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Wireless Networking Hardware

ZigBee Low-Power Wireless Networking 155

Posted by michael from the bzzz-bzzz dept.
asmithmd1 writes "Do you you have a great idea for a wireless device that really doesn't need the 1 Mbit/sec (and high power consumption) of Bluetooth? Well you will have a new choice soon, ZigBee. Zigbee is the trademark for IEEE 802.15 Personal Area network low data rate standard. Designed to run in low power 8 bit devices at data rates of 20k bits/second, a ZigBee node will run for months if not years on one set of batteries. With heavy hitters like Motorola and Phillips behind it and chips available soon for half the cost of bluetooth, it looks like it will become a reality."
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ZigBee Low-Power Wireless Networking More

ZigBee Low-Power Wireless Networking

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  • Well? (Score:3, Funny)

    by grennis ( 344262 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @07:56PM (#6593257)
    Do you you have a great idea for a wireless device that really doesn't need the 1 Mbit/sec (and high power consumption) of Bluetooth?

    No. Next question?

    • Wearable wireless networked devices the size of your watch. You could check your email while sitting in a pool!
      • Exactly. The 'Dick Tracy Wristwatch' is just around the corner.

        Should be prior art, no one should ever, ever get a patent for the equivalent of the 'Dick Tracy Wristwatch'.

    • Re:Well? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by RicktheBrick ( 588466 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @09:47PM (#6593683)
      I can think of a lot that would only require 1 bit per second. A flow indicator on water,gas or electricity lines would tell the computer if there was flow on any particular line than if the computer knew by sensors on the users of that flow could determine if the flow was caused by a leak or short. The computer could either notify someone or take corrective action on it own. Automatic control of blinds by the need or lack of need of heat in that room. Automatic fans that would turn on if the outside temperature is less than the inside temperature and it is not raining . I could see a home with hundreds or thousands of sensors if they could be produce cheaply enough.

    • Re:Well? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Fishead ( 658061 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @11:15PM (#6593994)
      This would ROCK at work. Most of our problems (production plant) stem from flexing and bending sensor wires. If we could just tie all the sensors on a machine into wireless interfaces, my job would be twice as easy... but... then they wouldn't need as many technicians.

      Forget it, the idea stinks.

  • This will be great (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 01, 2003 @07:56PM (#6593258)
    For connecting my fridge to the internet. Also, my lightbulbs. Those need IP addresses, too.

    • Re:This will be great (Score:4, Funny)

      by keesh ( 202812 ) * on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:08PM (#6593325) Homepage
      Ah, right. Let me guess... You're a MIT student, and you need to justify your hording of an entire class A block.

      • Re:This will be great (Score:5, Funny)

        by Motherfucking Shit ( 636021 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:23PM (#6593398) Journal
        Ah, right. Let me guess... You're a MIT student, and you need to justify your hording of an entire class A block.
        An entire class A? MIT has 10317 students [mit.edu]. When you divide MIT's /8 (16387064 addressable IPs, excluding .0s and .255s) among these students, that means that each MIT student only has a paltry 1588 IP addresses. Let's assume that, for each student, a quarter of his IPs are used up by administrative servers around campus, now all of a sudden each MIT student has only 1191 IP addresses for his or her own personal use!

        An entire class A, hah! What is a poor student supposed to do with such few IPs, you insensitive clod?! That's barely enough to assign a unique network address to each pr0n movie ;)

        • Re:This will be great (Score:1)

          by Anonymous Coward
          It's this kinda crap that means we need to move to IPv6. I mean, out of all the class As, I see maybe a half-dozen that are actually used properly (9., 10., 15., 32.). Fucking academics... They should play by the rules and stop thinking having a /8 will get them laid.
        • Nortel Networks has an entire class A block, too...

          ...Split between the 17 people they haven't laid off yet...

    • Not only that... (Score:2, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I've determined that several of my IP addresses really should have their own IP addresses! I mean, 10.6.6.6 is pretty lonely there all by himself, I've often thought about the need to assign several IP addresses to him. But then, those IP addresses would need some company of their own...

      Who says we don't need millions of addresses per square millimeter of the Earth's surface?! ipv6, here I come, with exponential redundancy! We'll be needing ipv256 in no time ;)
    • now i just have to get my house wired with inductive power sources, then my plan will complete:
      to have my computing peripherals all be shiny metal objects with no wires whatsoever.

