Active Learner Artifact

I have obtained a minor of Management Information Systems (MIS) in addition to my major of

Accounting. MIS expanded my knowledge of computers and computer programs; all beneficial
knowledge needed as our world continues to become more technologically advanced. Active
learners always challenge themselves to obtain more knowledge to become a more complete
person. The following paper consisted of myself researching new advancements involving Wi-Fi
and the absolute dire need for sophisticated communication networks for the future. This paper
proves that I am able to walk away from Loras with the ability to research and interpret advanced
technological information along with supporting a thesis that I claimed; all because of my liberal
arts education has provided me with the tools necessary to accomplish such research tasks.









Tim Weber
CIT 217 Network Management
Research Paper

We as a society have progressed so quickly in technological advancements it is hard to
believe that we as society have only hit the tip of the iceberg when it comes to computer
technology. Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) has been around since the late 1990s, and it has been
revolutionary. People have the capability to take their laptop or tablet anywhere and still are able
to communicate with others and access networks. No longer are we mandated to sit at a desk and
have to use an Ethernet cable plugged into a wall in order to experience the Internet. No longer
do we have to use primitive dial up systems that tie up the phone line and explore the web at
tortoise pace speeds. The future has endless possibilities. Yet, how much further can Internet
technology advance? How far technologically can we take Wi-Fi? Typically today well find Wi-
Fi equipped with 802.11n that can reach 600 megabits per second, which is somewhat impressive
until one enters terabyte Wi-Fi into the equation. While still in its infancy, researchers have
twisted vortex beams to transmit data at 2.5 terabits per second (the capacity of 66+ DVDs or 13
Blue-ray movies per second). With speeds capable of reaching terabits, Wi-Fi as we know it will
change for the better and change forever. Local Area Network (LAN) managers and users will
be able to work in a more efficient and structured environment than one has ever imagined or
experienced before.
Lets start with the basics, what is Wi-Fi, how does it work, and what impact does it have
on business and everyday citizens? Wi-Fi travels in the air via radio signals basically forming a
two way radio communication (How Stuff Works). Data is translated into a radio signal and
transmits through an antenna. A wireless router receives and decodes the signal, and then sends it
to the Internet through a wired Ethernet connection; the process also works vice versa with the
router receiving information from the Internet, and then sending it via the air to a wireless
adapter (How Stuff Works). Wi-Fi radios transmit frequencies at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz, which is
higher than cell phones, walkie-talkies and televisions (How Stuff works). Today, everywhere
you look, Wi-Fi is in our lives. There are free Wi-Fi capabilities at auto dealerships, McDonalds,
bowling alleys, and even on airplanes. The impact Wi-Fi has on business and normal life is
immeasurable, and it is hard to imagine life without the existence of Wi-Fi.
Some advantages Wi-Fi gives businesses consist of widespread coverage, offsite access,
and more efficient employees (I love to know Business: Advantages of Wi-Fi). With wide spread
coverage which I will discuss later on; employees can take their computer from conference room
to an office meeting room and not worry about a lost signal. In fact employees can take their
computer from floor to floor, and even outside and still not have to worry about a lost signal.
Offsite access allows employees to partake in business activities at airports, coffee shops, and
hotels. All of this creates more efficient employees that can have better communication and work
advantages. Employees can always be connected, and always be available for split second
decisions and opportunities. Normal citizens using Wi-Fi can access the Internet through any
location including ones listed above, and the availability of Wi-Fi in public places will only grow
in numbers as time goes on.
With all the advantages there are some basic disadvantages users should be aware of
concerning Wi-Fi. First, most affordable Wi-Fi has limited range of about 150 feet indoors, and
about 300 feet outdoors (Tech Buzz). Also laptops using Wi-Fi do use a good amount of energy
in order to sustain Wi-Fi; causing users to always make sure their charging units are nearby;
however that is something that as time progresses a solution can be easily made (Tech Buzz). As
time goes on, of course the range of Wi-Fi will expand and progress, but for now cost and other
limitations still play a factor in many decisions. Wi-Fi also uses unlicensed 2.4 GHz spectrum
along with microwave ovens, Bluetooth, and other devices which may interfere with reception
(How Stuff Works). Finally, we reach the issues of security and Wi-Fi. Computers today contain
and hold much of our personal information. From online banking to vacation photos, we depend
on computers to securely hold items. With Wi-Fi even correctly configured, there are still
security encryptions that are breakable and decodable. Getting on foreign Wi-Fi channels in
