BLUETOOTH VS.

WI-FI: CATS AND DOGS LIVIVNG TOGETHER

BLUETOOTH AND DIFFERENT ANIMALS: WI-FI --

Bluetooth technology was developed to create a short-range wireless voice and data link between a broad range of devices such as PCs, notebook computers, handhelds and PDAs (hereafter referred to as PDAs), Smart Phones, mobile phones and digital cameras. Consistent with its aim of operating in even the smallest batterypowered devices, the Bluetooth specification calls for a small form factor, low power consumption and low cost. The range and speed of the technology were kept intentionally low so as to ensure maximum battery life and minimum incremental cost for devices incorporating the technology. At its heart, Bluetooth is about creating a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) consisting of all the Bluetooth-enabled electronic devices immediately surrounding a user, wherever that user may be located. The IEEE 802.11 standard was designed to be the best solution for a single specific application: wireless Ethernet. It is implemented in PCs, laptops, PDAs and network access points and is meant to offer comparable performance to wired Ethernet LANs. Wi-Fi offers benefits to users that wish to gain LAN or Internet access while moving about an office or traveling and to small to mid-sized organizations seeking a rapid LAN deployment. At its heart, Wi-Fi is about enabling wireless LAN access for computer and other portable device users.

Bluetooth is secure in that it employs several layers of data encryption and user authentication measures. Bluetooth devices use a combination of the Personal Identification Number (PIN) and a Bluetooth address to identify other Bluetooth devices. Data encryption (i.e., 128-bit) can be used to further enhance the degree of Bluetooth security. The transmission scheme (FHSS) provides another level of security in itself. Instead of transmitting over one frequency within the 2.4 GHz band, Bluetooth radios use a fast frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technique, allowing only synchronized receivers to access the transmitted data. The Bluetooth radio transmissions will conform to the safety standards required by the countries where the technology will be used with respect to the affects of radio transmissions on the human body. Emissions from Bluetooth enabled devices will be no greater than emissions from industrystandard cordless phones. The Bluetooth module will not interfere or cause harm to public or private telecommunications network. Bluetooth is a convenient way for communicating for a personal network, but it is not suitable as a LAN replacement, or in perennial data transfer. But the growing popularity of laptops necessitated the need for a wireless standard that would allow the people to walk around their laptops and still be connected to a network. Wi-Fi, an abbreviation for Wireless Fidelity, is a wireless standard that promises modularity while offering data rates comparable on those a wired LAN. Wi-Fi is a collection of standards ratified by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering). In 1997, IEEE approved the 802.11 standard which laid down the specifications in wireless LAN. Subsequently, revisions were made to this standard and these resulted in three other standards, namely 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g. The entire family of 802.11 standards are collectively called Wi-Fi. Hence, Wi-Fi or short for "Wireless Fidelity" is the term for a highfrequency wireless local area network (WLAN).

INTRODUCTION:
Bluetooth is a Wireless Personal Area Networking (WPAN) protocol designed as a cable-replacement technology providing a low cost, low power, modest speed, and short range (<10 meters) radio communications. Originated in 1999, it is intended to provide robust services to small ad hoc networks. Since security is essential to many wireless applications, the Bluetooth specifications include security mechanisms at various levels of their protocol stack.

ORIGIN:
In 1994, Ericsson Mobile Communications, the global telecommunications company based in Sweden, initiated a study to investigate the feasibility of a low-power, low-cost radio interface between mobile phones and their accessories. The aim of the study was to find a way to eliminate cables between mobile phones and PC cords, headsets, desktops and other devices. The study was part of the larger project investigating how different communications devices could be connected to the cellular network via mobile phones. The company determined that the last link in such a connection should be short-range radio link. As the project progressed, it became clear that the applications for a short-range radio link were virtually unlimited. Ericssons work in this area caught the attention of IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba. The companies formed a Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) in May 1998, which grew to over 1500 member companies by April 2000 faster than any other wireless consortium has grown. The companies jointly developed the Bluetooth 1.0 specification, which was released in July 1999. The specification consists of two documents: The foundation core: This provides design specification. The foundation profile: This provides interoperability guidelines. The core document specifies components such as radio, base band, link manager, service discovery protocol, transport layer, and interoperability with different communication protocols. The profile document specifies the protocols and procedures required for different types of Bluetooth applications. The five founding companies of Bluetooth SIG were joined by 3Com, Lucent, Microsoft and Motorola to form the Promoter Group. The charter of Promoter Group is to lead the efforts of the Bluetooth SIG by creating a forum for enhancing the Bluetooth specification and providing vehicle for interoperability testing. The 802 .11b standard was developed at the end of 1990s and finally approved at the beginning of 1999. The first data transmission devices based on the standard were launched in 2000. Wi-Fi devices were designed for corporate

clients to replace traditional cable networks. A wire network required a thorough design of the network topology and manual laying of hundreds of meters of cable, sometimes in the most unexpected places. Whereas all it takes to organize a wireless network is to install several base stations at one or several spots in the office (a central receiver and transmitter with an antenna connected to an outside network or a server) and insert a network card with an antenna. After that, both people and computers can be moved freely, and even changing offices wouldnt damage the network. In the United States, a company had offered in December 2003 to make the whole of San Francisco Wi-Fi. In Spain, Telephonic launched the services ADSL Wi-Fi, which has led it to sign various agreements with public centers, like hotels or convention centers, to install access points. The operator has created almost 400 hotstops. Some educational institutes offering Wi-Fi are Pathways World School, Guraon while most IITs and IIMs, Anna University, Annamalai University, and International School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad, Mount Zion College of Engineering and Technology have also become hotspots.

MAIN FEATURES:
BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY:o o o It is wireless It is inexpensive. You dont have to think about it i.e., does not require you to do anything special to make it work. Operates in the 2.56 GHz ISM band, which is globally available. Uses FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum) Can support up to 8 devices in the Pico net. Omni-directional, non line of sight transmissions through walls. 10m to 100m range. 1mW power. Extended range with external power amplifier (100m). Its main strength is its ability to simultaneously handle both data and voice transmissions. It is capable of supporting one asynchronous data channel and up to three synchronous voice channels, or

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one channel supporting both voice and data.

Bluetooth is designed to be low cost eventually under $10 per unit. It is now $5 per unit.

WI-FI TECHNOLOGY:o Wi-Fi networks operate in the unlicensed 2.4 and 5 GHz radio bands, with an 11 Mbps (802.11b) or 54 Mbps (802.11a) or 100Mbps (802.11g) data rate or with products that contain both bands (dual band), so they can provide real-world performance similar to the basic 10BaseT wired Ethernet networks used in many offices. Modulation used in 802.11 has historically been phase-shift keying (PSK). The modulation method selected for 802.11b is known as complementary code keying or CCK, which makes possible high data speed and is less susceptible to multipath-propagation interference. It's powerful. Wi-Fi networks use radio technologies called IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g to provide reliable, fast wireless connectivity. A Wi-Fi network can be used to connect computers to each other, to the Internet, and to wired networks (which use IEEE 802.3 or Ethernet).