  • Ah great (Score:4, Informative)

    by keesh ( 202812 ) * on Friday August 01, 2003 @07:58PM (#6593265) Homepage
    Yet more interference. As it is any time anyone uses a wireless phone (2.4GHz), bluetooth device (2.4GHz), radio headphones (2.4GHz) or microwave (everything) my 802.11b (2.4GHz) connection dies...
    • You need better 802.11b hardware.

      The difference between cheap and expensive RF hardware is how it performs in the presence of strong signals from other devices.

    • Re:Ah great (Score:4, Informative)

      by dtmos ( 447842 ) on Saturday August 02, 2003 @06:56AM (#6594976)
      Keep in mind that 15.4 by design supports very low duty cycle operation--that's one way it gets its low average power consumption (by being asleep a lot). For this reason it will produce very little interference in most 2.4 GHz applications. In addition, 15.4 has a second physical layer, covering the European 868.0-868.6 MHz and the North/South American/Australian/etc. 902-928 MHz bands, so if 2.4 GHz interference troubles you, you can always move to the other bands.

  • WHAT? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by phreak03 ( 621876 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:01PM (#6593288) Homepage Journal
    yes, the 2.4 ghz is getting oversaturated, but the FCC needs to open up more spectrum, as for uses, it will have some, (and yes better than toasters wasteing IP's, just NAT/IPv6 that stuff). WIll it be overhyped like bluetooth? yes. Will it be completely unessesary in some cases (IE, wi-fi in a palm) Yes. lets just hope that this protical does checking to see if a channel is in use (like wi-fi) and not act like bluethooth's channel hopping spred spectrum stuff
    • What's wrong with frequency hopping? That allows many people to use the same stuff in the same local at the same time.. and since it's such low bandwidth.. a little interferance doesn't hurt.. would you rather slow? or not at all? Direct Sequence will shut down if it gets interferance on the channel, frequency hopping will keep going if it gets interferance on a channel.

      • Re:WHAT? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by TheSync ( 5291 ) on Saturday August 02, 2003 @10:46AM (#6595542) Journal
        DS SS using CDMA provides a wide range of orthogonal codes for frequency re-use. That is why CDMA is popular for cellphones, because the RF path is the same for all receivers and transmitters, they just use different spreading codes.

        There is some level of interference between different spreading codes, but it is small and looks like additive guassian white noise (AGWN), which is more easilly handled than fast-fading or Rayleigh channel models.

        FH can more easilly mark and avoid narrowband interference areas, but there is no problem with multiple CDMA DS devices operating in the same spectrum. You can also mark off narrowband interference areas with DS, but it is a little tougher to implement.
    • IEEE 802.15.4 systems (which are direct sequence spread spectrum) perform a channel scan prior to network establishment, to identify unused spectrum space and avoid interference with existing services. Further, they perform a carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA-CA) routine prior to the transmission of data packets, so they avoid transmitting on a busy channel. Finally, the 15.4 physical layer generates a link quality indication (LQI) value for each received packet. The LQI is sen

  • Will it replace iR? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by silvaran ( 214334 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:02PM (#6593295)
    I'm wondering how the cost and battery life would compare to infrared. It seems relatively cheap (to me at least, since just about every wireless remote I have is IR-based) to have a LED that emits IR light, but it would also be cool to have wireless remotes based on this technology. Sunlight coming in through the window can disrupt IR communications, and line of sight can get to be a pain depending on how the components are positioned. It also seems response time might be better, but I'm nss. I'm still running an IR remote on the batteries that came with it (4 AAAs) at 4 years and going, so battery life is a definite concern.

    • Re:Will it replace iR? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by niko9 ( 315647 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:23PM (#6593400)
      IIRC, the top speed on Ir is about 4Mps. Transferring common files like 3-5 megabyte MP3's might take way longer at this proposed 20kbps wireless rate. Almost every laptop produced in the last couple of years has Ir.

      Maybe this could be utlized in some kind of USB/Flash/Wireless keychain that could store user prefences. Walk upto a PC, and presto, your themes, wallpaper, IM buddy list etc, all before you. Walk away and everything is back to default.

      • Hey, that's my idea, you insensitive clod! I've been thinking of such a movable computer identity for a while now (only not wireless...I was thinking USB/Flash too :))

        I'd also include cookies, autocompletes, shortcut lists for different programs, mouse pointers, changed defaults/settings (guess 'themes' covers those last two), all in one big zip file with a little xml file pointing to the files in different directories in that zip file.

