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Twitter IDs of CWNP Certified Wireless Network Expert #CWNE

Twitter IDs of CWNP Certified Wireless Network Expert #CWNE

I wanted to follow more WLAN professionals on Twitter and decided best place to start was with engineers with expert level certifications.

Many of these experts are very active on Twitter and are willing to share their knowledge and time to help others reach the CWNE rank. I recommend using Twitter to start following these professionals. It is a low cost way to be part of the worldwide WLAN ecosystem.

CWNE Count

There are currently fewer than 250 CWNEs worldwide. Info from CWNP.com below.

The CWNE credential is the final step in the CWNP Program. By successfully completing the CWNE requirements, you will have demonstrated that you have the most advanced skills available in today’s enterprise Wi-Fi market.

The CWNE certification assures that you have mastered all relevant skills to administer, install, configure, troubleshoot, and design wireless network systems. Protocol analysis, intrusion detection and prevention, performance and QoS analysis, spectrum analysis and management, and advanced design are some of the areas of expertise you will need to know.

CWNE Count (updated: August 24, 2017): 242 (source)

CWNE Twitter IDs

CWNE 1 – 9

CWNE # 01 – @DevinAkin, Devin Akin
CWNE # 02 – @kimberlyAgraves, Kimberly Graves
CWNE # 03 – @KeithRParsons, Keith R Parsons
CWNE # 04 – @mistermultipath, David Coleman
CWNE # 05 – @??????, Jimmy Donahue
CWNE # 06 – @joelbarrett, Joel Barrett
CWNE # 07 – @davidwestcott, David Westcott
CWNE # 08 – @??????, Richard Navidad
CWNE # 09 – @??????, Mohammad Sarwar

CWNE 10 – 19

CWNE # 10 – @RickMurphyWiTS, Rick Murphy
CWNE # 11 – @??????, Ranjeet Rana
CWNE # 12 – @Ben_SniffWiFi, Ben Miller
CWNE # 13 – @??????, Chris Hyde
CWNE # 14 – @??????, Troy McMillan
CWNE # 15 – @??????, Senthilraj Shanmugavadivel
CWNE # 16 – @??????, Casey Collins
CWNE # 17 – @wifichef, Reggie Pugh
CWNE # 18 – @??????, Bader Azzouqa
CWNE # 19 – @??????, Rick Dreger

CWNE 20 – 29

CWNE # 20 – @??????, Deborah Dahlin
CWNE # 21 – @GTHill, GT Hill
CWNE # 22 – @??????, Tim Lemmon
CWNE # 23 – @MetkaDragos, Metka Dragos
CWNE # 24 – @??????, Luiz Santos
CWNE # 25 – @??????, Kenneth Gholston
CWNE # 26 – @??????, Vincent Chow
CWNE # 27 – @??????, Ismail Jado
CWNE # 28 – @??????, Zachary Crawford
CWNE # 29 – @??????, Michael Armel

CWNE 30 – 39

CWNE # 30 – @??????, Goran Ost
CWNE # 31 – @??????, Dan Spanner
CWNE # 32 – @??????, Douglas Haider
CWNE # 33 – @MackenzieWiFi, Peter Mackenzie
CWNE # 34 – @??????, Ryan Miles
CWNE # 35 – @??????, Pablo Alvarez
CWNE # 36 – @??????, George Anderson
CWNE # 37 – @??????, Jeff Smith
CWNE # 38 – @??????, Gene Sawyer
CWNE # 39 – @??????, Henry Chou

CWNE 40 – 49

CWNE # 40 – @??????, Kashif Siddiqui
CWNE # 41 – @??????, Abdullah Al-Ghubari
CWNE # 42 – @??????, Jeremy Kennedy
CWNE # 43 – @advani_dilip, Dilip Advani
CWNE # 44 – @80211University, Bryan Harkins
CWNE # 45 – @wirelessccie, Jerome Henry
CWNE # 46 – @??????, Brian B. Lang
CWNE # 47 – @??????, Jonn Martell
CWNE # 48 – @??????, Tom Miller
CWNE # 49 – @??????, Wei Wu

CWNE 50 – 59

CWNE # 50 – @??????, Levi Souza
CWNE # 51 – @JenniferLucille, Jennifer Huber
CWNE # 52 – @??????, Steve Smith
CWNE # 53 – @??????, Alistair Meakin
CWNE # 54 – @??????, Shawn Jackman
CWNE # 55 – @??????, Seth Rosenthal
CWNE # 56 – @??????, Roger Kuhn
CWNE # 57 – @??????, Matt Swartz
CWNE # 58 – @??????, Rob Rohde
CWNE # 59 – @??????, Tim Wilhoit