WI-FI TECHNOLOGY:First, Wi-Fi is cheap and fast. It's cheap, compared to 3G. It's already here and its nearterm rollout appears more widespread than 3G will be. The price of a basic Wi-Fi access point has declined from approximately $1900 in 1997 to about $70 today (see "Wi-Fi 101" for an overview of the technology). But it is expensive compared to Bluetooth. Second, its standards based (IEEE 802.11b); therefore, consumers are not tied to proprietary technology. Since Wi-Fi is not based on proprietary technology, it ideally should allow many companies to enter the market and competitively hasten its evolution. Also, the standard has been improved. IEEE 802.11g, which operates at 100 Mbps. Third, major vendors are backing Wi-Fi. Intel is one of the biggest proponents of Wi-Fi. It has recently unveiled a notebook chip called Banias that is to be the heart of a mobile brand called "Centrino." This chip is designed specifically for wireless computers to enable a longer battery life and to meet the heat/thermal requirements of the notebook and handheld markets. Other major players eager to step into the market include, a joint venture of AT&T, IBM, Intel (again), and others. Companies are finally paying particular attention to the security of Wi-Fi networks and for good reason. Many users do not take basic steps to safeguard against security breaches, e.g. turning on Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), the standard mechanism shipped with Wi-Fi gear that hides wireless data and denies intruders access to the network. (Many users do not even bother to install a firewall program.) Neither power line - nor phone line-based networks provide true mobility or portability. Wi-Fi capabilities will be extended from laptops to other devices - mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) For companies, the main advantages of this technology regarding non-mobile telephony are reduction of costs and mobility. Connection to the internet through Wi-Fi only requires an access point called hotspot. Further more Wi-Fi

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ADVANTAGES:
BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY:It attempts to provide advantages over IrDA (Infrared Data Association) and Home RF (Radio Frequency). IrDA is popular in PC peripherals but is severely limited by short connection distance of 1m and by line of sight requirement for communication. It eliminates the feasibility of using IrDA for hidden computing. Due to its RF nature Bluetooth is not subject to such limitations. In addition to wireless device connections up to 10m (and up to 100m if transmitter power is increased), devices need not be within line of sight and may connect through walls or other non-metal objects. Bluetooth could also be used in homenetworking applications. There is a need for networks that are simple to install and maintain. Wireless connections circumvent the hassle of adding wiring to existing residences. Other technologies cost more than $100 per node.

allows a group of users to connect themselves to the internet from any site within range of hotspot. However, the diffusion of 802.11 is not limited to internal company nets: in the last six months these access points have multiplied significantly in public places. Hotel airline companies are the ones most backing the installation of access points.

service, and it is uncertain when this issue will be addressed.

USAGE SCENARIOS :
The most common usage scenario for 802.11 is portable computing. A user with a notebook computer moves from place-to-place within a building or campus and maintains connection to the LAN, via an access point, at each stop. This portability can even extend outside the bounds of the office to public areas such as airports, hotels and coffee shops. In all cases, the user expects to be able to use her computer just as she would at the office to connect to other computers on the LAN, such as servers, to connect to peripherals on the LAN, such as printers and to access the Internet. Bluetooth, on the other hand, supports a much wider variety of usage scenarios, including: Device interoperability (also known as cable replacement); Peer-to-peer collaboration between multiple PDAs and/or notebooks; Notebook and PDA internet access via mobile phone; PDA, notebook and PC LAN and Internet access via Bluetooth access points. DEVICE INTEROPERABILITY : The first scenario provides the fundamental basis for the development of the Bluetooth specification. It is, quite simply, the seamless interconnection of multiple Bluetooth-enabled devices that eliminates the need for cables to connect the devices. The most obvious example is a PC connected wirelessly to all of its peripheral devices. Not only are cables eliminated but the user also can place the peripheral wherever he wishes without regard for cable length. Since Bluetooth supports both voice and data, a single Bluetooth headset can be used in conjunction with multiple consumer and communication devices such as a desk phone, a mobile phone, and a portable music player. The need for separate cables and device-specific headsets is eliminated. PEER-TO-PEER COLLABORATION : Bluetooth enables devices that are in close proximity to form ad hoc networks, also known

DISADVANTAGES:
BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY:o Bluetooth devices are expected to be omnipresent and at some places assess to this devices by public users many have to be restricted. Personal privacy is at risk. The range cant be increased without compromising on power.

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WI-FI TECHNOLOGY:o Wi-Fi transmissions can be ruined by Bluetooth transmissions, since Bluetooth hops faster than Wi-Fi. It consumes lot of power so it cant be used efficiently for mobile devices. Its expensive. Its not very secure. Opponents of the technology argue correctly that Internet service can be affected by the user's proximity to the access point, the number of people using it, the speed of the server, interference from cordless phones and microwaves, and the user's surroundings (i.e., radio signals are not high powered and cannot travel through metal, water, or other dense materials). All of these factors can cloud Wi-Fi's wireless allure somewhat. You might be wondering where 3G fits into the Wi-Fi picture. Ultimately, the two may complement each other. Wi-Fi and 3G also may not even vie for the same pool of users. In theory, business travelers could use Wi-Fi to access the Internet when they are stationary, e.g., waiting for a flight in an airport, and 3G when they are in motion, e.g., commuting home from work on the train. However, this scenario must overcome some hurdles before it is realized. Currently, devices cannot alternate between Wi-Fi and 3G

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as piconets. A piconet or WPAN can accommodate up to eight Bluetooth-enabled devices simultaneously, allowing any combination of them to exchange files or other objects, or to synchronize calendars, for example. This collaborative ability can also be enabled using Wi-Fi but requires administrator involvement to adjust the wireless LAN (WLAN) terminals (also known as stations, STA) for proper operation and to choose a wireless radio channel for operation. With Bluetooth, peer-to-peer collaboration can be adhoc and instantaneous. The collaborative application is particularly compelling when some or all of the devices in a piconet are PDAs or Smart Phones. These devices, due to their small size and power constraints are less likely to be Wi-Fi-enabled; Bluetooth will likely to be the primary means by which these devices communicate with each other and with the outside world. INTERNET CONNECTION THROUGH MOBILE PHONE : Bluetooth opens up a new way for notebook computers and PDAs to access the Internet: via a users own mobile phone. In fact, all of the phones capabilities to access the Internet, email or short messages will be accessible through the Bluetooth-enabled notebook or PDA. This communication can take place while the phone is tucked away in a briefcase or pocket -- receiving all of its commands via the notebook or PDA. DIRECT NETWORK ACCESS : Bluetooth access points (AP) can be used to allow Bluetooth-enabled devices that are in range of the AP to access the Internet or an intranet directly. The AP is physically connected to an Ethernet -- in the case of an office environment -- or a DSL/Cable modem in the case of a public location -- and communicates via Bluetooth with the PDAs, notebooks and PCs in the surrounding piconet. Thus, multiple devices can simultaneously use the same AP to connect to a LAN or the Internet. For companies that have already made an investment in a traditional Ethernet LAN, the addition of Bluetooth access points will create a wireless link to a hub (AP), thus enabling

mobility within the office for devices that may already be equipped with Bluetooth.

USAGE SUMMARY
It should be noted that Wi-Fi has seen widespread deployment in the past year, both within corporations and in public areas such as airports and hotels. These deployments offer tremendous benefits to users of devices equipped with Wi-Fi, most notably laptop or notebook computers. Handheld users are likely to require Bluetooth access points in order to realize the same benefits while maintaining acceptable battery life. As PDAs equipped with Bluetooth become more and more widely used as core business tools, particularly by mobile professionals, Bluetooth access points will enable these users to be as productive as their Wi-Fi equipped counterparts.