        It shouldn't be too hard to program, and I can see this being deployed
    • It does take more power to drive the LEDS than it would be taking to transmit the required power for a short distance (say 10 meters)
  • If I'm not mistaken, the WoZ general specifics said it would transmit at 20kbits/sec...now I'm wondering if this is the tech. Anyone know?

  • Personal alarm device? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by lokedhs ( 672255 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:03PM (#6593298)
    How about a small device that you embed in your bag, your wallet, and whatever valuables you carry around with you. If someone steals it (or you forget it) some other device that you still carry with you will sound a beep.

    This could be helpful both against pickpockets and easily distracted slashdotters. :-)

  • Correction (Score:5, Informative)

    by worst_name_ever ( 633374 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:03PM (#6593300)
    Zigbee is the trademark for IEEE 802.15 Personal Area network low data rate standard.

    Actually that's not entirely true. The 802.15.4 standard defines the physical radio behavior of the personal area network; ZigBee is the logical network and application software that runs on top of 802.15.

    Ref: ZigBee FAQ [zigbee.org]

  • Where do they get the names from? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Freaek ( 11909 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:04PM (#6593304)
    First bluetooth, now zigbee (wifi should be in here somewhere too I suppose), what do they do, get pissed in the office on a friday arvo and pull stupid arse names out of a hat?

    I can just see a group of marketroids sitting round in a room saying things like, "oh numbers, they'll never catch on" "quite so, we need something snazzier" "wait a minute, a bee is flying into my beer" "oh look, a ziggy cartoon"

    "EUREKA!!!!! lets call it ZigBee"

    "good idea, pass me another beer"
    • The slashdot wireless transport protocol will be henceforth called "GritzPants."

    • Bluetooth I can answer, but I'm so lazy I'm going to quote this [palowireless.com] instead:

      By the way if, you're wondering where the Bluetooth name originally came from, it named after a Danish Viking and King, Harald Blatand (translated as Bluetooth in English), who lived in the latter part of the 10th century. Harald Blatand united and controlled Denmark and Norway (hence the inspiration on the name: uniting devices through Bluetooth). He got his name from his very dark hair which was unusual for Vikings, Blatand means da

  • Hmmm... (Score:1, Funny)

    by xRizen ( 319121 )
    Will ZigBee nodes be known as "Zigs"?

    TAKE OFF ALL ZIGS

    *ducks*
    • zags.

    • That's "Take off every 'ZIG'!" For great justice, of course. CATS is behind this. Or some other affiliated force. The tradename "ZigBee" is clearly an amalgamation of bad Japanese shoot-'em-ups (TwinBee and Zero Wing!)

      But seriously. I could see this replacing/augmenting RFID at high-ticket stores, and perhaps being integrated into name badges or pagers... now you can take your IMs and emails with you.

      But it's basically text-only due to the low bandwidth, so... this is an interesting development, an

  • devices (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Klimaxor ( 264151 ) <jdunn AT sosbbs DOT com> on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:14PM (#6593353)
    wireless keyboards, wireless mice...they all could go with the whole "less battery consumption" idea. maybe those remotes rich people have that control the lights and radios in all 2390847 rooms in their oversized house. With only 20kbits/sec there isn't much that can be done other then controlling electronic devices. It's sure as hell too slow for any data transfer other then plain text.

    • Re:devices (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      wireless keyboards, wireless mice

      I'm with you there 100%. The biggest pains in the arse with wireless mice is both battery consumption (rechargeables do help some here) and the weight of the mouse itself. A mouse that only needs one small pencil battery and works for a month or more without needing a recharge or replacement would be ideal.

      What would be even more ideal is if this weren't needed as a separate technology, and if Bluetooth were capable of dropping to exceptionally low speeds (enough to run a
  • Ahhh Yes... I will stream 20k bits/second of data to all my 8 bit devices hangin around my general area....

  • Uses... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by x136 ( 513282 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:30PM (#6593422) Homepage
    I have to admit, my first thought was, "Great, another competing standard to make things more of a pain in the ass, AND it's slower."

    Then I realized that such a thing could have some uses. You know those little 8x24 LCD screens? It'd be cool to be able to mount one of those on the front of your monitor with the computer on the floor, without having to string a serial cable. All kinds of uses right there. Mmmm.