CWNE 60 – 69

CWNE # 60 – @??????, Kevin Steuber
CWNE # 61 – @??????, Edwin (EK) Ahn
CWNE # 62 – @??????, Mark Buch
CWNE # 63 – @??????, Derrick Dicoi
CWNE # 64 – @??????, Chris O’Donnell
CWNE # 65 – @??????, Jeff DiMaio
CWNE # 66 – @FIT_WiFi, Falk Bachmann
CWNE # 67 – @??????, Mark Phillips
CWNE # 68 – @??????, Ronald Shaul
CWNE # 69 – @??????, Vinay Saini

CWNE 70 – 79

CWNE # 70 – @??????, Kevin (Chen) Wang
CWNE # 71 – @??????, Greg Taylor
CWNE # 72 – @bhuddafunk, Robert Schaefer
CWNE # 73 – @??????, Bruce Heaven
CWNE # 74 – @??????, Brian Cox
CWNE # 75 – @??????, Darrell Schrock
CWNE # 76 – @??????, Derrick Phua
CWNE # 77 – @??????, Raymond Flores
CWNE # 78 – @marcusburton, Marcus Burton
CWNE # 79 – @??????, Brian Kovatch

CWNE 80 – 89

CWNE # 80 – @??????, Tarcizo Azevedo
CWNE # 81 – @??????, Mohammed Arshad
CWNE # 82 – @??????, Ric Hall
CWNE # 83 – @??????, Aunudrei Oliver
CWNE # 84 – @revolutionwifi, Andrew vonNagy
CWNE # 85 – @??????, Christian J. Estes
CWNE # 86 – @PPJM, PPJM Engelen
CWNE # 87 – @??????, Mark Sanetrik
CWNE # 88 – @??????, Paul Stanley
CWNE # 89 – @wifisamuri, Jon Linton

CWNE 90 – 99

CWNE # 90 – @troymart, Troy Martin
CWNE # 91 – @??????, Chad Smith
CWNE # 92 – @??????, Roman Podoynitsyn
CWNE # 93 – @??????, Aaron Smith
CWNE # 94 – @tdennehy, Timothy Dennehy
CWNE # 95 – @??????, Alan
Dumdei
CWNE # 96 – @GregorVucajnk, Gregor Vucajnk
CWNE # 97 – @??????, Hao Deng
CWNE # 98 – @travis_schlafkek, Travis Schlafke
CWNE # 99 – @ckitbrown, Chris W. Brown

CWNE 100 – 109

CWNE # 100 – @DaveTheWifi, David Cook
CWNE # 101 – @samuel_clements, Samuel Clements
CWNE # 102 – @??????, Terry Tam
CWNE # 103 – @Srynearson, Sean Rynearson
CWNE # 104 – @carpentertom, Tom Carpenter
CWNE # 105 – @??????, Ken Lim
CWNE # 106 – @TRitterbush, Tim Ritterbush
CWNE # 107 – @??????, Thet Lwin
CWNE # 108 – @Globeron, Ronald van Kleunen
CWNE # 109 – @??????, Derrick Monahan

CWNE 111 – 119

CWNE # 110 – @??????, Paul Finlay
CWNE # 111 – @??????, Arun Wadhawan
CWNE # 112 – Unknown, Chuck Lukaszewski
CWNE # 113 – @MacdonaldWiTS, Neil Mac
CWNE # 114 – @_TyBowser, Ty Bowser
CWNE # 115 – @??????, Erik Lubinger
CWNE # 116 – @??????, Lee Johnson
CWNE # 117 – @Cinergywifi, Jared Griffith
CWNE # 118 – @leomezza, Leonardo Mezzanotti
CWNE # 119 – @eightotwo, Robert Bartz

CWNE 120 – 129

CWNE # 120 – @??????, Anthony Blasse
CWNE # 121 – @??????, Carlos Alcantara
CWNE # 122 – @teosak, Theofilos Sakoulias
CWNE # 123 – @ryanstevedsouza , Ryan D’souza
CWNE # 124 – @??????, Tim Rowley
CWNE # 125 – @JasonFernyc, Jason Fernyc
CWNE # 126 – @??????, Marko Tisler
CWNE # 127 – @??????, Jaromir Likavec
CWNE # 128 – @??????, Scott D Swist, Jr.
CWNE # 129 – @papageordy, Alan Blake

