Duke: iPhone May Be Disrupting Network

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News/AP

RALEIGH, N.C.

Apple Inc.'s flashy new iPhones may be jamming parts of the wireless network at Duke University, where technology officials worked with the company Wednesday to fix problems before classes begin next month.

Bill Cannon, a Duke technology spokesman, said an analysis of traffic found that iPhones flooded parts of the campus' wireless network with access requests, freezing parts of the system for 10 minutes at a time.

A single iPhone was powerful enough to cause the problem, and there are 100 to 150 of them registered on the network, Cannon said. Network administrators have noticed the problem nine times in the past week.

"The scale of the problem is very small right now," said Cannon, adding that the school is working with Apple and Cisco Systems Inc., Duke's network equipment provider, to pinpoint the problem. "But the more iPhones that are around, the more they could be knocking on the door for access."



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=3391477

---

As an IT person I say Wow! This could be potentially a huge problem!

[northzax]

1. eh, poor duke

stop building wifi on the cheap. if it's crashing you system, upgrade. Duke always has these problems, and always simply spends the money to fix them. not a big deal.

[wildhorses]

2. i'm oppprtunity and i'm knocking --

oh.wrong.commercial!!

:yoiks:

[msongs]

3. iDiots who need overpriced toys for social status purposes nt

[Atman]

5. Idiots who pretend to be luddites on message boards. nt

.

[NashVegas]

6. Huh?

How is calling an unnecessary $600 gizmo an overpriced toy associated in any way with ludditism? (or faux, for that matter?)

[Atman]

8. How much did the poster pay for the computer which allows him to post his...

...rants against people who choose to use a smaller computer?

Maybe "Luddite" was too strong, since the poster is obviously using a PC. He can't be a Luddite, by definition. But I've used an iPhone. It's freakin' unbelievable. And, as a consumer currently in the market to replace my early-gen iPod, buy a laptop AND without a cell phone contract (Cingular is my provider), this device does A LOT for the money I'd spend on it...which would be a lot less than replacing all three devices individually.

So what am I supposed to do? Okay, I'll never use an iPod again, because my old one is dead. And I won't buy a new phone, because my old one is dead. And I don't really need to show clients web pages on-the-fly. I don't need anything the iPhone does...at least according to the other poster, who has pre-judged me based upon what HIS needs and desires are, not upon my actual circumstances.

I'm totally sick of this bullshit ragging on people for choosing to purchase a device they can afford just because some whiner wants to frame Apple as the modern day Microsoft. The difference is, Apple creates the innovation instead of stealing it or buying it out from smaller companies. Awww. I suck, I guess.

The iPhone is an awesome device, and I'd bet money the poster I responded to has never so much as seen one up close, let alone USED ONE.

.

[Stuckinthebush]

12. They are wonderful aren't they?

There are people everywhere that love to bash the new. It happens. iphone today, something else tomorrow.

One complaint about the phone though...I'd love to delete all the trash emails in one swoop, but I have to go through each one individually. Any suggestions?

[Tesha]

18. Complain (politely) to Apple

> Any suggestions?

Complain (politely) to Apple

This is a V1.0 product, so I'm sure they're
getting a lot of feedback. If they hear your
suggestion from many users (and, based on
what you said, it sounds like they should),
then the odds are higher that you'll see
your suggestion implemented in an update
to the phone's firmware.

Tesha

[Stuckinthebush]

19. Good idea

I'll do it today.

Thanks.

[Neshanic]

14. I have, but this goes to the root of the Apple conflict. "We are cooler than you."

That's really what it comes down to.

Apple users, Macists, all have deep in their little consumer hearts, the "I'm cooler than you" gene.

The "get a Mac" bon mots thrown, the glee of the latest virus, the slavish cult of personality to Steve Jobs, the constant reminding the "other non cool" of the innovation, the ease, the just plain "bestest thing everness" of their machines, music devices, and now the most mundane thing possible, a phone. It's part of their marketing. It's part of the clash of us poor Luddite PC users slaving away on putty colored machines in our putty colored world, and you look on us with amusement and pity.

[Atman]

17. The slavish cult of personality of Steve Jobs is a total myth.

I don't know of anyone -- and I know some hard-core Mac users -- who give a second thought to Steve Jobs or what he's doing. This is total bullshit. It's about as accurate as me accusing you of genuflecting to Bill Gates just because you use Windows XP.

Jobs is a guy who started a company. Shareholders dig it when he speaks at the annual conventions, and it draws news coverage because Apple consistently performs. It's news, so it makes it on news programs. Don't conflate such news coverage into Jobs worship, unless you're willing to assume a similar position at the foot of Bill Gates.