  • This is fantastic (Score:4, Insightful)

    by tjstork ( 137384 ) <todd.bandrowskyNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:33PM (#6593432) Homepage Journal

    This is a perfect solution for utilities trying to do real time monitoring of the consumption of gas, electricty and water.

    • Ya if you grow p0t it will be easier for them to check for electrical usage signatures from grow lights. Woa watch out there goes the rest of the British Columbia economy. And alot of Oregon too! Maybe all the hippies will just move to Silicon Valley and buy up all the cheap realestate after the Dragon Chip takes over.
    • I've seen this mentioned before, but this kind of wireless can be dangerous in some of such environments and is therefore rarely used; optical wiring is much better, as that doesn't send out energy all over the place, maybe creating a build up somewhere and accidentally setting alight that huge-ass canister of flamable gas/liquid you're monitoring.

      Of course, for monitoring water or the electricity meter, this would work...just don't expect to see it in a refinery.

  • wireless dildo (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    That follows the action as programmed on the 3rd audio channel on DVD's.

  • Realistic Expectations (Score:4, Insightful)

    by tchdab1 ( 164848 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:36PM (#6593442) Homepage
    "chips available soon for half the cost of bluetooth"

    Several years ago Bluetooth claimed to be available soon at low cost. It took longer to solve the problems, and it's cost more than expected at least initially.

    Eyes open please.

  • Environmental Monitoring (Score:5, Insightful)

    by ratfynk ( 456467 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:37PM (#6593445) Journal
    This could really help with broader data transfer on scientific studies. Remote environmental sensors along a sensitive part of a river transmitting to a data crunch relay, for studying fish habitat comes to mind. The 02 saturation, water temp stream level, even chemical changes could be easily watched during critical periods. I am sure there are very many other uses, building air conditioning zones, dangerous chemical sniffers. Really scookum alarm systems that can send all sorts of local data from different locations to a hub. As far as I am concerned the internet apps would be suitable for text mail, and thats about it but the broader practical applications are huge.
    • That's EXACTLY what I was thinking, remote monitoring. My dad works in industrial chemcials (mostly prepaint) and I remember spending $5K+ for an enclosure to house a $500 monitoring PC, the reason being that it had to allow probe leads in while keeping pickling house gasses out (pH of 5 or lower). If the probes could have been connected wirelessly with the PC outside the pickling room the total system cost would have been considerably lower.
      • see my posts slightly higher up; wireless energy can build up static charge which might combust those flamable gasses; that's why wireless isn't used and 'they' prefer optical lines to electrical wires where possible.
  • See my Dad was just wrong.... I shouldn't have gone into Plastic's, I should have gone into Batteries, so I could help all of these Wireless products actually last longer then a month!

  • Finally! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by JessLeah ( 625838 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @08:52PM (#6593492)
    I know that you speed demons on SlashDot laugh at anything this "low-speed", but for me this is a GODSEND. All I've ever wanted is a low-speed, low-power, reliable wireless tech that would let me bop around the apartment with a laptop and stay telnetted into my server (from which I connect to MU*s and read my email in PINE). I don't need 11Mbps, or 1Mbps, or even .5Mbps. This is exactly what I need, and it looks like the price is right.
    • I do not think you have actually tried accessing the Internet over a 19200bps modem (or slower). At that rate you have to lower your MTU in order to get a bearable telnetting experience. Receiving a 1500 bytes packet (such as when getting mail) takes almost a second. Just hope that this technology never ever drops a packet due to transmission errors or collissions. Add in that so far wireless technologies have a reputation for delivering about half the speed they promise. 10kbps then, which is about what mo
      • I HAVE, and I've done so on a slower link.

        You obviously didn't read what I said. I just want to telnet into a Unix box (which is on a FASTER LINK and which is located right here, one hop away from the slow-linked box). I won't BE "receiving mail" directly on the slow-linked box.

        Also, it's perfectly acceptable for running PINE or for MU*ing.
        • Ok, so you can at least avoid large packets on the link. Still, this is a half-duplex link, and the turnaround will most likely be pretty painful. Delays from keypress to server echo is very annoying. Of course you can switch to line mode, but that means goodbye to pine and vi...
  • Microsoft.Com doesn't need anything over a few kbps.