CWNE 130 – 139

CWNE # 130 @??????, Dick Andersson
CWNE # 131 @travispbonfigli, Travis Bonfigli
CWNE # 132 – @scottpstapleton, Scott Stapleton
CWNE # 133 – @Aliyoussef_, Ali Youssef
CWNE # 134 – @ZHUZHILI, Kevin Zhu
CWNE # 135 – @WifiNigel, Nigel Bowden
CWNE # 136 – @WiFivomFranMan, Kevin Franzen
CWNE # 137 – @??????, Janet Rae
CWNE # 138 – @dot11Nate, Nathan York
CWNE # 139 – @??????, Erik Klaubert

CWNE 140 – 149

CWNE # 140 – @??????, Claudia Ibarra
CWNE # 141 – @WiFiJeffK, Jeffrey Kuehn
CWNE # 142 – @wifidownunder, Aaron Scott
CWNE # 143 – @cdtwietmeyer, Charlie Twietmeyer
CWNE # 144 – @cradford86, Chris Radford
CWNE # 145 – @??????, Zahari Georgiev
CWNE # 146 – @wirelessnext, Viten Patel
CWNE # 147 – @Brett_CWNE_147, Brett Hill
CWNE # 148 – @VoFi_Martin, Martin Ericson
CWNE # 149 – @BenWocks, Ben Wocks

150 CWNEs – 19-Oct-2014

CWNE # 150 – @mike_albano, Mike Albano
CWNE # 151 – @??????, Nicolò Venchierutti
CWNE # 152 – @blakekrone, Blake Krone
CWNE # 153 – @mrncciew, Rasika Nayanajith
CWNE # 154 – @jasper_khc, Jasper Cheng
CWNE # 155 – @theog150, Darren Johnson
CWNE # 156 – @wifikiwi, Chris Lyttle
CWNE # 157 – @YFiAlan, Alan Klein
CWNE # 158 – @seppidittli, Seppi Dittli
CWNE # 159 – @blong1, Brian Long

160 CWNEs – 12-March-2015

CWNE # 160 – @HeyEddie, Eddie Forero
CWNE # 161 – @jsnyder81, Jake Snyder
CWNE # 162 – @howusu02, Henry Owusu Karikari
CWNE # 163 – @cajundop, Jeff Haydel
CWNE # 164 – @RockstarWifi, Chris Avants
CWNE # 165 – @??????, Thomas Larsen
CWNE # 166 – @Wifi_Framework, Adrian McCaskill
CWNE # 167 – @TimRousset, Tim Rousset
CWNE # 168 – @??????, Jeff Chua
CWNE # 169 – @ramk0808, Ram Krishnan

170 CWNEs – 15-December-2015

CWNE # 170 – @invisiblecables, Phil Sosaya
CWNE # 171 – @EmperorWiFi, Jason Hintersteiner
CWNE # 172 – @WifiGuy502, Trent Hurt
CWNE # 173 – @ttyparker, Ty Parker
CWNE # 174 – @MarekKrauze, Marek Krauze
CWNE # 175 – @ruwanindika, Ruwan Indika
CWNE # 176 – @JonHurtt, Jonathan Hurtt
CWNE # 177 – @WiFiNut, Steve Evans
CWNE # 178 – @m_sysmalainen, Matti Sysmalainen
CWNE # 179 – @jamesgarringer , James Garringer

180 CWNEs – 21-April-2016

CWNE # 180 – @VergesFrancois, Francois Verges
CWNE # 181 – @grcate, Glenn Cate
CWNE # 182 – @jealjn, Jeal Jimenez
CWNE # 183 – @JimVajda, Jim Vajda
CWNE # 184 – @cdunbar, Chris Dunbar
CWNE # 185 – @firemywires, Trent Cutler
CWNE # 186 – @moisesrb77, Moises Rodriguez
CWNE # 187 – @Ferney_Munoz, Ferney Munoz
CWNE # 188 – @robrobstation, Robert Krumm
CWNE # 189 – ????, Michael Combs

