Tag: networking

the body as beacon of locality

ElectAura-Net provides both broadband wireless(-like) networks and a meter-accuracy positioning system for indoor use. It is a kind of “intrabody communication” system that uses electric fields as transmission media, and the human body and floor as an Ethernet cable. In this system, a “communication-cell” (carpet size) can be shrunk down to one meter or less, and simultaneous access by many users can be realized. Ordinary intrabody communication systems cannot achieve long-distance communication between components such as body-worn devices and the floor.

computer, locate commander worf.

Universal plug

razor, powered by ethernet

the US Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers was due to extend has extended the core 802.3 ethernet standard this month to include specifications for the power over data cable technology. electric plugs, power outlets and voltages were different all over the world but ethernet used the same small range of connectors and cables no matter where it was installed.

just when all indications pointed to a strictly wireless future comes this new development. ideally, all new networks would carry power, and all new power lines data in the future. i’m not so sure on wireless power transmission though.

Redundant routing

another outage. looks like something broke down in one of the upstream routers. a good opportunity to make the case for redundant connections end to end, down to the last km. to become the next utility, as some hope, the internet needs to become far more reliable. what technologies are available to provide redundancy, from the ethernet jack in my notebook up to the backbone routers?

locally, a multihomed setup, deeply connected to a mesh network, is conceivable. routing would have to become link-state aware at the endpoints too (something that today only applies to the backbone routers), picking the best connection out of several at any point. further upstream, better topologies would have to be found to make singular point to point connections the exception rather than the norm. as you get closer to the core of the network, components must not fail. fault-tolerant hardware might provide that additional reliability edge.