Comments on: EXCLUSIVE: Wireless Philadelphia CEO On Earthlink Bluster — “It’s All Moves” http://www.philebrity.com/2008/05/14/exclusive-wireless-philadelphia-ceo-on-earthlink-bluster-its-all-moves/ You're famous. (For Philly.) Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:05:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: JP215http://www.philebrity.com/2008/05/14/exclusive-wireless-philadelphia-ceo-on-earthlink-bluster-its-all-moves/comment-page-1/#comment-5128 JP215 Thu, 15 May 2008 15:14:59 +0000 http://www.philebrity.com/?p=13331#comment-5128 I think there were two big problems. When people got online, the hardwired network seemed to have some issues (as mentioned above). The second issue was the hardware itself. That stuff progresses pretty quickly. When they really started putting up the base stations, they were still using older hardware. The hardware is cross-compatible, though the newer stuff has faster data and longer range. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11 explains it. I am pretty sure they used 802.11b, your new MacBook has 802.11g or 802.11n. Basically if they had switched to the newest hardware, as it was available, they would be able to use less stations and still get more coverage (and faster speeds to boot).Comcast is a partnership with Sprint etc to get WiMax ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimax )up and running, so i'm sure they would only support this 802.11 network as some dead end community service. Seeing how the taxpayers had to subsidize their new office tower, i doubt they would drop any money into community help.... especially when it's direct competition to their $50/month cable modems.Don't get me wrong, i would love WiPhi to succeed. The 802.11 chips are standards in most all computers out there, and many cellphones (and even some other devices, like the iPod Touch). Ever Mac has had 802.11 built-in for years (most other major makers too), that's what every school is using, it's what you use at home. This WiMax plan is a few years out and requires some piece of hardware that doesn't exist yet, kind of like the cellular cards offered by Verizon etc. It may be amazing, but it's not going to help anytime soon. I think there were two big problems. When people got online, the hardwired network seemed to have some issues (as mentioned above). The second issue was the hardware itself. That stuff progresses pretty quickly. When they really started putting up the base stations, they were still using older hardware. The hardware is cross-compatible, though the newer stuff has faster data and longer range. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11 explains it. I am pretty sure they used 802.11b, your new MacBook has 802.11g or 802.11n. Basically if they had switched to the newest hardware, as it was available, they would be able to use less stations and still get more coverage (and faster speeds to boot).

Comcast is a partnership with Sprint etc to get WiMax ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimax )up and running, so i’m sure they would only support this 802.11 network as some dead end community service. Seeing how the taxpayers had to subsidize their new office tower, i doubt they would drop any money into community help…. especially when it’s direct competition to their $50/month cable modems.

Don’t get me wrong, i would love WiPhi to succeed. The 802.11 chips are standards in most all computers out there, and many cellphones (and even some other devices, like the iPod Touch). Ever Mac has had 802.11 built-in for years (most other major makers too), that’s what every school is using, it’s what you use at home. This WiMax plan is a few years out and requires some piece of hardware that doesn’t exist yet, kind of like the cellular cards offered by Verizon etc. It may be amazing, but it’s not going to help anytime soon.

]]> By: friendlynerdhttp://www.philebrity.com/2008/05/14/exclusive-wireless-philadelphia-ceo-on-earthlink-bluster-its-all-moves/comment-page-1/#comment-5122 friendlynerd Wed, 14 May 2008 20:52:10 +0000 http://www.philebrity.com/?p=13331#comment-5122 As much as I'd really, really like to see the network survive, there's one little hitch: it never fucking worked.I'd like to meet someone who has both successfully connected to the service and downloaded something or surfed the web at speeds beyond dialup.During the brief stint I had the service I got nearly a 100% signal on the antenna widget they sent, yet was rarely able to use it. Prime times for total system breakdown was after work and all weekend, every weekend. Times people are actually trying to use the service.That, to me, points to an infrastructure/bandwidth problem. As more people started using the network, it jammed up under the load. As mismanaged and fucked up as Earthlink was, I have no faith that anyone else can make the existing hardware work. As much as I’d really, really like to see the network survive, there’s one little hitch: it never fucking worked.

I’d like to meet someone who has both successfully connected to the service and downloaded something or surfed the web at speeds beyond dialup.

During the brief stint I had the service I got nearly a 100% signal on the antenna widget they sent, yet was rarely able to use it. Prime times for total system breakdown was after work and all weekend, every weekend. Times people are actually trying to use the service.

That, to me, points to an infrastructure/bandwidth problem. As more people started using the network, it jammed up under the load. As mismanaged and fucked up as Earthlink was, I have no faith that anyone else can make the existing hardware work.

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