190 CWNEs – 22-Sept-2016

CWNE # 190 – @CdnBeacon, Brennan Martin
CWNE # 191 – @neilos1985, Neil McRae
CWNE # 192 – @ajnurcombe, AJ Nurcombe
CWNE # 193 – @FarzamVafa, Farzam Vafa
CWNE # 194 – @WiFiNetizen, Zhang Shuang
CWNE # 195 – @jnassiry, Jaffar Nassiry
CWNE # 196 – ????, Pierre Martin
CWNE # 197 – @mattbfrederick, Matt Frederick
CWNE # 198 – @NoLANWiFi, Nolan Herring
CWNE # 199 – ????, DeWayne Williams

200 CWNEs – 04-Nov-2016

CWNE # 200 – @Wirednot, Lee Badman
CWNE # 201 – ????, Andrew Shipton
CWNE # 202 – ????, Romany Faheem
CWNE # 203 – ????, Qing Xie
CWNE # 204 – ????, ????
CWNE # 205 – ????, Justin Peterson
CWNE # 206 – ????, Bin Han
CWNE # 207 – ????, ????
CWNE # 208 – ????, ????
CWNE # 209 – @JDewath, Jesse DeWath

210 CWNEs – 22-Dec-2016

CWNE # 210 – @rowelldionicio, Rowell Dionicio
CWNE # 211 – ????, Will K.
CWNE # 212 – ????, Charles Lewis
CWNE # 213 – @stefangerer, Stefan Angerer
CWNE # 214 – @wlanbook, Zaib Kaleem
CWNE # 215 – @radzima, Ryan Adzima
CWNE # 216 – @michael_ruetz, Michael Ruetz
CWNE # 217 – @DanielJKoz, Daniel Koz
CWNE # 218 – @matthewnorwood, Matthew Norwood
CWNE # 219 – @TomVanDriessche, Tom Van Driessche

220 CWNEs – March 13, 2017

CWNE # 220 – @SrScalability, Aren Gates
CWNE # 221 – @AndrewZhWang, Andrew Wang
CWNE # 222 – @nathoware, Nathaniel Moore
CWNE # 223 – @WazzaR_1mW, Warren Rautenbach
CWNE # 224 – @bhatsy, Ashish Bhatia
CWNE # 225 – @gugamastroianni, Gustavo Mastroianni
CWNE # 226 – @djkershaw1, David Kershaw
CWNE # 227 – @iamrexchen, Rex Chen
CWNE # 228 – ????, Shannon Cranko
CWNE # 229 – @openalex, Alexey Belousov

230 CWNEs – May 22, 2017

CWNE # 230 – @EubanksRob, Robert Eubanks
CWNE # 231 – @wifisean, Sean Sivak
CWNE # 232 – ????, Michael Lane
CWNE # 233 – @Potato_Fi, Joel Crane
CWNE # 234 – @Rick_WiFi_Guy, Richard Steiner
CWNE # 235 – @wattiswifi, Cedric Terrier
CWNE # 236 – @anvv77, Adam Vasquez
CWNE # 237 – ????, Colin Anderson
CWNE # 238 – @jolla, Jerry Olla
CWNE # 239 – @WiFiTodd, Wilfred Todd Smith

240 CWNEs – July 19, 2017

CWNE # 240 – @joeMARKUS9, Joe Markus
CWNE # 241 – ????, Stephen Cochran
CWNE # 242 – @JGochee, Joshua Gochee

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Free WiFi Scanner for iPhone and iPad Without Jailbreak

Free WiFi Scanner for iPhone and iPad Without Jailbreak

iPhone and iPad users with iOS 7 and iOS 8 now have a way to view WiFi scan info (SSID, BSSID, RSSI, Channel) on devices. Prior to this AirPort Utility update only SSID and BSSID information was available on app store apps (non jailbreak apps).

Follow steps below to access to this new capability.

Download AirPort Utility App

Download the Apple AirPort Utility from iPhone/iPad app store.