COMPARING THE CAPABILITIES OF BLUETOOTH AND WI-FI:

Lets take a look at the actual capabilities of these two technologies, as well as the corresponding requirements of the applications and real world considerations that affect the performance of the systems.

POWER CONSUMPTION
Power consumption is a critical consideration as it directly affects device battery life. This consideration is obviously most crucial for devices that spend most or all their operating hours on battery power devices such as PDAs and mobile phones. From its inception, Bluetooth was designed to be a small-form factor, low-cost, low-power technology. The Bluetooth specification incorporates a number of power saving features in order to keep power use to a minimum. These features include a standby mode as well as four connected modes parked, hold, sniff and active. An adaptive transmission power feature further minimizes power use. The Bluetooth specification also defines three different transmit power classes. Class 3 devices operate at up to 0 dBm (1 mW); Class 2 devices operate at up to 4 dBm (2.5 mW); and Class 3 devices operate up to 20 dBm (100mW). Most plug-in cards (e.g. PCMCIA, Compact Flash) are Class 3 devices; this will be the most dominant type of Bluetooth device.

In order to achieve Ethernet-level data rates, WiFi operates with higher radio power on fixed channels of greater bandwidth. Wi-Fi offers a power save mode in which STAs sleep, then reawaken periodically to check for messages. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules are available in many different form factors including PC cards (PCMCIA), Compact Flash (CF) cards, Secure Digital (SD) cards, Springboard modules, PCI cards and mini-PCI cards. Table 1 below summarizes the power requirements of various Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices classes under various operating modes.

DATA RATE, RANGE

THROUGHPUT

AND

As Bluetooth and Wi-Fi were designed to serve differing usage scenarios, it is no surprise that the performance of the two systems differs as well. Bluetooth trades off speed for lower power consumption, whereas Wi-Fi attempts to match the performance of wired LANs. Bluetooth supports two types of links packet and connection-oriented (known as SCO). Packet connection is used for data transmission and can operate symmetrically or asymmetrically. The maximum symmetric data transfer rate is 433.9 kbps in each direction; the maximum asymmetric data rate is 723.2 kbps upstream (57.6 kbps downstream). Dedicated connection-oriented links are used for audio applications. Bluetooth can support three 64 kbps voice channels simultaneously. These data rates are sufficient to accommodate the usage scenarios described in earlier sections. Wi-Fi supports four different data rates: 11 Mbps, 5.5 Mbps, 2 Mbps and 1 Mbps. A ratescaling algorithm is used to reduce the data rate when errors are detected in transmission. The result is that the data rate is reduced as a user moves farther away from an AP. Table 2 below shows the range for the Bluetooth APs (Class I) and Wi-Fi APs for typical office environments. These figures will vary widely in practice, depending upon the exact configuration of the office.

As shown in the table above, current Bluetooth devices have a minimum current that is approximately one-tenth the amount of minimum Wi-Fi current requirements, and a transmit current as little as a tenth of Wi-Fis transmit current, depending upon the output power of the devices in question. The implication is that Bluetooth will drain the battery less quickly than will Wi-Fi, making Bluetooth a more attractive option for users with smaller devices. In fact, a typical PDA with a 500 mA-hr battery life could support Bluetooth running in idle mode for more than 250 hours, whereas Wi-Fi could only be supported for 20 50 hours in sleep mode. If both technologies were in full transmit or receive mode, a PDA using Wi-Fi could expect little more than an hour of operation while a PDA using Bluetooth could operate for five to ten hours. That said being said, PDA users seeking highspeed access to their corporate LAN via Wi-Fi may be willing to sacrifice either battery life or pocketability for this privilege. Vendors are beginning to offer WLAN PC cards for PDAs; many of these devices come with a sled that includes extra batteries to support the Wi-Fi card. Although this approach succeeds in offering additional longevity to the PDA device, it transforms the PDA into a much bulkier piece of equipment.

Contrary to popular belief, the range of Bluetooth devices can be substantial, particularly when a Class I device is used to connect to an AP. Although the range for most Bluetooth client-to-client communication is 10m, a low power client can be 32m away, on average, from a high power AP, as shown in Table 2. An AP connected with a Class I client device can communicate over an average distance of 66m, with even further range achievable using a client incorporating a more sensitive receiver. This Bluetooth range is quite comparable to Wi-Fi range due to the simple fact that both APs have

comparable RF output power. Of course, it is only at the greatest distances from the APs where the throughputs of the two technologies are close to being comparable. Range comparisons can be useful for contrasting the capabilities of these technologies. In practice, however, clients in a typical office are within 20m of an AP in order to avoid having too many users sharing bandwidth of each AP. As a result, the range limits of these technologies are rarely tested. In order to get a complete picture of the performance of these technologies, one must consider throughput, as distinguished from raw data rate. Based on numerous reports in the press and by independent evaluators, peak throughput for Wi-Fi systems is in the range of 5 7 Mbps, with throughput falling off significantly as distance from the AP increases. Typical observed performance is an average 5 Mbps at a distance of six meters (20 feet) from the AP and 1 Mbps at a distance of 18 meters (60 feet) with several walls in between the STA and AP. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) quotes data rate figures described above, e.g. 723.2 kbps, as the actual throughput values, having taken into account all of the overhead associated with transmitting packets over the air. Thus, Bluetooth communication can take place at this speed, following agreement between the two communicating devices on an appropriate data transfer rate.

Some of the basic security concepts addressed by the technologies include: 1) authentication the process of verifying who is at the other end of a link between devices; 2) authorization the process of determining what a device or user is allowed to do; and 3) encryption the process of disguising information to make it inaccessible to unwanted listeners. WI-FI SECURITY MECHANISMS The Extended Service Set ID (ESSID) is the first level of Wi-Fi security. The ESSID acts as a basic password that is entered into all APs and STAs that share the network. In order for the ESSID to serve as an effective barrier, the default ESSID value should be changed upon deployment and broadcast of the ESSID by the access point should be disabled, if possible. The broadcast feature makes it easy for clients to find the network but simultaneously makes it easier for non-authorized users to find it. The Access List provides the second layer of network security. The access list defines all MAC addresses associated with the STAs allowed to associate with an AP. As a security feature, the Access List is important but has a degree of vulnerability due to the fact that MAC addresses are sent over the air unencrypted. A potential intruder can thus potentially discover a known good MAC address and use the address to gain network access by configuring a NIC with that address. A third layer, authentication, can be implemented in two ways: open system authentication and shared key authentication. Both are hardware-based rather than user-based. Open system authentication equates to no authentication and is used in networks where security is not a concern or, at least, not a priority. An STA can associate with any AP and listen to any data sent in plain text. Shared key authentication uses a challenge and response scheme to establish the presence of a shared key. The shared key is based on the Wired-Equivalent Privacy (WEP) protocol described below. The WEP protocol is used for the final layer of security encryption as well as for authentication. WEP uses either a 40-bit (less secure) or 128-bit (more secure) shared encryption key to encrypt and decrypt data, meaning that both the AP and the STA need to be programmed with the shared key. The same WEP key is used on all clients and access points