coffee shops can prove to be disastrous due to advancements in computer hacking. Computers
are not only prone to privacy violations, but also attacks from malicious attacks (Tech Buzz).
So with a basic understanding of Wi-Fi, how can this new twisted vortex beams powered
using orbital angular momentum going as fast a terabytes be such a game changer in business
and everyday life? How are these twisted vortex beams so different, and what positive impacts
are in store for society? Lets start by looking at how these twisted vortex beams work. Prior to
this new discovery of twisted vortex beams; radio frequencies have been limited to simple
physics involving a single beam being spun to transmit waves of information (Extreme Tech).
Looking at the new twisted vortex beams, these twisted signals basically uses two types of
angular momentum (orbital angular momentum, or OAM, or spin angular momentum, SAM) to
pack a single bandwidth with twice as much data as typical transmission protocols which just use
SAM (Technobuffalo). OAM technologies in lab testings can run already run at 2.5 terabits per
second (Techobuffalo). According to an article covering the new twisted vortex beams on
Zdnet.com, researchers at the USC NASA jet propulsion laboratory, use terabit free space data
transmission employing orbital angular momentum multiplexing can deliver 2.56 Tbps speeds
with twisting beams of light together, multiplexing them, and then encoding them using OAM
and current Wi-Fi technologies being used in Wi-Fi and 4G. The key is that by twisting wireless
signals into spirals, researchers were able to encode far more information into a single
connection than any other existing network technology. These twisted vortex beams using OAM
beams can be used with conventional wireless technologies (Zdnet). Later in the same article it
states that Bo Thide of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics was able to use 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
signals to send an OAM signal over 442 meters. The article goes onto to say how impressive the
speed of 2.56 Tbps can be; OAM wireless connections could send 13 HDTV movies a second to
ones television. Thide is very enthusiastic about the potentials twisted vortex beams could
deliver. Thide goes onto say OAM states might dramatically increase the capacity of any
frequency band, allowing the use of dense coding techniques in each of these new vortex radio
channels. Using OAM vortexes we can transmit infinite number of channels in a given fixed
bandwidth even without using polarization, multiport, or dense coding techniques.
So, what does this new twisted vortex Wi-Fi mean? How will it help LAN managers and
users? How can it help with current dilemmas facing network administrators, engineers, and
managers? As stated in the above paragraph; OAM drastically increases the capacity of any
frequency band, which means more information can be delivered making the overall process
more effective and efficient. This could be an excellent addition in the business world by just
having that potential to possibly cause less communication congestion in the air waves. It will
take less time to open a webpage, or to stream a movie with more information can be put on
twisted wireless signals into spirals. Of course we know twisted vortex beams are going to be
fast. Vortex beams delivering terabyte speeds are unheard today, but the opportunity of everyday
Wi-Fi going that fast has endless possibilities. From streaming movies to business
communication: more sophisticated work equipment will lead to more sophistication in the
workforce. Doctors will be able to communicate with one another quicker, police and fire
communication will be more efficient relating to emergencies, and even just watching videos on
the web in a park or coffee shop; the quality of life will increase. Efficiency can come in many
shapes and sizes regarding communication using the new Wi-Fi, but the speed of terabytes and
the availability compact more information on radio waves as compared to before will create an
overall more effective process to send information and communicate. Another great contribution
by twisted vortex beams using OAM beams is that is can be used using conventional wireless
technologies over a greater measure of distance (Technobuffalo and Zdnet). People will be able
to save money, and time by just updating a part of their Wi-Fi system, instead of trying to replace
an entire system. With that in mind the popularity of vortex beams would only increase
drastically since it is compatible with modern systems, and it creates less work and hassles for
people to adapt to the new emerging technology.
One can also look at the possibilities of more wide spread coverage of Wi-Fi and greater
distance of usage that would be available to people as briefly mentioned in the previous
paragraph. Of course since many of the experiments and lab tests involving this new Wi-Fi have
been relatively limited, there are some questions as how much further can this new Wi-Fi travel?
Most lab tests so far cover only about a meter in distance when testing twisted vortex beams
through filters with different polarizations; yet many researchers at University of Southern
California believe eventually these twisted vortex beams can travel over greater more impressive
distances (Technobuffalo). There are also opportunities for long-distance satellite to satellite
