Wireless In Education

1
Wireless In Education

• Mark Ciampa
• Western Kentucky University

2
Wireless Is Changing Travel

• Boeing Installing wireless networks on
  airplanes for passenger use during flights
• 70 US Airports Provide wireless Internet
  access in lounge waiting areas
• Marriott, Four Seasons, Wyndham Hotels, Motel 6
  Provide lobby, check in, meeting room, public
  area access
• Trains Montreal to Toronto route

3
Wireless Is Changing Work

• Business conference rooms - Access to data
  during meetings gives 100 minutes daily
• Radio Frequency ID Transponders used as barcode
  alternatives
• Video Pill Wireless camera in capsule for
  endoscopy used at 268 US hospitals
• e-Suds Students check for empty washer, add
  softener, receive e-mail when finished

4
Wireless Is Changing Recreation

• Starbucks, Borders, McDonalds, Schlotzkys
  Wireless networks for customers
• 3Com Stadium Access statistics, view instant
  replays, order concessions
• Golf US Open Walking scorers submitted
  immediate results
• KOA Provides wireless access
• Linksys Stream pictures MP3 to TV/stereo

5
Public Hotspots
6
2007

• 155M units sold annually (2002-22.5M, 2003-41.3M)
  with revenue 700M
• 98 all notebooks wireless (2003-42)
• 31M frequent and 35M infrequent hotspot users
  with revenue 9B
• 25,000 hotels wireless access

7
Wireless Is Changing All Sectors

• Finance Receive stock quotes realtime
• Health Care Hospitals comply 2006 FDA
  regulation drug dispersal
• Manufacturing Forklifts send receive data
  (saved 1 plant 1M annually)
• Retail Radio Frequency ID
• Transportation Communicate drivers

8
Wireless Is Changing All Sectors

• Logistics FedEx handles 3.5M packages daily,
  wireless handhelds save 10 seconds each stop
• Government Police send and receive data to
  patrol cars
• Military Send repair information
• Construction Supervisors see number workers on
  project, instant costing

9
Wireless Is Changing Campuses

• Massachusetts Task Force Wireless technology on
  all campuses
• Wake Forest Wireless adapter included in
  tuition
• Michigan Wireless on all high school campuses
• University of Tennessee Wireless campus (1,500
  access points)

10
Wireless Is Changing Education

• Changing when and where students access data
• Changing how students learn
• Changing how teach students in wireless setting
• Changing what teach students

11
Wireless In Education

• Define wireless
• Explain how it works
• Types of wireless networks
• How impacts education

12
Outcome Statements

• List 2 wireless technologies
• Explain what an access point does
• List 3 basic wireless security tools
• Tell how wireless impacts higher education

13
What Wireless Is and How It Works
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Wireless

• Generically used of any device without wires
• More precisely 2-way data transmission without
  wires

15
Wireless Devices
Pocket PC Running Windows CE
Handheld PC Running Windows CE
Notebook Running Windows XP
High agility/mobility factor Lowest student per
device cost ratio Stronger Application
Development opportunity than Palm OS Simple
document creation
High agility/mobility factor Lower student per
device cost ratio Improved form factor for
student use Maximized integration requires MS
infrastructure
Complete 11 computing solution Anytime/Anywhere
Learning Full document creation tool Opportunity
for greatest impact on learning Highest 11 cost
ratio
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Wireless Technologies

• Infrared (IR)
• Radio frequency (RF)

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Infrared (IR)

• Uses infrared light (similar characteristics
  visible light)
• Objects can obstruct transmission
• Limited distance
• Line of sight transmission

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Line of Sight
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Radio Frequency (RF)

• Uses radio waves (similar to commercial radio)
• Unlicensed spectrum
• Radio waves travel long distances with less
  obstruction
• Provides true mobility

20
Radio Waves
21
Types of Wireless Networks
22
Scope
23
Wireless Personal Area Networks
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Wireless Personal Area Networks