SECURITY
Any network, be it wired or wireless, is subject to security threats. These threats include the physical security of the network, unauthorized access, eavesdropping and attacks from within the networks authorized user community. Wireless networks are more susceptible to threats due to the fact that signals from the network are more accessible to potential hackers. Nevertheless, developers have tried to make both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi highly resistant to security threats based on the security procedures implemented in the protocols as well as commonly used adjunct security procedures. Yet there are many loopholes in both the technologies. Develepors are trying to address these security problems and it will be implemented in the future versions.

for communication. In order to make the most of this security feature, it is desirable to frequently change WEP keys, a process that needs to be done on each AP and STA. Changing the WEP key frequently is particularly important in light of the recent arrival of software (e.g. AirSnort and WEPCrack) that can be used to crack the 128-bit WEP key in a network, without detection Some vendors have successfully minimized the likelihood of such an attack by incorporating such features as proprietary dynamic session keys that are unique to each user and last only as long as the connection lasts. Additional security protocols can be implemented in order to buttress the security of a WLAN. Such protocols include Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service (RADIUS), TACACS, Virtual Private Network (VPN) and firewalls. Both RADIUS and TACACS provide an additional level of authentication and authorization, as well as a centrally managed means for carrying out these processes. A VPN ensures security through both user authentication and encryption and can be used in conjunction with firewalls between the outside world and the LAN and between the LAN and the Wi-Fi network. The firewalls can be configured to pass only VPN traffic. A VPN has the additional ability to prevent sniffing, thus ensuring that the WEP vulnerabilities described above cannot be exploited. Recognizing the possible vulnerability of the 802.11b standard, the IEEE is drafting a new standard, 802.1x, which will address the current shortcomings, maximize security and centralize management functions. The proposed standard includes the integration of RADIUS technology to assign wireless clients dynamic WEP keys on a per session basis. In fact, some vendors have already integrated dynamic session keys into their platforms, thus making for a substantially improved level of security. BLUETOOTH SECURITY MECHANISMS Due to the broad range of applications that are envisioned for Bluetooth devices, the protocol was designed to have security options flexible enough to allow for minimal demands on the user when security is not a priority but a high level of security when circumstances demand it. Bluetooth uses multiple levels of user authentication and data encryption as well as a

data transmission protocol that provides an inherent degree of security. The frequencyhopping scheme that Bluetooth employs makes eavesdropping much more challenging, by ensuring that only receivers synchronized with the transmitter can access information. Four different entities are used for maintaining security at the Bluetooth link layer. Table 3 below summarizes these entities:

Bluetooth devices have the option of employing three different degrees of security, depending upon the requirements of the usage scenario. Mode 1 is non-secure and is used when devices have no critical applications. A device in mode 1 does not initiate any security procedure such as authentication or encryption. Mode 2 provides security after an initial connection has been established between devices. This mode allows flexible access policies for applications/services and is used especially for running in parallel applications that have differing security requirements. Mode 3 enforces authentication and encryption before any connection has been established between devices. Bluetooth is unique in that it can define security levels for both devices and services. From the standpoint of one Bluetooth device, other devices can be categorized as either trusted or untrusted. A trusted device would have access to all services offered by the first device. Trusted devices can continue to be trusted upon subsequent interactions without additional effort. An untrusted device has no fixed relationship and its access to services is limited. Services are the distinct activities such as voice transmission, file transfer and dial-up networking associated with different types of Bluetooth devices. Three levels of security are defined for services. The first level is open to all devices; neither authentication nor access approval are

required. The second level requires authentication only and authorization is not necessary. The last level requires authorization and authentication in order to access a service; automatic access is only granted to trusted devices. In this mode, encryption may be required before access to the service is possible. When operating in its most protected modes, the first level of Bluetooth security entails determining the trust level of another device. Unknown or untrusted devices can automatically be denied access to certain services available over the Bluetooth link. The next layer of security involves entering the same PIN number into two devices that wish to connect. The PIN is used, in conjunction with a random number, to generate a 128-bit link key that is used for authentication. In order to best ensure security, users should be sure to use a PIN with as many digits as possible and that is as difficult to guess as possible. The next level of security is a challenge and response scheme that is used to determine whether both devices share the same 128-bit secret link key. If this hurdle is successfully passed, then the devices determine a mutually acceptable encryption key, which may be anywhere from 8 to 128 bits, depending upon the requirements of a particular service and the county in which the devices operate. If an appropriate level of encryption cannot be agreed upon between devices, then the link will not be completed. Once an encryption key is established, it lasts only as long as the session and then is regenerated for the next session. In order to guarantee maximum security, Bluetooth users need to be cautious about devices and owners with whom they communicate. Because each device in a Bluetooth link uses the same authentication key and that authentication key can be semipermanent, a hostile user can use this shared key, along with the knowledge of the other devices address and PIN number, to either mimic that other device or simply listen in on transmissions made by the other device. This security breach is difficult to carry out, though it is possible. It also likely requires the violator to be someone within your personal or professional sphere. As with Wi-Fi, additional security measures can be applied and, in fact, are envisioned -- at the Bluetooth application layer. For LAN access, as

an example, the same RADIUS or TACACS+ authentication that can be used in conjunction with Wi-Fi also can be used with Bluetooth (note: the Pico Communications AP supports both RADIUS and TACACS+). So too can VPN be implemented and used in conjunction with Bluetooth access to the LAN. For other types of secure interactions, other application-level authentication and authorization procedures can be put in place. Mobile commerce transactions, for example, can be protected with Secure Socket Link (SSL) just as are Internet commerce transactions. Any number of application-level security measures can and will be implemented as Bluetooth device deployment becomes more widespread. Finally, Bluetooth is an evolving standard. Future iterations of the Bluetooth specification are expected to accommodate both higher speeds and more robust security measures. SECURITY SUMMARY When considering the relative efficacy of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi security procedures, it is helpful to remember the circumstances in which each are used. Bluetooth is used across a wide variety of scenarios ranging from the simple exchange of business cards and address synchronization to LAN access. Wi-Fi, by definition, is used for LAN access only. As a result, a significant portion of Bluetooth traffic will have lower requirements for secure transmission, whereas Wi-Fi and the Bluetooth LAN access mode, for example, will require a greater degree of security protection. Table 4 below summarizes the relevant security attributes for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The table describes most all of the security aspects available though not all may be implemented at any given time nor may all be implemented between any given pair of devices. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth offer a series of robust security methods and protocols. When security procedures are fully implemented, the effort required to violate the security of these networks is substantial, but within the capabilities of a determined hacker. In a corporate LAN environment, Wi-Fi is more susceptible to security breaches than is Bluetooth due to the vulnerability of the WEP protocol. In order to be certain of protecting sensitive information, additional security measures should be used in

conjunction with those outlined by the 802.11b and Bluetooth standards; some vendors, including Pico, already offer additional implementations or the ability to work in conjunction with other security protocols. The most likely circumstances under which security will be breached are those in which the most basic security precautions have not been exercised. For Wi-Fi, this might mean the operation of a WLAN in open system mode. For Bluetooth, this might mean the use of an easily guessed password, such as 0000, the default on many systems.

The vast majority of Bluetooth applications, e.g. synchronization, peer-to-peer file transfer, headset, Internet access, have only moderate security requirements. Bluetooth offers the flexibility to keep user involvement to a minimum unless extra security precautions are deemed necessary. This flexible security approach enables the user to strike a balance between the level of protection required and ease of use.

