Researchers at North Carolina State University have come up with a breakthrough technology that could actually make the Wi-Fi hotspot at your local Starbucks perform well. As IDG News reports, the new WiFox protocol was designed specifically for public Wi-Fi hotspots that suffer from degraded performance while being used by several different devices at once. Specifically, the new technology “monitors [Wi-Fi] traffic and implements a ‘priority’ mode when a router is in danger of being overloaded of traffic,” thus clearing Wi-Fi congestion and reducing packet loss. The researchers found that WiFox boosted crowded hotspot performance by between 400% and 700% overall, depending on how many users were in a particular area.
New technology could actually make Starbucks Wi-Fi usable
Published Nov 15th, 2012 11:03PM EST
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Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.