• 1-to-1 or small group transmissions
• Limited distance

25
IrDA

• Wireless data connection using infrared light
• Found on notebook computers, printers, digital
  cameras, PDAs
• Functions like serial port
• Range 3 feet
• Bandwidth 115 Kbps - 16 Mbps

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IrDA Limitations

• Limited range
• Must align devices
• Objects can obstruct transmission
• Moderate speed
• Only between 2 devices

27
Bluetooth

• Uses RF instead of IR
• Radio transceivers built into microprocessor
• Automatically creates piconet when devices come
  in range each other
• Range 30 feet
• Bandwidth 1 Mbps

28
Radio Frequency ID (RFID)

• Unpowered microchips transmit data using RF
• Active, semi-passive, or passive
• Read-only or read-write
• Wal-Mart, McCarran Airport, US Dept Defense,
  Michelin

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RFID Size
30
Wireless Wide Area Networks
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Wide Area Network

• Fixed baseband wireless last mile connection
  alternative to DSL, cable modem or ISDN
• Fixed broadband wireless long distance
  connection alternative to T1 or fiber optic
  connection

32
Wide Area Network Examples

• Digital Cellular Telephony
• Free Space Optics
• Local/Multichannel Multipoint Distribution
  Service
• WiMax (802.16)

33
Wireless Local Area Networks
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Wireless LANs

• Same function of standard LAN but without wires
• Based on IEEE standards
• Also called Wi-Fi
• Range 150-375 feet
• Bandwidth 11-108 Mbps

35
Components of WLAN

• Wireless NIC
• Access Point (AP)
• Integrated software support in Windows XP
  Windows Mobile 2003

36
WLAN Modes

• Peer-to-peer/Ad hoc
• Infrastructure

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Peer-to-Peer

• Creates private network
• No connection to other networks
• Only requires wireless NIC

38
Infrastructure

• Creates public network
• Connects to other networks
• Requires wireless NIC and AP

39
Infrastructure
40
Wireless LAN Cells

• Create cells of coverage similar to cellular
  telephones
• Cells overlap to provide automatic roaming

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Wireless LAN Cells
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IEEE WLAN Standards

• 802.11 (1997) 2 Mbps
• 802.11b (1999) 11 Mbps
• 802.11a (2001) 54 Mbps
• 802.11g (2003) 24 Mbps

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802.11b

• 11 Mbps
• DSSS
• 3 non-overlapping channels
• 2.4 GHz
• Range 375 feet

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802.11a

• 54 Mbps (108 Mbps proprietary)
• OFDM
• 8 non-overlapping channels
• 5 GHz
• Range 150 feet

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802.11g

• 22 Mbps (54 Mbps proprietary)
• OFDM
• 3 non-overlapping channels
• 2.4 GHz
• Range 200 feet

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Comparison

• 802.11b Wider area but slower speed
• 802.11a Faster speed but smaller area
• 802.11g Good balance of area and speed

47
Recent Developments

• Dual band AP and wireless NICs
• Wireless access port dumb AP connected to
  wireless switch
• Wireless bridge makes any device with standard
  NIC wireless (Xbox)
• Device hop through other WLAN devices to reach
  AP

48
Recent Developments

• Intel Centrino - Pentium-M mobile processor with
  802.11b miniPCI wireless NIC
• VoIP on WLAN

49
Home Wireless

• Connect all home computer equipment without
  cables
• Share broadband Internet connection
• Combination AP, router, network address
  translation and firewall
• Microsoft selling hardware
• 2003 Cisco purchased Linksys 500M

50
WLAN Security
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Unique Challenges

• Unauthorized users intercept signal and use
  network
• Hackers view transmitted data
• Employees install rogue access points

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Security Levels

• Basic Security
• Intermediate Security
• Advanced Security

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Basic Security

• Active scanning SSID
• MAC address filtering
• WEP encryption authentication

54
Association

• Association Establishes link between wireless
  devices and AP
• Based on Service Set Identifier (SSID) network
  name all devices use
• SSID serves as network password
• SSID can be sent by AP or manually installed on
  each wireless device

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Active Scanning

• SSID manually installed on each wireless device
  in advance
• Device sends SSID to AP
• Heres the SSID, let me in!