  • spelling (Score:5, Funny)

    by wwwillem ( 253720 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @09:05PM (#6593539) Homepage
    Why do people (well, mostly Americans) never write Motorolla, but too often write Phillips where it should be Philips. Or do people really think that an oil company is suddenly going into wireless electronics. Mmmm, with McDonalds going into the WiFi ISP business, you never know. And maybe those French fries are coming out of a pan of Phillips 66. :-).

    • Re:spelling (Score:3, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      I think you mean McDonallds.

      - Thjorska

    • Re:spelling (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Why do people (well, mostly Americans) never write Motorolla, but too often write Phillips where it should be Philips

      That's because Motorola is the only Motorola that Americans know. Whereas Phillip is a name that is most commonly seen spelled with two l's, hence the tendency to spell Philips with two l's.
    • Probably because there are billions and billions of people out there named Phillip with two l's. However, there's only one Motorola that I know of.

      Also, phonetically there's an elongation of the L pronunciation in Philips or Phillips that doesn't happen when you pronounce Motorola, which has a fast L that could only ever get one L for its spelling.

      In my opinion, Philip with one L, even though it is more common, is a misspelling, because when done phonetically it really needs two L's.

      Also, I think Philip

  • Why Bluetooth is (still) the Next Big Thing (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Jaeger ( 2722 ) * on Friday August 01, 2003 @09:17PM (#6593572) Homepage

    Two years ago, I had the privilage of participating in the IEEE Computer Soceity International Design Competition 2001 [computer.org], which gave university students (such as myself) the opportunity to build something useful out of Bluetooth. Back then, Bluetooth had been The Next Big Thing (tm) for maybe a year. The competition gave me a first-hand look at why Bluetooth is still The Next Big Thing (tm), two years later.

    Two years ago, Bluetooth seemed to be doing everything right. Created by Ericsson, and supported by 3Com, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba, it couldn't help but succeed. In the buzzword-compatible trade press, Bluetooth, and the Personal Area Networks it creates, are destined to change the way our handheld computing devices communicate with each other. That's great -- I'd love to use my Visor to read Slashdot headlines, using my wireless phone for its Internet connection. Bluetooth has a great vision, but (at least two years ago) it lacks something far more important: superior development tools. Without worthwhile development tools, and the documentation to back them up, only those with large pockets and iron wills will succeed. Curious students (like myself two years ago) will turn away sadly, wishing there were more, but doubting anything will ever happen.

    Why is it important that the small developers get involved? Palm created the handheld market not only by having a low-cost, easy-to-use handheld, but by allowing any kid in his parents' basement to develop PalmOS applications. Ninty-five percent of them may have been crap, but five percent of all the world's Palm-programming geeks is still a whole lot of stuff to attract the Palm-using masses.

    ZigBee looks fascinating, and it's something I'll keep my eye on, but unless they learn from Bluetooth's mistakes, it'll be a lot of radio noise for nothing.

  • This could be a great replacement for X-10 (Score:5, Interesting)

    by egarland ( 120202 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @09:19PM (#6593580)
    From the FAQ [zigbee.org]:

    ZigBee-compliant products operate in the unlicensed bands worldwide, including 2.4GHz (global), 915Mhz (Americas) and 868Mhz (Europe). Raw data throughput rates of 250Kbs can be achieved at 2.4GHz (10 channels), 40Kbs at 915Mhz (6 channels) and 20Kbs at 868Mhz (1 channel). Transmission distance is expected to range from 10 to 75 meters, depending on power output and environmental characteristics.
    I could see lots of nice things you could do with this. Your alarm clock could hop on the network and allow you to synch it's
    time to other devices (or vice/versa if it's a clock that set's itself from the Colorado time signal like mine)

    I could see joysticks using this.

    Light switches ala X-10.

    Water meters, power meters, gas meters, wireless thermometers and other sensors.

    VCR's could use it as an interface to allow configuration from a computer.

    TV's could use it as a way to implement a universal RF remote control.

    Apparently they already thought of some of these ideas.
    From the ZigBee FAQ:
    * Wireless home security
    * Remote thermostats for air conditioner
    * Remote lighting, drape controller
    * Call button for elderly and disabled
    * Universal remote controller to TV and radio
    * Wireless keyboard, mouse and game pads
    * Wireless smoke, CO detectors
    * Industrial and building automation and control (lighting, etc.)

