Sensationalism is without doubt the currency of mainstream and online news outlets, and a recent headline which read ‘A World Without WiFi Looks Possible as Unlimited Plans Rise’ struck me as a fine example.

Planning for WiFi is the MOST essential part of any wireless project -  as the old British Military adage goes: Prior Planning Prevents P@#s Poor Performance.  'Tongue-in-cheek' the use of language may well be, but the sentiment is far from glib; those who fail to plan prior to any major project or event set themselves up for mild annoyance at the very least and total disaster in the very worst cases.

Whilst I was lying on my sunbed last week enjoying some foreign February weather (it was lovely, thanks for asking) I couldn’t help but to notice the  many different people, of varying  ages, with different kinds of electronic devices and I started thinking about WiFi privacy (or lack of) on public WiFi.

WiFi has been around in its most basic form since the early 90s and has progressed quickly from a relatively short range, low throughput technology into today’s high throughput, with much improved range solutions and development continues at pace.

It’s that time of year again! You know the one…when you get really excited about a major sporting event that the majority of people in your life couldn’t care less about?

In discussing network security with the team earlier this week, that overused acronym, NAC (Network Access Control) came up a few times and we got down to debating what it actually means…

It’s that time of year again; the kids are off, the wasps are out and the beer is slightly warmer than usual. All of which are great reasons to get out of the office and to go in search of sunnier climes and questionable exchange rates.

In a fast-paced, high-pressure, environment subject to ever-changing regulations and increasing public scrutiny, many NHS hospitals are looking to advancing barcode and scanning technologies to relieve pressure and to streamline their operations.

Hospitals are characterised by many things; not least a vast amount of essential consumable and often very expensive medical equipment. From infusion and feeding pumps to wheelchairs, crutches and high-tech monitors, ensuring hospital staff have access to the right equipment whenever they require is of optimum importance for overall performance and patient wellbeing.

So, you have decided to implement a wireless network for your business. You have made contact with a wireless specialist and discussed your options, but what comes next? Don't leave it up to the crystal ball...

As the war on cybercrime continues, here’s a bit of info for you all on the latest crop of computer virus/malware that are doing the rounds. Be warned: some of these are particularly nasty and could easily cause your business and/or home PC some serious problems.

Guest WiFi – Of course it’s a good thing! Your WiFi network (and your wired network for that matter) is to be cherished and protected from all those external users out there who might cause trouble – right? Maybe. More likely ‘No’ and almost certainly not ‘Yes’.

So, your WiFi network is up and running and the user community is growing.  The users love it because it’s easy to use.  They don’t need to find a data outlet or carry Ethernet cables around with them to connect to the network; they just turn on their devices, associate with the wireless and off they go.

Once again, network security breaches and attacks are all over the news.  It’s somewhat alarming to be able to say with some confidence now that it really is no longer a matter of if your network will be attacked but, rather, when it will be attacked.

The WiFi Alliance, the organisation behind the famous Wi-Fi trademark has this week introduced WiFi HaLow as the designation for devices based upon the emerging IEEE 802.11ah standard. WiFi HaLow operates in World-wide frequency bands just below 1 GHz and even with low power should achieve greater range than existing WiFi equipment operating at 2.4 and 5GHz.

Working as I do in business networking, with a particular focus on security, I am always keeping up with news regarding security intrusions. But, it occurred to me that - given the huge increase in hacking stories over the past year or so, some that even made their way into the mainstream press - the non-tech focused people out there must have taken notice too.