects or make use of special Hangouts apps. So if you want to wear a virtual pirate hat or set off some fireworks, you can. You can watch YouTube videos simultaneously with friends while laughing together, and take screenshots to capture moments for later.

No SMS, Yet

The biggest feature missing from Hangouts is the ability to send and receive SMS messages to and from friends who don’t have a Hangouts app installed. This means Hangouts isn’t truly universal. Several of its competitors allow it, including Apple’s iMessage and Facebook’s Messenger For Android (but not for iOS).
So if you want to pull mom into a Hangout, you might have to send her a standard SMS from your phone and tell her to install the Hangouts app. That could be significant stumbling block. However, Google tells us SMS support is one of the most requested features from Hangouts testers, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes in a future update.
Oddly, Google tells us that in some countries, feature phone users, but not smartphone users, can participate in Hangouts via SMS. This should help it reach more people in the developing world, a core area for growth of messaging apps.
Other missing features include voice messages or VoIP, but you could just use a video call without looking at the screen to approximate voice calling. There’s also no Hangouts On Air broadcasting to YouTube yet.

Why Google Needs Unified Messaging

The messaging space has become a battleground recently with independent messaging apps like WhatsApp and Line competing with Apple, Facebook, and Google to rule private communication. Everyone wants to become the high-tech successor to SMS.
For Google, messaging could create a wealth of engagement and monetization options. Of course Google could monetize Hangouts directly by cramming ads in it somewhere, or selling special effects for video chat and stickers for text.
A stronger, cross-platform chat experience in Gmail could boost time spent there, where Google already shows ads. It could also finally give people a real reason to use Google+.
Most importantly, though, Hangouts could humanize Google. Still viewed as a search and ads company, people don’t think about it first when they want to socialize. Hangouts leverages all of Google’s powerful technology to bring people closer together.

BlackBerry to Offer BBM as Standalone App for iOS and Android

BlackBerry's free messaging app is set for a summer debut on its rivals' platforms.
BBM is one of the reasons why, despite recent misfortunes, BlackBerry still has a firm foothold in the youth market. The free messaging service is the ideal feature for people who can't afford large data plans and, when combined with a real QWERTY keyboard, the BlackBerry becomes the perfect smartphone for high school students. A real keyboard means that messages can be quickly and surreptitiously touch-typed.
BBM or BlackBerry Messenger, to give it its full name, supports group as well as one-to-one chats and supports image and audio as well as text messages.
"For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We're excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community," said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem, at BlackBerry.
However, as good as BBM is even without a real keyboard, it is no longer unique. iPhone users have iMessage for sending free text messages, and paid apps such as WhatsApp bring the same features to both iOS and Android phones for a small initial fee. Therefore, some will argue that BlackBerry's move, though a good one, is coming two years too late. However, by offering the app to other platforms, BlackBerry is ensuring that consumers both young and old who are tempted by BlackBerry can buy a handset, knowing that friends and family without BlackBerry devices will be able to message them free of charge.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/well-being/130515/blackberry-launch-bbm-android-and-iphone-app

Let's stay in the wait...Webman

The world is flat - iOS to join Windows in the race to smooth

The world is flat - iOS to join Windows in the race to smooth

Amazon's still miles ahead - and Samsung and Apple are miles ahead of Amazon - but it's good news for Microsoft as it prepares to show of - yes! - the Surface 2, which we might see next month. Yippee! Again!

Do you know what would be funny? If Apple copied Microsoft, maybe by putting Windows 8's famously divisive Modern/Metro interface into iOS. And do you know what? That's exactly what Apple's doing, and by "exactly" we mean "not really". Apple's iOS is under the new management of design boss Sir Jony Ive, and he is apparently overseeing a significant redesign. ..........Techradar.com