    Then you could combine a few of these things to implement something the detects when it's too hot inside and it's colder outside and the humidity outside isn't too bad, turn on a fan. This is otherwise very complicated but hook up a few thermometers, a humidity sensor and a switch that are all accessible from a computer and it gets very easy.
    • There was an article on Zigbee in Circuit Cellar that said the same thing about being an X-10 replacement.

      The big advantage of Zigbee over X-10 is that it can do handshaking. Say you have a wireless light switch implemented with Zigbee - the light switch sens out a "turn-on" signal and will keep doing so until it hears an acknowledgement. It could also be set up to awake every now and then to re-send in case of power failure.

  • The MAN with a PLAN to give us a PAN? Will some slashdot-reading genius/wacko set up some ZigBee repeaters across the country and create his own WAN?

  • Cheap Remote Sensors (Score:3, Interesting)

    by PetoskeyGuy ( 648788 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @10:27PM (#6593828)
    This would be nice for a weather station. Just mount it on the roof and then put the receiver in the house somewhere within range. The whole thing could be solar powered on the roof. No need to run a cable or power unit up there.

    Hopefully handhelds and remote controls pick it up too so we can control the Stereo/TV/Media Center with our Handhelds and not have to worry about leaving the door to the entertainment center open.

  • Anyone thought of "security" for this stuff? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by johnnys ( 592333 ) on Friday August 01, 2003 @11:18PM (#6594008)

    Here's a question: What about security? And not just for this "ZigBee" system, but for wireless networking and Bluetooth as well. Don't you think that with these PAN networks, security is going to be important?

    Since I saw a Bluetooth keyboard the other day, I laughed and realised that keystroke loggers are obsolete. Why should a cracker go to the trouble of futzing around trying to get a user to install a trojan or leave a port open, when they can just point a hi-gain antenna at his desktop and read what the user's typing on the keyboard.

    Hasn't anyone noticed all the hassle and screaming and yelling about the crappy security WEP provides? See http://www.starkrealities.com/wireless003.html [starkrealities.com] The reason that happened is that people found out that when wireless networking is used, CRACKERS BREAK IN THROUGH THE CRAPPY SECURITY. Then they mess with your systems, steal your data and zombify your servers!

    In the case of 802.11?? the crackers had to be withing a few yards to break in. With a PAN, they have to be within a few feet. Maybe you live in a lead-lined cavern all alone, but most people who use tech are walking around and sitting down next to people all the time. So if you just go and sit in a waiting room while using Bluetooth or some other PAN, the person sitting behind you pretending to play games on his PDA is breaking into your systems and slurping all your passwords and credit card numbers while you sit there none the wiser.

    This looks like a security nightmare. Who wants that?

    • Re:Anyone thought of "security" for this stuff? (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      But why would you care about security at lowest level of networking (physical)? Implement proper authentication and encryption above... there's no need to build everything into low levels.

      Additionally, in practice eavesdropping on low transmission power communication is not trivial to do... it is a risk in public places, but usually in your home, office etc. The signal isn't going through routers or such, capture has to happen at link level, physically very close (or between) end points.

    • ZigBee and the IEEE 802.15.4 Task Group are both well aware of security. No one wants to relive the WEP debacle in any 802 working group, and ZigBee has gone to the point of establishing a Security Working Group, to make sure things are done correctly in the upper layers.

      15.4 specifies the well-known AES-128 algorithm [nist.gov] for encryption, source authentication, and message integrity. ZigBee will also use AES-128 (enabling reuse of the hardware/software to minimize implementation cost), plus add a public-key a

  • This sounds like a great device for all those wireless sensor networks talked about in industries such as military, environmental, and house wares. It'll be great if anyone can use the protocol (i.e. nobody specifically owns it and licenses it out) so that anyone can design and market devices that use it. I see a lot of potential for my house to communicate with me through my computer.

  • Designed with mesh networks in mind (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 02, 2003 @01:53AM (#6594480)
    One interesting point about Zigbee is that its design will allow for easier formation of multi-hop networks, something that is sorely lacking with Bluetooth. Bluetooth nodes are required to establish connections, choose to be either master or slave nodes, under a whole load of annoying restrictions such as inability to be a slave of more than two masters at once, inability to be a master to more than 7 active slaves, etc. Totally adverse to a nice mesh topology like one can set up with CSMA/CA radios. On top of that, thanks to frequency hopping, discovery in Bluetooth takes about 5-10 seconds, and connection setup 1-4 under reasonable settings... quite irritating.

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