nanog mailing list archives
Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ...
From: "Prof. Robert Mathews (OSIA)" <mathews () hawaii edu>
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 21:53:07 -0400
Sean Donelan wrote:
Since neither Apple, Cisco nor Duke seems willing to say exactly what the problem was or what they fixed; not very surprising; it was probably a "Duh" problem unique to Duke's network.
Sean, Nanogers:Thank you, for your responses. Given the world of NDAs and other legal instruments, it was attempting to understand if there were certain folks here in NANOG - that were aware of any particular technical shortcomings, which could have caused, or contributed to the problem. Naturally, I say this based on a personal conjecture that NANOG members may be LESS inclined to spend nearly $600 on a product they knew little about, in order to simply satisfy a "coolness factor." :-)
Seriously, while I wish to not speculate, in the absence of technical details on the situation, at least on the surface, it is troubling to me that a mass marketed, personal, consumer device could have a potential such as this - to disrupt an otherwise (seemingly?) stable networked institutional environment. In a document titled: " How to Plan for User Interest in the Apple iPhone," on 27 June 2007, Gartner had issued a negative recommendation to organizations WRT to accommodating iPhone use within enterprises based on their analysis of the product lacking hooks for Outlook/Notes, and necessary security applications. Gartner also cited Apple's commitment to focus iPhone support for individual consumers rather than organizational users as a basis for issuing its negative recommendation. Gartner also went on to issue another document on 10 July 2007, titled: "iPhone First-Generation Security Is Too Weak for Enterprises," which might be of interest (at least in an informational sense) to some here as well.
Otherwise it would be a shame for Apple, Cisco and Duke to not let other network operators that might have the same problem to know how to prevent it from recurring elsewhere.Duke CIO - Tracy Futhey's statement that "...a particular set of conditions made the Duke wireless network experience some minor and temporary disruptions in service," where the/ "deployment of a very large Cisco-based wireless network that supports multiple network protocols"/ (*) seems to have been a key issue -- is frankly MORE confusing that illuminating. Is Duke, the only U.S. university campus, which has deployed a "very large Cisco-based campus wireless network" that support "multiple network protocols" ?
Besides, is the 'multiple protocol' issue a 'red herring' ? By what novel/errand protocol could the iPhones flood the Duke University Wi-Fi network? NOT owning an iPhone, and lacking a technical familiarity with all of its inner workings, leaves me at a disadvantage, I am afraid. I do happen to own a nicely featured smart-phone among other Wi-Fi devices however, and remain well acquainted on just how 'that device' is likely to interfaces with Wi-Fi nets. In this respect, is the *Apple iPhone an extra-ordinary device?* I ask that question to seek clarity into the statement made by the Duke CIO, if anyone cares to comment.
Quite frankly, my interest is to understand the range of *"failures in interoperability"* -- either at the device level, or at the enterprise level.
Separately, I fail to see why no one is talking; particularly due to the fact that this event is effecting a first of a kind product release by Apple, and also on account of the fact that there is wide publicity now of an existing flaw in a Cisco product. I would have thought that transparently resolving this cryptogram would have built greater public confidence in those companies and respective products involved.
All the best, Robert. --* "Update on Duke's wireless network and Apple's iPhones" [see: http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2007/07/cisco_apple.html Friday, July 20] 2007]
Attachment:
mathews.vcf
Description:
Current thread:
- iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Prof. Robert Mathews (OSIA) (Jul 21)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Sean Donelan (Jul 21)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Bill Woodcock (Jul 21)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Jim Popovitch (Jul 21)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Christian Kuhtz (Jul 21)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Dale W. Carder (Jul 22)
- RE: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Frank Bulk (Jul 24)
- RE: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Hank Nussbacher (Jul 24)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Warren Kumari (Jul 24)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Bill Woodcock (Jul 21)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Sean Donelan (Jul 21)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Prof. Robert Mathews (OSIA) (Jul 22)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Prof. Robert Mathews (OSIA) (Jul 24)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Iljitsch van Beijnum (Jul 24)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Marshall Eubanks (Jul 24)
- RE: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Frank Bulk (Jul 24)
- RE: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Dominic J. Eidson (Jul 25)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Warren Kumari (Jul 25)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Adrian Chadd (Jul 26)
- Re: iPhone and Network Disruptions ... Iljitsch van Beijnum (Jul 24)