It's just a goddam telephone. And iPod. And...anyway...


Peace.

:hi:

.

[Neshanic]

20. When ABC ran the revisonist 9/11 film, the Jobians were out in legion.

So really, there is a cult of personality there. Even when presented with the fact that he owns moore stock in Disney than Roy Disney, AND the stock little mess thingy he had, there were apologists aplenty.

[NYC Liberal]

21. Seems to me YOU are the one who has the "Cooler than you" gene,

considering that your whole post was about how you're "special" or whatnot because you don't use what's popular or trendy. "Ooh look at me, everyone's using an iPhone -- not ME! I'm cool 'cause I haven't given in to TEH EVIIIIIL APPLE!!1"

[Neshanic]

23. I am not the one posting with glee the latest virus news with the obligitory ...

"get a Mac, us Mac users, you PC people are so touchy!"

[TommyO]

25. I don't use my Mac to be "cooler than you"

I use it because it works well for me, just like every other computer out there, it's a tool.

[Occulus]

27. If they were truly cooler they'd be running linux

:D

[Tesha]

28. Any 'nix is about as good as the next 'nix.

> If they were truly cooler they'd be running linux

Any 'nix is about as good as the next 'nix.

Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, or even Linux.

They've all got vi(m); what more do really cool
people need ;) ? Apple people just like their
'nix wrapped in a better wrapper than KDE or
Gnome.

Tesha

[Occulus]

36. Either wrapper looks and feels better to me than a Mac

when it's running Beryl.

(And Beryl very conveniently negates my desire for Window$ Aero, too!)

It's kind of an "anything you can do, I can do better" sort of thing. Although I do have to say, bootcamp would make a Mac worthwhile to me for getting away from Window$, because as a gamer, bootcamp opens up the Mac to people such as myself who would have moved to a Mac long ago but for the lack of gaming support.

If only Wine worked well enough to run Oblivion and CNC3. *sigh*

(It's really a pity more Window$ users don't know about Beryl, Compiz, etc. They would be right pissed if they knew how completely ripped off they were- especially if they only got Vi$ta because "it's prettier!" :rofl:)

[silverojo]

34. Amen to that!

And I don't have to buy a new machine because Puppy Linux is SCREAMIN' fast on older computers. Imagine how much less computer junk would be discarded, if people used a sensible OS like this, instead of buying newer-bigger-faster just to be able to run Micro$haft's latest bloatware?

Please don't get me started on crApple. That OS would've died years ago, had they not integrated it with toys that have nothing whatsoever to do with computer productivity.

[Tesha]

37. The OS you're complaining about probably *DID* die years ago.

Your moan about "crApple" and its "OS {that} would've
dies years ago" is probably a moan about the original
MacOS operating system, and not MacOS/X. In case you
haven't heard, *THAT* old OS did die, replaced by
the Unix-based MacOS/X. The new OS is enjoyed by
millions of people worldwide, ranging from naive
users right up to the heavy-weights of computer
science (who have better things to do with their
time than to dink around with their computers).

Tesha

[bettyellen]

31. that's so off base i look at you with pity and amusement because it's so delusional

nothing to do with your crappy hardware, it's your obseesion i pity.

[LeftCoast]

29. Thank you!

You should post this as its own thread.

:thumbsup:

[emulatorloo]

13. price any comparable smart phone and you will find iPhone is competive -- except that

iPhone is a full featured computer w a decent usable interface.

[Atman]

15. There are several smart phones selling for $700 or $800 that do way less

than the iPhone does.

It's just chic to hate Apple these days.

Ironic, isn't it? Any long time Apple user is used to it. Fifteen years ago my brother-in-law put his arm on my shoulder and said "So how about that Apple...they'll be goin' out of business any day now." The Mac World show in Boston about that time featured a booth with a guy selling shares of genuine Apple stock for $1 each, to use as coasters (I think they laminated them too, for more than the cost of the share) or novelty art.

$1 each.

ONE FUCKING DOLLAR.

I could have purchased the guy's entire stack of shares for a few hundred dollars and be surfing in Costa Rica now, waiting for my plane to take me to Tahoe to snowboard.

But no. "Apple's going out of business any day now!"

You Apple haters are ALWAYS wrong, with the exception of some rocky times during the Scully era, from which Apple still ultimately triumphed.

The iPhone is much less expensive than crappier devices which do half as much. Deal.

.

[emulatorloo]

30. Agreed -- EOM

[Stuckinthebush]

9. I love mine

I am the least socially status minded person you will ever meet. I do like gadgets though.

It's a cool gadget that does some fun stuff.