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Passive Scanning

• AP freely sends SSID to all devices
• Device listens for SSID
• Will you give me the SSID to join this wireless
  network?

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Active Scanning SSID

• AP should be set for active scanning
• Default on most systems is passive scanning
• BUT May limit roaming

58
MAC Address Filter

• MAC address of each authorized device is manually
  entered into AP
• Also called Access Control List
• Only devices on AP list are permitted association
• BUT MAC address can be spoofed

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WEP

• Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) Data encrypted
  with up to 4 shared keys
• Provides both encryption and authentication
• BUT Flaws in WEP and can be broken by
  sniffing packets

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Intermediate Security

• Deploy outside firewall
• Use virtual private network (VPN) solution
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) software
  firmware upgrade

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WPA Encryption

• Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)
• 2 keys
• Per-packet basis

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WPA Access Control

• Uses 802.1x
• Port-based authentication
• Traffic blocked until client authenticated by
  back-end server
• Optional Pre-Sharked Key (PSK)

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Advanced Security

• 802.11i New IEEE security standard
• Uses advanced AES block cipher encryption
• Due released early 2004

64
Wireless Technology In Education
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Wireless Technology in Education

• Kindergarten 12
• Higher education
• Libraries
• Curriculum

66
K-12 Uses

• Computers-on-wheels (COWs)
• Extend network with minimal costs
• Use with outdoor projects
• Administrators in hallways determine where
  student should be
• Bus drivers record who boarded

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K-12 Pedagogy

• Used to deliver curriculum in classroom
• Better supports constructing knowledge from
  experience, interpretation, structured
  interactions with peers and teachers
• Teachers direct students in project-oriented
  activities vs. lecturing (Individualized active
  learning)
• Helps students apply critical thinking skills

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K-12 Pedagogy

• K-12 learning proceeds most rapidly when
  learners have frequent opportunities to apply
  ideas they are learning and when feedback on
  success or failure of an idea comes almost
  immediately

69
Higher Education Uses

• Provide access outside computer lab classroom,
  dining hall, quad, dorms
• Create coverage where wiring prohibited because
  building design, asbestos, portable classrooms
• Mobile VoIP telephones in classrooms

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Higher Education Uses

• Create wireless networked labs in regular
  classrooms
• Make temporary networked classroom
• Faculty can bring in own notebook computer and
  instantly be connected
• Reduces number of open access computer labs
• Planet3 CompTIA WLAN certifications

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Higher Education Uses

• Make latest research data immediately available
  during experiments for comparison
• Increase student computer use across disciplines

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Higher Education Pedagogy

• Used to extend class time
• Allows studying to take place outside traditional
  learning areas
• Students communicate and research topics outside
  class while devoting class time to discussion and
  analysis

73
Wireless In Education

• When each student got their own pencil, teaching
  changed. When each student got their own book,
  teaching changed. When each student has a
  wireless notebook, teaching will change again!

74
Library Uses

• Provide access in the stacks perform catalog
  search without returning to catalog computer
• Determine status of a book
• Used with RFID for inventory

75
Curriculum

• Ubiquity of wireless requires part of curriculum
• Student interest based on 25 homes with
  computers have multiple computers and networks
• Need instruction on wireless deployment and
  security

76
Curriculum

• Several schools now adding Wireless Networking
  course or track
• Some schools adding wireless coverage to
  traditional networking course

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Outcome Statements

• List 2 wireless technologies
• Explain what an access point does
• List 3 basic wireless security tools
• Tell how wireless impacts higher education

78
Wireless In Education

• Mark Ciampa
• Western Kentucky University
• mark.ciampa_at_wku.edu