EASE OF USE
Numerous considerations come to mind when considering how easy it is to make use of wireless technologies. These include how easy it is to set up a connection, how easy it is to engage applications and how comfortable is the device to use. CONNECTING When a user wishes to connect to a LAN, Wi-Fi offers a simpler procedure, as it has been optimized for this function. Assuming a WLAN card is already in place, the user need merely turn on her computing device and enter the necessary authenticating user name and password. The user is then on the network. For Bluetooth, the process is lengthier, possibly requiring each of the following steps: 1) device discovery; 2) device connection; 3) the establishment of a LAN access connection; 4) the establishment of a PPP connection; 5) PIN entry; 6) network user name and password entry. Though most of these steps can be accomplished with a single click of the mouse or tap of the stylus, the entire process could take as long as 30 seconds. The fact that Bluetooth enables communication between disparate device types using many different types of applications means, inevitably, that some procedures will take longer with Bluetooth than with applicationspecific technologies such as Wi-Fi. In order to streamline this process, Pico has developed a proprietary application -- PicoConnect -- that allows onetouch network access. For an ad hoc peer-to-peer communication scenario, the picture is somewhat different. In Wi-Fi, a network administrator may become involved to make the appropriate settings to the STAs as well as to choose an appropriate channel in which to operate the peer-to-peer network. If three channels (the maximum allowable) are already in use, the peer-to-peer network may not be able to be established. Finally, peer-to-peer networking works only for computers that are part of the same home network. The bottom line is that the establishment of a Wi-Fi peer-to-peer network requires some planning and preparation and works only for users within the same company whereas Bluetooth peer-to-peer interaction can truly be done on an ad hoc basis.

Of course, there are many scenarios in Bluetooth that have no equivalent in Wi-Fi. One that comes to mind is the use of a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone as an Internet access point, as described earlier in this paper. This connection between a notebook or PDA and mobile phone can be accomplished quickly if the devices are already known to each other and trusted. A user can connect by simply discovering the phone and establishing a point-to-point connection. PORTABILITY As mentioned earlier, Bluetooth draws far less power than Wi-Fi. As a result, devices that use Bluetooth to communicate with an AP can do so in their native configurations while maintaining substantial battery life. Devices that use Wi-Fi to connect to a network must either contend with substantially reduced battery life or add battery power and, hence, size and weight -- to support Wi-Fi. Additionally, Bluetooth is being built directly into PDA devices, thus further minimizing their weight and footprint. Due to its power consumption, built-in Wi-Fi in PDAs is not anticipated, thus necessitating the addition of a PC card, at the very least. For devices already equipped with Bluetooth, the continued use of the Bluetooth capability for LAN and Internet access appears to make more sense for the user than changing back and forth between the two.

COEXISTENCE OF BLUETOOTH AND WI-FI

The explosion in Wi-Fi WLAN installations and the anticipated growth in the use of Bluetoothenabled devices ensure that the two technologies will find themselves sharing space more and more often. The question naturally arises as to how these two technologies that both operate in the same 2.4 GHz spectrum will get along.

BLUETOOTH AND WI-FI TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

Bluetooth supports both voice links and data links within an eight-node piconet. Bluetooth radios transmit intermittently over a bandwidth of 1 MHz and they hop from one 1 MHz channel to another at a rate of 1600 hops per second. This technique is known as frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS). As discussed previously, most Bluetooth devices transmit at a power level of up to1 mW (0 dBm).

Wi-Fi technology uses a technique known as direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) to transmit data at up to 11 Mbps across a 22 MHz channel. Up to three channels can be deployed simultaneously in the 79 MHz ISM band. The technology employs a technique to avoid collisions that requires an acknowledgment from the receiving device (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance); a Wi-Fi device will retransmit a packet if the acknowledgment is not received. Typical RF power for Wi-Fi devices is between 30 mW and 100 mW.

Fi and Bluetooth. This might be a notebook computer that uses Wi-Fi to connect to the LAN and Bluetooth to connect to other devices such as printers or a PDA. In this case, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios will be in close proximity. The second scenario is one in which Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are not collocated in the same device but used in separate devices that are some distance apart from each other. This is a more common scenario today and might include a user with a laptop computer connected to the network via Wi-Fi sharing space with another employee using a PDA to connect to the network via a Bluetooth AP. When considering the degree of interference between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, its also important to define the period over which the interference may occur. To wit, when both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are simultaneously transmitting or receiving in close proximity to each other, one would expect to see the worstcase interference. However, when evaluating the actual effect on a user, one must consider an entire day and the type and frequency of traffic that is likely to occur over the course of that day. This type of analysis captures the fact that although there may be moments of high interference, those moments are few and far between and that the overall user experience is a positive one. At the end of the day, the question is not necessarily do the technologies interfere with each other? but rather, do the coexist well together? The former is an academic question; the latter is a practical one focused on the endusers experience.

HOW AND WHY BLUETOOTH AND WI-FI INTERFERE

Interference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi will occur any time there is an overlap of both time and frequency between transmissions associated with each technology. Interference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi occurs when: a) a Wi-Fi receiver senses a Bluetooth signal at the same time a Wi-Fi signal is being sent to it; and/or b) a Bluetooth receiver senses a Wi-Fi signal at the same time a Bluetooth signal is being sent to it. Bluetooth is considered less susceptible to interference because of its frequency hopping capability. It has the ability to hop away from interfering signals and does so pseudo-randomly. Wi-Fi is considered more susceptible to interference because it inhabits a specific 22 MHz passband and cannot hop away from interference as Bluetooth can. Its collision avoidance mechanism also results in retransmission following Bluetooth interference events, leading to successful transmission but reduced throughput.

INTERFERENCE SCENARIOS
There are a nearly infinite number of scenarios in which one might find Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices coexisting and countless variables that will affect the degree to which interference occurs between the two. Variables include the number of devices in question; the distance between affected devices; RF output power of the equipment; the type of transmission, e.g. voice or data; the nature of the packets being sent; and the density of the transmissions, i.e. load factor. To simplify matters, two fundamental physical scenarios can be considered. The first is one in which a single device is equipped with both Wi-

INTERFERENCE TESTING RESULTS

As Bluetooth is seeing commercial deployment only just now, there exist few real-world tests measuring the interference effects between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The results in this section draw on published results of modeling the interaction between the two technologies, one real world test as well as on some of our own preliminary testing. The Mobilian Corporation has created a sophisticated computer model that simulates the interaction between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices; the model appears to correspond well to actual performance . The companys focus is on the first scenario identified above collocated

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Using the simulation model, the company categorizes Wi-Fi performance degradation scenarios for collocated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices in the following decreasing order of severity: The most severe interference occurs when a Wi-Fi device, such as a PC card, is collocated with a Bluetooth device, such as an embedded mini-PCI card. This scenario would be likely to occur in a notebook computer with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled and would correspond to a separation between devices of 10 cm or less. Slightly less severe effects are observed when a transmitting Bluetooth device, such as a PDA, is part of the same piconet as a Bluetooth device that is colocated with a Wi-Fi device, as above, and is at a typical range of 1 to 1 meters from the collocated devices. The least severe effect is observed when a Bluetooth interferer is outside of the collocated Bluetooth devices piconet and is located at least 2 meters away. The message from this analysis is that collocated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices are both likely to experience significant interference, with Wi-Fi being most affected. Thus, this collocation scenario requires the development of techniques to minimize or eliminate interference between the protocols. The scenario described in the last bullet equates most closely to interference between separate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, a situation more likely to occur in practice until new technology is available to allow Wi-Fi and Bluetooth collocation in the same device. Mobilian also draws some conclusions, based on its model, about the non-collocated device scenario. Their analysis concludes that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices separated by a meter or more will yield graceful degradation of the protocols that is unlikely to be noticed by most users. Our own preliminary testing supports this conclusion. In tests at Pico Communications, two notebook computers were placed in close proximity one equipped with a Bluetooth PC card (both Class I and Class III) and the other equipped with a WiFi PC card (100 mW). A Wi-Fi AP (100 mW) and a Bluetooth AP (100 mW) were placed at either end of a hallway, each approximately 7m from the computers and each with an unobstructed line-of-sight view to both

computers. To simulate worst-case interference, files were downloaded from the network simultaneously onto both computers. File download was selected as this represents the asymmetric traffic common to most networks. Wi-Fi throughput was measured first without Bluetooth running and then at distances of 1m, 2m and 3m between computers. The results are shown in Table 5.