Navigate to Settings > AirPort Utility > Turn on “Wi-Fi Scanner” mode

iphone-ipad-wifi-scanner-io8

Accessing WiFi Scan Feature

Launch AirPort Utility app and top right will show “Wi-Fi Scan” option in blue.

wifi-scanner-airport-config-utility

Select scan duration from 10 to 60 seconds or continuous scanning.

wifi-scan-duration

Scanning Mode

wifi-scan

Scan History

Click a row to view signal history for BSSID/access point.

wifi-scan-history2

Channel Usage Summary

Channel usage summary can be viewed by clicking “i”/info button on bottom right after stopping scan.

wifi-scan-channel-usage-summary

Scan History Export

CSV export of SSID, BSSID, RSSI, Channel, Timestamp.

wifi-scan-history-export-csv

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Best Practices for WiFi Throughput Testing (iPerf, WiFiPerf) #WLPC

Best Practices for WiFi Throughput Testing (iPerf, WiFiPerf)

The Wireless LAN Professionals Summit 2014 was held in Austin, Texas from Feb 10 – Feb 12 and was organized by Keith Parsons of WLANPros.com. The goal was to have a conference by Wireless LAN folks, for Wireless LAN folks. The entire event was vendor neutral and was a gathering of like-minded folks hanging out and talking about WiFi related products, technologies, and projects.

I enjoyed attending and speaking at Wireless LAN Professionals Summit 2014. My session was about throughput testing and is summarized below along with video.

The primary goal of this session is to share best practices around performance testing of wireless LANs in lab and production environments. The discussion will focus on how to measure access point and client throughput using free and/or low cost tools. All components of the typical wireless LAN: access points, laptop clients, and mobile clients will be covered. At the end of the session, participants should be able design and setup testing environments to aid in the equipment evaluation phase of projects and to validate wireless LAN performance post implementation.

WLAN Pros Summit 2014 | Zaib Kaleem Best Practices for Throughput Testing.

All the conference sessions were recorded and are available free-of-charge with the goal of sharing technical knowledge with as many people as possible. I recommend everyone check out all the WLAN Pros Summit 2014 videos.

WiFiPerf Downloads

Note: iPerf3/WiFiPerf is not the same or compatible with iPerf, iPerf2 or jPerf.

Compatibility: WiFiPerf is based on iPerf3 version 3.0-BETA4 (2 Aug 2010) source code. Future updates to WiFiPerf will be compatible with iPerf 3.0.1 or newer. WiFiPerf should work with other operating systems that support iPerf3 but has only been tested with iPerf3 for Mac OS. (iPerf3 is the program upon which WiFiPerf is built)


WiFiPerf for Mac OS

WiFiPerf for iOS

WiFiPerf for Android

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Why Did Apple Ban iPhone / iPad WiFi Scanning Apps?

Why Did Apple Ban iPhone / iPad WiFi Scanning Apps?

Official Answer: Because there are “no published APIs that provide the ability to manipulate the wireless connection or the show level of information regarding the wireless connection”.

English Translation: Apple has not documented a way for developers to collect RSSI, Noise, Channel, and other information usually displayed by WiFi Scanners.

iOS 4 WiFi Scanner Apps

WiFI Scanner apps that were on the app store prior to the ban in 2010 most likely used methods documented by the folks who created an app called Stumbler.

Stumbler iPhone WiFi Scanner App

Info from Stumbler / “iphone-wireless” website below.

Stumbler lets you view the wireless networks in your area. While right now Stumbler only handles 802.11 networks, soon you should see Bluetooth and GSM capabilities as well. Stumbler is still in a early Alpha stage, but it is fully functional, and pretty stable.

Planned Features
Auto Scanning
Manufacturer detection
Logging
A-GPS
Raw 802.11 packet capture (monitor mode)

Screenshot of Alpha Version of Stumbler App

iOS 5 Broke WiFi Scanner Apps that Worked on iOS 4

In iOS 5 a few items changed causing apps that worked on iOS 4 to stop working. The developer community was able to make changes to get their apps working again but iOS 5 scanning feature only works on jailbroken devices.

My fear is that Apple doesn’t want others (ahem..Google) using their large iPhone/iOS user base to create/improve their WiFi position database that would compete with Apple’s WiFi location database so they are in no rush to provide this capability. Or it could just be that they have many more important features that need attention.

My hope is that Apple will provide a documented way to get needed information on iOS like they have done on Mac OS.

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BridgeChecker for Mac OS X

BridgeChecker for Mac OS X

Coming to the App Store!

BridgeChecker is a utility that can automatically disable/enable wireless interfaces. Whenever your computer is connected to an Ethernet port and the link state is good, the utility can automatically turns off the IEEE 802.11 wireless network interface. This conserves IP address allocation, reduces security risks, resolves dual interface routing issues, and prolongs battery life.

BridgeChecker on Mac App Store

Below are screen shots of app user interface on a MacBook Air.