[davidwparker]

11. I got mine for productivity, but thanks. :-))

[NYC Liberal]

16. Clever. Seems you're very concerned with how people spend their own

money. I am sure you spend your money only on the BAREST of necessities, right? :eyes:

[ozone_man]

40. Bingo.

Instead of actually doing something meaningful with technology, we have another expensive consumer toy for the "must have next electronic gadget people".

[Endangered Specie]

4. Why am I not suprised Duke kids have the most iPhones

gotta spend Daddy's money on something I guess. :eyes:

[Psephos]

42. My niece goes there, and pays her own way

Works two jobs to do it, along with financial aid. She says there are plenty of students there like her, sans silver spoon in mouth.

I don't see how the propagation of stereotypes does much good for anyone.

[libnnc]

7. I hope my university in Greensboro doesn't have this problem

That will royally suck this fall.


UNCG I.T. critters heads up please....

[onehandle]

10. Later in the article, it notes that the campus's network needs to be set up properly.

Ashok Agrawala, a computer science professor at the University of Maryland, speculated that both the phone and Duke's network are to blame for the glitches at the university. Agrawala said the phones could be struggling to regain a connection with a wireless access point, possibly when a wireless hotspot hands off to another.

"When you set up a network on the campus, you set up the network to accommodate the devices you have in use," Agrawala said, noting laptops as the primary users on college campuses. "Now with the popularity of the iPhones, the network parameters may not be set right."

[Tesha]

22. Oh man, you're harshing the bashers' buzz!

Please don't imagine that the actual facts will
convince anyone!

Tesha

[AndyTiedye]

24. More Likely They Are Hitting a Bug In Their Network

An iPhone shouldn't be able to overload a wireless LAN, no matter what it does.

[skids]

32. Any WiFi device can overload any WLAN...

...if it misbehaves enough. Which is why we kick everything that doesn't have a reason to be on wireless (e.g. printers) off where I work, and users are made to understand it's not to be relied upon. As for this particular case, it looks like they are overloading the AP cpus rather than saturating the available bandwidth, though at 18K pps, they could very well be doing that as well.

We haven't seen the problem, yet, but we certainly hope it won't effect our flavor of WiFi, or a patch is available to force onto the users as a NAC requirement. Fortunately we just upgraded stuff so we have a good amount of power over what will get listened to and what will be ignored.

[AndyTiedye]

33. Overloading the CPU Makes It Look Even More Like a Bug

[skids]

35. Or a low-end AP.

CPUs (and supporting memory, etc) in the old CISCO 1121 series are not all that fast, for example. The only reason we kept ours is we could "lobotomize" them with LWAP which ensures all they have to do is some really basic filtering and encapsulation to get them to the central controller, which has some fancy dedicated hardware in it.

The bug is likely in the iphone -- not that CISCO doesn't have it's fair share of bugs.

[Posteritatis]

26. And it's only July, wait 'till September. (nt)

[onehandle]

38. Update: iPhone may not be cause of Duke wireless woes (at all)

Duke University is taking a softer stance on the cause of its wireless networking problems on Friday. Earlier in the week Duke administrators put the blame squarely on Apple’s iPhone, but a report due today from the university may exonerate the iPhone.

“We are presently looking into it and we have not been able to conclusively pinpoint where the problem is,” said Julian Lombardi, assistant vice president of academic services technology support for Duke University. “We hope to have a resolution in the next few hours.”

http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/07/20/dukeu/index.php

[Pavulon]

39. Effed up 802.x login attempts

can cause problems. A wap has the job of determining if a device can access the network. If an endpoint does bizarro stuff the wap could have problems, locking out others waiting for authentication. One can create an "attack" like this intentionally or a vendor could if a login process was messed up.

[onehandle]

41. END OF STORY: Cisco access point at fault for Duke's wireless issues, not iPhones

After blaming Apple’s iPhone for its wireless networking problems, Duke University said earlier today that it hadn’t been able to pinpoint what the problem was. Now, it has been confirmed that a Cisco wireless access point was at fault for the networking issues.

“Cisco worked closely with Duke and Apple to identify the source of this problem, which was caused by a Cisco-based network issue,” said Cisco in a statement provided to Macworld. “Cisco has provided a fix that has been applied to Duke’s network and the problem has not occurred since.”

In a statement posted to the universities Web site late Friday Tracy Futhey, Duke’s chief information officer, said that “Earlier reports that this was a problem with the iPhone in particular have proved to be inaccurate.”

Futhey went on to say that the iPhone is fully operable within Duke’s networking environment.

http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/07/20/dukecisco/index.php