Based on their experiment, Wi-Fi throughput reduction in the presence of continuous Bluetooth activity may or may not be significant at 1m and above, depending on the output power of the client device. For Class III clients the most common the reduced throughput even at 1m is unlikely be noticeable (24% reduction). When the interferer is a Class I client, throughput reduction at 1m is significant (87% reduction) but quickly approaches full rate as the distance between devices is increased beyond 1m (note the lower baseline rate in this test). The reduced throughput associated with both Class I and Class III clients at 2m and 3m is measurable but also unlikely to be noticeable to an end-user. In a less scientific experiment, they observed no noticeable degradation in a streaming video signal on either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth equipped notebooks when both were in simultaneous operation. Exhibit 1 below is a photograph of this experiment.

None of the tests or models mentioned so far take into account the actual probability of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi being in simultaneous operation and, as such, represent worst-case or near worst-case scenarios. To measure the effect

on an actual user during the course of a given day, one must take into account a likely mix and duration of traffic in a typical office environment. This type of analysis was carried out in. An office environment was modeled with typical usage assumptions and a piconet collocated with each Wi-Fi STA. The conclusions regarding the effect of Bluetooth transmission on Wi-Fi performance were as follows: Wi-Fi performance degrades gracefully in the presence of interference from Bluetooth systems; Assuming a baseline throughput of 7 Mbps (note: 5 Mbps is typically observed in practice), throughput will be 5 Mbps or greater 95.6% of the time and 3 Mbps or greater 99.5% of the time when the distance between the STA and AP is 20m; Maximum throughput can be maintained 95.6% and 97.8% of the time at 10m of separation and 4m of separation, respectively, between the STA and the AP. Of course, the actual numbers will vary in practice but the message is clear: in a typical office environment, episodes of measurable interference are likely to be the exception rather than the norm. Another point highlighted by the results is not surprisingly -- that the distance between devices and APs has an effect on the interference. This is because interference is a function of signal-to-noise ratio. One last issue of interference to address is the effect of Wi-Fi systems on Bluetooth system performance. As noted above, our own lab tests showed good performance for Bluetooth in the presence of Wi-Fi interference. One study seeks to model Bluetooth throughput reduction in the presence of Wi-Fi interference. Using assumptions similar to those in, the following results were observed: Under defined normal traffic conditions on the WLAN, Bluetooth voice is unaffected as long as the distance between the two Bluetooth devices is less than 2m. If that distance increases to 10m, the probability of noticeable interference rises to 8%; Under defined normal traffic conditions on the WLAN, the Bluetooth data channel has, at a 2m separation between devices, a 3.2% probability of having a

throughput reduction of 10% or more. When separation is increased to 10m, the probability of a 10% or greater throughput reduction increases to 24%. The upper limit on Bluetooth throughput reduction is 22%, corresponding to the overlap of the 802.11b channel with the entire ISM band (79 MHz) over which Bluetooth operates.

Note that the Bluetooth voice channel will experience more degradation than the Bluetooth data channel. The data channel applies retransmission in the event of a failed packet and is thus able to cope with interference. The voice channel, on the other hand, is a connectionoriented link with no retransmission capabilities. It is thus more susceptible to degradation. Finally, one researcher has measured the throughput performance of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as mutual interferers. The experiments show that Bluetooth throughput is impacted when a Wi-Fi device is operating very close to it but that throughput is approximately 90% of baseline independent of range once the Wi-Fi device is moved away. The study concludes that both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices obtain a large majority of the throughput that would be available to them without interference as long as they are moved a reasonable distance from each other.

OPTIONS FOR INTERFERENCE

REDUCING

Based on the analyses cited above, we believe that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interference is not a significant concern within an office environment. Nevertheless, network designers or IT managers seeking to minimize any potential interference between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth systems can follow a few simple guidelines to help ensure optimal coexistence between the two technologies. Ensure adequate spacing between Wi-Fi APs and Bluetooth APs to minimize the probability of interference between the two types of devices most likely to be transmitting; Do not deploy any devices that are simultaneously equipped with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi; Increase the number of Wi-Fi APs deployed in order to yield a shorter

average distance between wireless LAN STAs and APs.

FUTURE TRENDS

DEVELOPMENTS

AND

Aware of the potential for interference between the technologies, the IEEE has formed the Coexistence Task Group 2 in order to develop recommendations for coexistence between WLANs and WPANs. (Note: the IEEE has adopted Bluetooth as the 802.15.1 WPAN standard). The goal of the taskforce is to reduce the probability of the two technologies transmitting at the same time; it is pursuing two approaches to achieving this objective. The first approach is known as non-collaborative, in which no exchange of information is used between the two wireless networks. The second approach is known as collaborative, in which the WLAN and the WPAN exchange information in order to minimize mutual interference. Aside from the progress being made by the IEEE, companies such as Mobilian (cited above) are developing their own proprietary solutions for minimizing interference between the two technologies. Their focus is on enabling the simultaneous deployment of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the same chip. In addition to ongoing work to enhance coexistence in the 2.4 GHz band, another Wireless LAN technology 802.11h and x that addresses the security loopholes, is expected to reach the market by the end of 2004. The 802.11a technology operates in the 5 GHz band and uses an entirely different coding technique than does Wi-Fi to achieve maximum data throughput of 54 Mbps or more. The mere fact that 802.11a operates in the 5 GHz band means that it will be subject to far less interference than its 802.11b cousin; should 802.11a become the wireless LAN of choice, the question of coexistence between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in the 2.4 GHz band will certainly become less of a concern. The 802.11g operates at 100Mbps.