communications in space, where turbulence is not an issue explains USCs Alan Willner one of
the researchers currently testing the new capabilities and potential of the new twisted vortex
beams powered using orbital angular momentum traveling at terabyte speeds (Technobuffalo). If
this Wi-Fi has the capabilities of satellite to satellite communication, one can imagine the
potential of having the Wi-Fi being used on earth where Wi-Fi distance could be increased
greatly. How will this improve from the already existing Wi-Fi? I said earlier that most
affordable Wi-Fi has a limited range of about 150 feet indoors, and 300 feet outside; yet will the
new twisted vortex beams be able to penetrate through walls and other objects that interfere with
normal radio signals? If researchers can be able to have the new more powerful twisted vortex
beams be able to go through concrete, brick, stone, and other materials then users can be able to
have terabyte speed Wi-Fi than can travel over a greater distance, and have less barriers that
could cause interference.
While most already know that Wi-Fi has some fantastic advantages, yet security and
privacy has always been an issue. I have already discussed some security issues involving Wi-Fi,
that is available today, yet is it possible that with the new vortex Wi-Fi that speed, efficiency and
security be improved? Also, how can one improve security on the already existing Wi-Fi until
the new vortex beams Wi-Fi are available for use? When this groundbreaking Wi-Fi is widely
available for use will it be that much more secure to existing Wi-Fi now? Some basic steps to
improving any Wi-Fi security can be changing default administrator passwords and usernames to
something personal that a user can remember and not easily be guessed by someone. Another
step is to turn on WPA/WEP (Wi-Fi Protected Access/ Wired Equivalent Privacy); by doing this
a user helps scramble and disguise information being sent over the air waves so that it cant be
easily read by other people (How Stuff Works). Another great way of protecting a wireless
network is to enable firewalls on each computer and routers. Unfortunately since this new
technology involving vortex beams powered by angular momentum is still in its infancy, little is
known about its total potential other than speed, travel distance, and amount of data it can carry
on its waves; so many of the questions I asked above are yet to be answered. However I do
believe researchers will be able to improve security with the new terabyte Wi-Fi. I would believe
researchers would tend to use the new Wi-Fi advantages over the current 802.11n Wi-Fi; that
being speed. How knows? Maybe terabyte Wi-Fi will be harder to pick up if not properly
equipped. That may eliminate some problems involving people trying to pick up certain
frequencies that are not theirs. Maybe researchers can encrypt the new vortex Wi-Fi beams better
since orbital angular momentum now plays a big factor in the way the information can be sent
across the waves. There is always the possibility of a stronger MAC (Media Access Control)
Address filtering that can allow users to give access to certain, specific MAC addresses of home
and office equipment, yet restricts the network to allow certain connections from those Wi-Fi
related devices (Tech Buzz). LAN managers and everyday Wi-Fi users will be able to
accomplish their specific projects and goals, and also feel comfortable knowing their personal
information is secured and not in jeopardy of being obtained by an intruder.
In conclusion, we witness technological advancements every day, but the arrival of
twisted vortex beams allowing Wi-Fi to travel in the terabyte range will be ground breaking.
Who knows what further advancements we can accomplish because of twisted vortex beams?
What will these new advancements lead us to as a civilization? Can such a simple idea prove to
be so effective and efficient in our normal and business lives? How fast is too fast? I personally
only see positives consequences that will result because of greater Wi-Fi capabilities in speed
and area of connection. As time progresses, we can solve simple issues that plague Wi-Fi today:
limited connection areas, requiring a lot of energy coming from the laptops battery, certain
security lapses that can be personally costly, and other devices using waves that interfere with
the unlicensed 2.4 GHz spectrum and maybe answers those questions I asked above. No longer
will LAN managers and users have Wi-Fi systems that lock up constantly or decrease in speeds
because many users are currently on the network; simply stating terabyte Wi-Fi speeds will allow
a greater quantity of information to travel at greater speeds over a greater distance range not seen
or imagined before and will have an overall positive impact on our lives technologically.













Works Cited

Anthony, Sebastian. Extreme Tech. Infinite capacity wireless vortex beams carry 2.5 terabits
per second. October 22, 2012.
Brain, Marshall, and Wilson, Tracy. How Stuff Works. Wireless Networks. October 23, 2012.
Gallup, Betsy. I love to know Business. Business advantages of Wi-Fi. October 22, 2012.
Lee, Adriana. Technobuffalo. Scientists use Twisted Light vortex beams to carry 2.5 Tb data
Per second. October 22, 2012.
Nichols, Steven J. Zdnet.com. Vortex Wireless: Terabytes of Wi-Fi is on its way. October 23,
2012.
Tech Buzz. Disadvantages of Wi-Fi. October 22,2012.