Taskbar Menu

BridgeChecker Settings Window

BridgeChecker Active Wireless Interface Status

BridgeChecker Active Wired Interface Status

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Disable Upon Wired Connect

Disable Upon Wired Connect

Disable upon wired connect is a feature of Dell Wireless cards. By default this feature is disabled and must be turned on using the wireless card properties menu. See below for more info about this feature. If you are looking for this feature for a non Dell wireless card check out our BridgeChecker software. BridgeChecker is free for personal / in home use.

Recommended Usage Scenarios for BridgeChecker

BridgeChecker can be used in the following scenarios.

* disable wireless when connected to LAN
* disable wireless when docked
* disable wireless when Ethernet detected
* disable wireless when wired
* disable wireless when on LAN
* disable wireless when cable connected
* disable wireless when in docking station
* disable wireless when Ethernet plugged in
* disable WLAN when LAN connected
* enable only one network adapter at a time

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Dual Connected Laptop WiFi Risk

Dual Connected Laptop WiFi Risk

A dual connected laptop usually occurs when the wireless interface of a laptop is left enabled while the laptop is connected via the wired interface. The risks related to this scenario are outlined in the GAO Wireless Report and summarized in graphic below.

  1. A target laptop has a wired connection to the agency network. With wireless enabled, the target laptop automatically looks for any previously connected wireless networks by network name.
  2. An attacker with a scanning tool can identify wireless network names and deploy a rogue wireless access point with the same name as one of the previously connected wireless networks.
  3. While still connected to the agency network, the target laptop automatically connects to the rogue wireless access point, creating a dual connection, i.e., the target laptop has both an active wired and wireless connection.
  4. While connected to the rogue wireless access point, the target laptop can be probed and vulnerabilities exploited that could provide an attacker with access to the agency network through the target laptop.
  5. With unauthorized access to an agency network, an attacker is capable of destroying, modifying, or copying sensitive information.

Prevent Dual Connected Laptop Using BridgeChecker Software

BridgeChecker is a windows utility that can automatically disable/enable wireless interfaces. Whenever your computer is connected to an Ethernet port and the link state is good, the utility can automatically turns off the IEEE 802.11 wireless network interface. This conserves IP address allocation, reduces security risks, resolves dual interface routing issues, and prolongs battery life.

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How Does Airplane WiFi Work?

Airplane WiFi Internet

How Does Airplane WiFi Work?

Airplane WiFi works like WiFi at free WiFi at coffee shops and book stores. The main components of an airplane WiFi system are below.

  1. Computer/WiFi enabled device (laptop, iPhone)
  2. Airplane WiFi network (access points)
  3. Air-to-ground wireless data connection (satellite or EVDO)
  4. Ground Internet service provider

The technology to make the entire system work is transparent travelers. All that is required is an 802.11 WiFi enabled device and a method to pay for the service. WiFi on airplanes is available on most major airlines.

Airplane WiFi Configurations

There are two companies, GoGo Internet and Row 44, that most airlines are using to provide airplane WiFi service. GoGo Internet uses a ground based cellular data network for data communications and Row 44 uses satellite communications.

Row 44 Airplane WiFi

Satellite antenna atop of plane to communicate with satellites and other electronics inside cabin.

Row 44 Airplane WiFi Equipment

Southwest Airplane Row 44 Satellite Antenna

Row 44 Airplane WiFi Service

GoGo Inflight Airplane WiFi Configuration

GoGo’s airplane wifi configuration is similar to Row 44 except that they rely on a ground based EVDO network (like cell phone data networks) for communications to airplanes.

GoGo Aircell Airplane WiFi EVDO Network

Aircell Airplane WiFi Equipment

GoGo Internet Airplane WiFi Service

Installing Airplane WiFi on an American Airlines Plane

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Airplane WiFi Wireless Internet Update

Airplane WiFi Wireless Internet Update

Since my previous post about airplane wifi, a few more airlines have launched wifi Internet using either Aircell’s GoGo or Row 44’s service.

A quick review of the two technologies is below.

Aircell’s GoGo Airplane Internet Service

Aircell has been authorized by the FAA and FCC to use cellular frequencies for inflight broadband communications. Based on a tech primer by Aircell from March 2007 the network is summarized below.

  • 100 or fewer EVDO antennas across the US providing coast-to-coast coverage.
  • AirCell broadband uses an EV-DO (Rev. A) air-to-ground link, which provides peak data rates up to 3.1Mbps from the ground to the airplane, and up to 1.8Mbps from the airplane to the ground.
  • Usable Internet access but not high speed Internet as expected by users with 30Mbps Internet access at home.