MAKING ROOM FOR THEM:

MAKING ROOM FOR BLUETOOTH:The buzzing of your alarm clock interrupts you from a shallow sleep. You turn over, wipe the sleep from your eyes, and glance across the room at the large digital numbers that are seemingly floating in air beside your

bedroom door. It's six o'clock, time to rise and shine. Sliding your feet to the floor, you reach out your arm, grab a credit card-sized remote control unit, and press a button; the buzzing of the alarm goes silent. You press another button on the remote and soft music fills the room, emanating from the compact stereo system sitting on your dresser, on the other side of the room. With another push of a button the lights start to rise, and you hear the sounds of your shower turning on. When you know the water is warm enough, you step under the showerhead for the kind of pulsing hot shower that really gets you going. After your shower you dry off, pull on your robe, and shuffle to the kitchen. There, a fresh pot of coffee is brewing at just the right temperature, and two slices of toast pop up from the gleaming chrome toaster as you walk by the counter, as if on command. You reach inside the refrigerator for some orange marmalade, and a slightly accented female voice speaks to you from the front of the refrigerator door, reminding you to stop and pick up groceries on the way home from work. As you sit down at the kitchen table to eat your toast and marmalade, you pick up a thin pad about the size of the Etch-A-Sketch toy you had as a kid. This pad isn't a toy, however; you press a button on the side of the pad and the front page of today's newspaper appears on the pad's super-sharp electronic screen. You flip through the pages with the press of a button, finishing the newspaper-and your breakfast-in a matter of minutes. You put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher and return to your bedroom to get dressed for work. On your way out the door, you pick up your palm-sized personal digital assistant, which is lying on the kitchen counter. A quick check of the PDA's screen confirms that your spouse has assembled a shopping list for your visit to the grocery store, and downloaded the list to your PDA. You smile to yourself at your spouse's efficiency, and then you walk through the kitchen and out into the garage, ready for your morning commute.

MAKING ROOM FOR WI-FI:Hotels have been amongst the first to embrace Wi-Fi. These include Taj, Oberoi, ITC, Leela, Sarovar park Plaza Hotels, Le Royal meridian, Hyatt, and others who are offering wireless connectivity, some across all their

branch hotels in India. Hotel marine plaza in Mumbai was the latest hotel to become a hotspot, but connectivity is available only in the lobby area and the coffee shop Geoffreys. Most hotels offer guest a PCMCIA card to plug in to their laptop and charge anything from Rs.100 per hour to Rs.1000 for a 24-hour period. And guests can move from room to room without getting disconnected. A WIRELESS CLASS APART:Students can now roam around the campus and get access to the internet, finish assignments, do research and communicate with classmates, faculty and family. Some educational institutes offering Wi-Fi are Pathways World School, Guraon while most IITs and IIMs, Anna University, Annamalai University, and International School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad, Mount Zion College of Engineering and Technology have also become hotspots. MONEY MATTERS:Banking is also opting for Wi-Fi in a bigway. Some of the hotspot bank includes HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank etc. PUBLIC SERVICE HOTSPOTS:The villages go hi-tech .More than 200 villages in western Maharashtra have been WiFied, so that villagers can get agricultural access systems right at their doorsteps. In Madhya Pradesh too, a rural district opted for Wi-Fi to help local women access information right from their homes instead of truing miles. An 85-km long Wi-Fi digital bridge has also come up between Kanpur and Lucknow, created by a research team of media lab Asia, this project is working on outdoor wireless connectivity for longer distances.

o o

Bluetooth operates in the 2.4 GHz area of the spectrum, and provides a Range of 10 meters. It offers transfer speeds of around 720 Kbps. Bluetooth devices are connected to each other; they form a network called Piconet. Each piconet can have a master, and up to seven slaves. To accommodate interference from other signals, Bluetooth uses frequency hopping. To conserve power, devices can go into three modes when they arent actively involved in a piconet. In increasing order of power consumption, they can be in park mode, hold mode and sniff mode. All the slave devices in a piconet are assigned an active member address (AM_ADDR).when a slave enters the park mode; it will give up its AM_ADDR and get a park address, PM_ADDR. One of Bluetooths advantages is that it can handle both data (asynchronous) and voice (synchronous), which others such as infra-red cant. Every Bluetooth devices has a 48-bit BDAddr (Bluetooth device address) burned into its ROM. This address cant be easily changed by the user. A Bluetooth device can be set to periodically scan for other devices in its vicinity or users can perform manual scans.

WI-FI TECHNOLOGY:o Bluetooth is a convenient way of communication for a personal network, but it is not suitable as an LAN replacement, or for perennial data transfer. Wi-Fi and abbreviation for wireless fidelity, is a wireless standard that promises mobility while offering data rates comparable to those of a wired LAN. Wi-Fi is a collection of standards ratified by the IEEE. In 1997; IEEE approved the 802.11 standard, which laid down the specification for wireless LAN. Revisions were made to this standard and these resulted in three other

SUMMARY:
BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY:o Bluetooth is designed to be a personal area network, where participating entities are mobile and require sporadic communication with others. Its omni directional. o

standards, namely 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g.The entire family of 802.11 standards is collectively called Wi-Fi. The name Wi-Fi was first given to the 802.11b standard. Approved in 1999, 802.11b Offered extensions to the original 802.11 that improved the highest data rate from 2 Mbps to 11 Mbps. It operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency range, like as the original and has a range of about 300 feet. The latest is 802.11g that has the highest data rate of 100Mbps. 802.11a is a standard that operates at a frequency of 5 GHz, and hence it is incompatible with 802.11b. The range of 802.11a is lower than that 802.11b; hence, more access points are needed to cover a large area. 802.11a is less susceptible to interference when compared to other standards such as 802.11b. To solve the limitation of b and at the same time provide the speed of a, the 802.11g was introduced. 802.11g offers speeds of 100 Mbps, while maintaining compatibility with 802.11b networks, while maintaining compatibility with 802.11b networks, so a laptop with an 802.11g card will be able to use an 802.11b access point. Wi-Fi has a basic level of security provided at the physical level, called WEP. All Wi-fi products come with a 40-bit encryption key. A 104-bit encryption key is also available, and it is recommended that the largest available key should be used.

portable devices. With low power consumption and user friendliness, Bluetooth has all the requirements of a personal area network. Those who need to transfer data on a regular basis and prefer portable device should definably opt for Bluetooth. CONS:In spite of promises that Bluetooth support will be cheap, consumers avoid this due to the cost. A Bluetooth USB sticks costs about Rs 2,000, which may be on the higher side of main stream customers. The cost is expected to come down to Rs 250. Dont think this technology as a LAN replacement, though. DEVICE USING BLUETOOTH:Bluetooth is slowly beginning to reach the hands of consumers. Most premium-range mobiles and PDAs support Bluetooth; it has started appering in the main stream range as well. Users buying mobiles phones, or PDAs should look for Bluetooth enable devices .Using Bluetooth, you can transfer contacts, ring tones, images etc., between devices easily.

HOW WI-FI WORKS:

SYSTEM SUPPORT: For a system to connect to a Wi-Fi network, it should have a Wi-Fi card, or an access point connected to it. Wi-Fi network cards are like normal network cards that plug into PCI slots, but have a protruding antenna. Its also possible to plug an external Wi-Fi adapter into a USB port. Once network card are installed and configured, the system can connect to any Wi-Fi network. PROS: Given the current situation, Wi-Fi should be adopted when there is a demand for High speed on the move. Wi-Fi is suited for corporate with several executives roaming around the office with their laptops. Home looking for a means to share a broad band internet connection can also consider adopting Wi-Fi. CONS: A wireless setup is rather expensive when compared to a regular LAN. Also since Wi-Fi drains batteries much quicker, PDA users should avoid using it-especially if they have a

HOW BLUETOOTH WORKS:SYSTEM SUPPORT:The easiest way to enable Bluetooth support in a system is to attach Bluetooth USB sticks. Some motherboards, such as MSI KT3 Ultra2-BR, come with inbuilt Bluetooth support. Once plugged into the system, youll have to install the drivers for the device to start using it. The system will then periodically scan the surroundings for Bluetooth devices. PROS:Currently Bluetooth offers the best solution for hassle-free communication between

