Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
 
Index
 
What is the purpose of E-Garten.Net?

What is a Wireless Local Area Network, short WLAN?

What are the advantages of WLAN for the user of WLAN?

Which technical requirements are necessary for the usage of WLAN?

What net-performance can the user expect from his internet access?

How many users can simultaneously use WLAN?

What about data security?

What does WLAN have as an advantage in contrast to an internet cafe or an internet terminal?

Is the usage of WLAN cheaper than GPRS and UMTS?
 
What is the purpose of E-Garten.Net? up
 
The main purpose of this project is the provision of a mobile internet access point that is located in a central area in Munich where any person can access the Net. The beergardens at the Seehaus and the Chinese Tower were selected as locations for the pilot-phase of the project.
This project is considered a pilot- or rather a test project. Primiarily, it should demonstrate the potential of WLAN technology and be communicated to the public. However, it can also be used to acquire important information for the pilot companies:
  • acceptance and usage of wireless technology in the population
  • acceptance and usage of the medium Internet for corporate and private purposes - outside of the office and in a pleasant environment
  • usage-behaviour in general; amongst other things, the operators of the project want answers to questions like: What do the users expect? How do they use their mobile internet access? What for?
The access costs of EUR 3 settled by the companies involved are for the coverage for part of the execution and the incurred expenses. The main costs are subsidized by the companies and partners involved
 
What is a Wireless Local Area Network, short WLAN? up
 
Wireless LANs are local networks using cabel connections. They are standardized under the IEEE--standard 802.11b. The data is transmitted either with radio frequencies in the micro-wave range or infrared light. Depending on the transmission speed there are two types of capacities that exist with multicast- and broadcast applications: Low & amp; Medium Speed with up to 1 Mbit/s and High Speed with over 1 Mbit/s. According to the transmission frequency that is being used, the wireless networks differ in Spread-Spectrum-Networks (DSSS), in radio transmission with "frequecy-leap process" (FHSS) and in narrowband micro-wave networks. Spread-Spectrum is the most widely spread technology; its frequecy range amounting to 2,4 Ghz. Within this frequency bandwidth, 60 to 80 channels with a transmission rate of 1 Mbit/s are available. Only 3 channels are available for a faster transmission rate at 11 Mbit/s. Narrow band technology predominantly uses a frequency range of 5,775 Ghz as well as the narrow band micro-wave frequency range that has from 18,8 GHz up to 19,2 GHz. Therefore, using both technologies underlie legal requirements. (Resource: www.computerlexicon.de)
 
What are the advantages of WLAN for the user? up
 
Whenever the user pleases and is at a so-called Hot Spot, he can easily access the Internet with his own laptop, notbook or PDA. To be able to access the Net the users terminal has to be equipped with a WLAN-card. Answering E-mails, doing internet research and communicating with others is therefore possible at any time and -in the near future- in many public places.
 
Which technical requirements are necessary for the usage of WLAN? up
 
When a user, located at a Hot Spot, wants to go into the Internet he must have a laptop, a notebook or PDA with a WLAN-card and should know how to use an Internet browser. WLAN automatically does everything else. Depending on the configuration the user sometimes has to make small changes in his nerwork settings.
 
What net-performance can the user expect from his internet access? up
 
WLAN is based on the standard IEEE 802.11b with a bandwidth of 11 Mbit/s (gross). Since this network is a Shared Ethernet, the users share this bandwidth; this means: the more users are in one area, surfing the Internet at the same time, the slower the Internet connection gets. Another factor is the distance to the so-called Access Point. The user gets less of the band width the further away he is from this point. Ecological influences also play a role, because we are using radio-LAN (i.e. humidity, ....etc.) As WLAN was reduced to a relatively small area in the pilot project the operators think that these extrem influences can mostly be ignored. The worst case scenario is a minimum band width of 0,5 Mbit/s.
 
How many users can simultaneously use WLAN? up
 
With first configuration with 3 Access Points up to a hundred users can simultaneously use the Internet. If it is necessary the network can easily and immediately be enlarged up to a thousand "concurrent users" (users that go into the Internet at the same time).
 
What about data security? up
 
With WLAN data security is as secure-- or insecure-- as any other "normal" Internet access from home or a hotel. This means that uncoded e-mails are to be handled like postcards and can potentially be read by a third party. This also applies to data transfers into the Web or into a corporate networks. Therefore, it is advised that all sensitive data should be coded. This can be done through a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or with the appropriate coding software (http://www.gnupg.org), for instance. A notebook with wireless LAN is in a network that can be compared to an internal corporate network full of of strangers. Hence, the user should take appropriate precautionary measures, so that the thrid party has no access to the users computer. The project group recommends using a Peronal Firewall Software, the according link can be found on the E-Garten.Net website. In addition, security measures have already been taken against "open" computers and certain services on the Net were blocked, Net Bios Ports 137, 138, 139 for instance.
 
What is the advantage of the E-Garten.Net project in comparison to Internet-cafes and Internet-Terminals? up
 
The best advantage is that the Internet users can use their own computer or PDA containing the software that they are familiar with. The installed VPN (Virtual Private Network) solution on their computer enables them to access their internal company network, e-mails and personal data. Hence, they do not need to use diversions through other e-mail providers such as GMX, Hotmail or AOL. They can log-in whenever they want and need not wait until a PC or a terminal is vacant. With WLAN access users have complete flexibility.
 
Is using WLAN cheaper than GPRS and UMTS? up
 
Certainly! Since the current price is EUR2/ hour with E-Garten.Net, mobile internet users pay tenfold when using GPRS.
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