Language from tech primer below acknowledging speed limitations of network architecture and GoGo service.

AirCell broadband will be fast enough to give you complete, unfettered access to the Internet without excessive load times. It will run regular e-mail programs with normal attachments just like you do on the ground. It’s not as fast as a T1 line feeding a large corporation, but in daily operations very few people would notice a difference in download times between the two – and then, only when working with very large files. Participants that have demonstrated prototypes of the system in flight have been extremely happy with their experience.

Row 44’s Airplane Internet Service

Unlike Aircell, who built a wireless network for inflight WiFi Internet, Row 44 purchases bandwidth from HughesNet. Bandwidth can be very high, much higher than the EVDO based network used by Aircell but HughesNet uses geosynchronous satellites (about 42,164 km from Earth) has always suffered from latency issues when used for two-way communications. Additional details from Row 44’s website about the broadband system are below.

  • Data rates averaging 30 Mbps in the downlink direction (from the satellite to the aircraft) and 620 Kbps maximum in the uplink direction.
  • System will allow full access to the Internet as well as VoIP services, cell phone roaming usage where allowed by government regulation as well as live TV using IPTV.
  • The system weighs less than 150 lbs and can be installed in two overnights, with the plane re-entering revenue service between the overnights.
  • Second multi-cast 45 Mbps receive-only channel can be provisioned using the same equipment for dedicated transport of IP television. The passenger will gain access to all these services via the airline’s in-flight entertainment system or their own devices through Wi-Fi access points onboard the aircraft.

In-Flight WiFi Guide

Below is a summary compiled by travel site Jaunted with prices and WiFi Internet services offered by major airlines.

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Disable Wireless When Connected to LAN in XP and Vista

Note: Visit BridgeChecker page for most up to date version and documentation.

Disable Wireless When Connected to LAN in XP and Vista

We are releasing a Windows XP and Vista program called BridgeChecker that extends the “Disable Upon Wired Connect” capability that is available for Broadcom wireless cards to any brand wireleless card when the ethernet interface is connected.

BridgeChecker

BridgeChecker is a windows utility that can automatically disable/enable wireless interfaces. Whenever your computer is connected to an Ethernet port and the link state is good, the utility can automatically turns off the IEEE 802.11 wireless network interface. This conserves IP address allocation, reduces security risks, resolves dual interface routing issues, and prolongs battery life.

BridgeChecker Settings

The settings screen can be accessed by right clicking on the WLAN Book “globe” icon in the task bar.

BridgeChecker Task Bar Globe Icon

Task Bar Menu Options

BridgeChecker Task Bar Menu

Program Settings

WLAN Book BidgeChecker Settings

BridgeChecker Requirements

— Program tested on Windows XP and Vista operating systems
— Requires .NET Framework 2.0 or above
— .NET 3.5 Service Pack 1 (Full Package) direct download from Microsoft
— Windows Vista users that have UAC enabled are required to manually allow RunCMD.exe to run as Administrator. See screen shots below.

Running BridgeChecker Program as an Administrator in Windows Vista

In Windows Vista the “RunCMD.exe” file is located in the C:\Program Files\WLAN Book\BridgeChecker\ folder.

bridgechecker_runcmd_right_click_properties

bridgechecker_runcmd_as_admin

Recommended Usage Scenarios

The program can be used in the following scenarios.

  • disable wireless when connected to lan
  • disable wireless when docked
  • disable wireless when ethernet detected
  • disable wireless when wired
  • disable wireless when on LAN
  • disable wireless when cable connected
  • disable wireless when in docking station
  • disable wireless when ethernet plugged in
  • disable wlan when lan connected

Known Issues with BridgeChecker v1.0.4.22

— Detects enabled VMware virtual interfaces as enabled physical interfaces causing program to disable wireless card. Work around is to disable VMware interface when not in use.
— If computer has more than one wireless card, the program may not enable/disable correct card or may enable/disable both cards.

Comments, Bugs, and Feature Requests

Please use post comment feature below to let use know if the BridgeChecker program met your requirements. When commenting pelase let us know your Windows operating system version and wireless card brand and model if possible.

Comments about bugs and feature requests are welcome and encouraged. We may be able to enhance this program or recommend other products.

BridgeChecker Download

BridgeChecker Download