Bluetooth option available. It is difficult to provide Wi-Fi network, as it is difficult to control access to the network. DEVICE USING WI-FI: While Wi-Fi may be widely used for communication between computers, there are PDAs that support it. Its also possible to add Wi-Fi support to a PDA by inserting a Wi-Fi card in to the SD (secure Digital) slot. PDA such as the Toshiba e750 have inbuilt support for WiFi. Nokia announced plans to build mobile phones that can seamlessly switch between 802.11b and public networks. The major problem with Wi-Fi is the high power consumption, which mobile devices just cant afford.

either system. The trick is to minimize the likelihood of an attack by using the available security measures in other words, locking the front door. If locking the front door is not enough, both technologies can be used in conjunction with additional security measures that will further minimize their vulnerability. Of course, many Bluetooth users may not be especially concerned about security given the relatively mundane nature of most Bluetooth transmissions. For this reason, Bluetooth offers multiple layers of security protection, allowing users to invoke or to be subject to stronger security measures only when required. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth coexist well together under most circumstances. Though they both occupy the same frequency spectrum, and are thus subject to interference with each other, the degree of interference will not be noticeable to most users over the course of a typical day, as long as the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices are separated by 1 meter or more. Both industry and standards bodies are developing solutions to minimize interference between the two technologies with the goal of enabling simultaneous operation of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the same device. Wireless Ethernet connectivity is evolving. Since the end of 2001, companies have been shipping access points based on the 802.11a standard. This newer standard operates at more than four times the rate of 802.11b and it operates in a different frequency band 5 GHz. If 802.11g becomes the WLAN technology of choice -- as it appears ready to do -- the distinction between WLAN and Bluetooth will be made even greater. The 802.11g standard will become the highspeed network access technology of choice, while Bluetooth will cement its position as the universal connectivity standard and as the Internet access technology of choice for small devices.

CONCLUSIONS:
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are complementary not competing technologies. Wi-Fi is intended to be a wireless replacement for Ethernet LANs. Its designed to enable portable devices such as notebook computers to easily move about an office or campus environment, while maintaining connectivity to the corporate LAN. It can also be used to rapidly set up a LAN among desktop computers without pulling CAT-5 cable. Bluetooth, on the other hand, is a generic access technology meant for wirelessly connecting devices of all types, shapes and sizes. Its intended to be ubiquitous, allowing the formation of ad hoc networks between devices wherever they may be located, with or without the users intervention. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi do share some functional overlap. Like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth has the ability to connect devices to a LAN or to the Internet using a Bluetooth AP. However, the Bluetooth niche is with small devices such as PDAs that have limited battery life. Due to its power-miserly nature, Bluetooth allows these devices to achieve network access while simultaneously maintaining long battery life. Of course, both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi will be found on both notebooks and PDAs and it will be up to users to make the tradeoff between speed and battery life when accessing a network. Both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have strong security measures built-in that are sufficient for most circumstances and applications. As is always the case when protecting something of value, a determined hacker will be able to break into

PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY:

The following hardware components were used: Two laptops of the following specification were taken: LAPTOP 1: System Model: Dell Precision M50 Workstation, Mobile Intel Pentium 4- M CPU-1.8Ghz 789 MHz, 512 MB RAM, OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 2002 Service Pack 1 LAPTOP 2: System Model: 1200XL - Compaq Presario, Celeron - 633 MHz, 4.5 GB HDD, 128 MB RAM, OS: Windows 98 Two Belkins Bluetooth USB Adapters were attached to the above laptops: ADAPTER 1: BD_Addr: 0003C92D5225 ADAPTER2: BD_Addr: 0003C92D5226 The Bluetooth piconet was set up as shown below in the diagram:

BLUETOOTH NETWORK:

BLUETOOTH SETTINGS CONFIGURATION:

AND

To customize the configuration settings of Bluetooth software for Windows operating system, follow the instructions described below: 1. Right click on the Bluetooth icon on the righthand side of the task bar of your screen. The Bluetooth Configuration window appears to allow you to customize the configuration settings of Explore, Setup, or Services. In the Setup menu, there are two extended items, Security and Configuration.

i) The Notifications tab lets you associate a sound (Windows *.wav file) with specific Bluetooth events.

2. Click on Configuration. a) The General tab of Configuration allows you to customize the devices user name, type, and security type. b) The Accessibility tab allows you to specify which individual devices are allowed to access the users computer. c) The Discovery tab allows you to specify which individual devices, type of, or class of device the users computer is allowed access to. d) The Information Exchange tab allows you to specify the location of different types of files. e) The Local Services tab indicates the services this computer makes available to the other computers. f) The Client Applications tab indicates the properties of each application. g) The Hardware tab indicates device information of the users hardware. h) The Version Info tab indicates the module version of the users software component.

PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF WI-FI TECHNOLOGY:

In this report we show you how we created a Wi-Fi network using 2.4 GHz USB Wireless Adapter DWL-122 and DI614+2.4GHz Wireless Router 5V DC Power Adapter. Thus we can access the laptop from a

Wi-Fi PDA through the access point. The LAN can also be accessed through it. We have also created a peer-to-peer network to link up a Wi-Fi enabled PDA and a laptop directly without the access point. The following section explains how to configure the network.

DI-614+2.4GHZ ROUTER 5V ADAPTER:-

WIRELESS DC POWER

2.4GHZ ADAPTER

USB

WIRELESS DWL-122:

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Living digital, Vol.8 issues, 11.November 2003, Pg.84-85 Living digital, Vol.9 issues, 01.January 2004, Pg.62-64 CHIP magazine, January 2004, Volume1, Issue 3, Page 129 Digit, January 2004, Volume 4 issue 1, Pg.102-105 Wi-fi Home Networking, Raymond Smith Nathan.J.Muller, Bluetooth Demystified (2001), p.p. 1-36,4447,123-148, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company. Manish Jain, Bluetooth The Basics (2001), p.p 1-26, 104-105, 130-152, BPB Publications. Anil Kumar, The Bluetooth Protocol Stack, p.p 33-36, Information Technology Magazine, (Vol 11; No.3, January 2002) Prasanto.K.Roy, The Phone Collector, p.p 66, Computers @ Home Magazine, (Vol 7; Issue.1, January 2002) www.bluetooth.com Hasan Jawaid Khan, "Smart Homes of the Future", pp.: 9-15, 50, The Science Reporter Magazine, (May 2002) www.HAL2000.com www.homeseer.com Michael Miller, Discovering Bluetooth, 2001, SYBEX. Dean. A. Gratton, Bluetooth Profiles The Definitive Guide, 2003, Prentice Hall. Jim Geier, Wireless LAN, 2nd Edition2002, SAMS. http://www.codeproject.com http://www.kjhole.com http://learning.ericsson.net/bluetoothde mo http://learning.ericsson.net/bluetoothde mo/content/lesson1/blx11101.html http://opensource.nus.edu.sg/projects/bl uetooth/noosphere/saferfigures.pdf http://opensource.nus.edu.sg/projects/bl uetooth/noosphere/safertweak.doc http://www.palowireless.com/bluetooth/ http://www.rococo.com http://www.techonline.com/community/ tech_topic/bluetooth http://www.techonline.com/pdf/pavillio ns/standards/kct_bluetooth.pdf

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