The Management Consulting Group

When and if you should be surveying the marketplace for a great bargain on Dishwashers, shopping on the world wide web can be a fantastic approach to not waste treasured time and money. If you’re tired of looking round retail outlet after shop surveying the market place for your families brand spanking new dishwasher then why not get to your PC and get on the world wide web and commence browsing.

You really should constantly acquire your new dishwasher from stores you really and truly trust, still, when you or your family are faced with a lot of unknown retailers on-line this might often be challenging. A super practice to stave off shopping with irresponsible retailers is to shop with on-line options who also enjoy a quality high street location. You really should additionally be extra sure to properly read the terms and conditions of all the sites you are seriously considering obtaining your dishwasher from. Great dishwashers are not that hard to find online.

An additional method to spot a trust-worthy on-line retailer if you are looking for high quality dishwashers is to check whether they own a dispassionate and explanatory shoppers guide. Consulting a buyers guide might well also throw up a quantity of issues you may not have considered if you were simply browsing on your own. These might well include; power consumption, extra features and dryer capacity amongst other considerations.

Be very wary of obfuscated costs - value added tax and home delivery charges that are tacked on at the checkout will ofttimes transform that first outstanding price that you found for your dishwasher into something very unremarkable.

a disturbing number of internet stores are also quicker than others - if the speed at which you receive your new dishwasher is really not a concern then this will probably not concern you very much at all. Nonetheless, if you’d rather not be manually scrubbing the knifes and forks and pans over Christmas then you may wish to select a store which gives you guaranteed home delivery times.

Dishwashers can commonly look the business when they are sat in a showroom or on a site but end up disappointed when it reaches your families house. So be extra sure to check the return policy of the web-site you are ordering from.

Here we have the Brother TN-540 toner cartridge which has been around since May of 2004. This toner is designed to fit into the Brother HL-5150 printer which is based a 21 page per minute and 1200 dots per inch LaserJet engine.

This engine is actually and upscale to the HL-1240, using the TN-460 cartridge. The primary difference is that the toner from the TN-460 toner is not engineered to be used in the TN-540 neither the TN 570 cartridge. Yet, the print engines share similar foundations.

The TN-540 is the low yield cartridge and the TN-570 is the high yield cartridge for the following Brother LaserJet printer models:

•DCP-8040
•DCP-8045D
•HL-5130
•HL-5140
•HL-5150D
•HL-5150DLT
•HL-5170DNLT
•MFC-8220
•MFC-8440
•MFC-8840D
•MFC-8840DN

This TN-540 cartridge will yield up to 3,500 pages when printing at 5% coverage on A4 - Letter sized paper. The TN-570 toner cartridge will yield up to 6,700 pages when printing at 5% coverage on the same paper as the TN-540.

Let’s get straight to the point, no beating around the bush during this lecture.

First, you will need the necessary Tools & Supplies Required:

Tools & Supplies Required:

•#1 Phillips Head Screwdriver (tool)
•Phillips Head Jeweler’s Screwdriver (tool)
•Small Flat Blade Screwdriver (tool)
•Lint-free Cotton Cloths (supply)
•Toner Magnetic Cloths (supply)
•White Lithium Grease (supply)

Below are your 22 easy steps to know how to remanufacture your Brother TN 540 and TN 570 toner cartridges.

Here you will also be provided with the OEM information part numbers;

Part #’s:

•TN-540 (low yield)
•TN-570 (high yield)

Step-by-Step “How-to-Remanufacture the Brother TN-540/570″ Instructions:

Step #1:

•First thing first, vacuum the outside part of the cartridge, removing any excess toner. Simply remove the fill plug which is located on the bottom left hand side of the cartridge itself. Deposit the excess toner and vacuum out the cartridge. Be sure that the gear area is spotless. If you leave any toner in the teeth of the gears, it may ruin it and could create a clicking noise. You are better of suing compressed air which will get the job done cleaner and faster. Just keep your hand over the gears so no dust particles get in there.

Step #2:

•The side with no gear, where the static roller is, take off the black spring loaded plastic axle.

Step #3:

•Find the three tabs on the static roller end plate and remove them gently.

Step #4:

•Back to the gear side, remove the two screws that are holding the cover plate and remove the cover plate at that point.

Step #5:

•Gently remove the plastic axle.

Step #6:

•Now take off the e-ring and small gear.

Step #7:

•As for the doctor blade side of the static roller, there will be another small plate. It’s located on the end of the roller and inside the plastic wall of the cartridge.

Step #8:

•From the outside wall, locate a small, round hole. With your pointer finger, press the round tab located inside the hole. As you’re pressing in, turn the plate up so that the plate and roller are absolutely free.

Step #9:

•You should now be able to remove the static roller assembly.

Step #10:

•Using your air compressed vacuum, clean the doctor blade and foam feed roller. It’s not recommended removing the doctor blade because you may disturb the static roller felt seals which are delicate. Once a new blade is on hand, your special care will be needed since you do not want to tear the seals. This would end up causing a leak in the cartridge. The doctor blade is easily cleaned, all you have to do is blow off the excess toner dust and wipe it down with your lint-free cloth. Please make sure you don’t leave any lint behind.

Step #11:

•Time for inspection! Carefully inspect the magnetic roller felts. If they are compressed (shiny), then use a small screwdriver to tighten them.

Step #12:

•Now you need to clean your gears, make sure that the fine-toothed gears have no toner on them. This is a good time to check that the gears have enough grease on them. If for some reason the shafts appear dry or the grease is contaminated with toner, you need to clean both the inside of the gear and the shaft.

Step #13:

•Again, clean the static roller with a lint-free cloth. Do not use the chemicals to clean the roller. A nice dry, clean, non-smelly cloth will work just fine.

Step #14:

•Re-install the static roller inside the end plate first. The inside plate needs to be rotated so that it locks in place.

Steps #15 and #16:

•You have to install the small outside end plate and both the spring-loaded white axle and non-spring axle.

Steps #17, #18, & #19:

•It’s about that time; you can now install the static roller gear, e-ring, and white axle. Make sure all the other gears are meshing properly.

Step #20:

•Then, install the gear cover plate and its two screws.

Step #21:

•Finally, you can fill the cartridge with Brother 5150 black toner - 140 grams for the TN-540 (TN-3030) and as for the TN-570 it uses 200 grams of toner (TN-3060).

Step #22:

•At last, you can replace the fill plug. I also recommend cleaning down the toner cartridges in case there is any left over toner dust.

Step #23:

•Test the cartridge. For this cartridge model, there are no reset fuses or procedures the Brother TN-540 or the TN-570.

Congratulations! You’ve now just completed your Brother TN540/570 cartridge put together project. This information is provided to you to both educate and improve your knowledge in the technical area within the remanufacturing industry.

In description of, Joseph Mercado is known as The Internet Marketing Tyrant. He specializes in the consumable market involving studies on your Brother toner cartridges;
http://www.BrotherTn540.com

Cellphones are quickly becoming an integral part of our lives. They increase the convenience factor, help us stay organized, and keep us in touch with the people that we love. They can also help us keep informed!

As cellphone technologies increase, cell phone manufacturers are finding new ways to pack great programs into their cellphones. One such program that is being built into cellphones now, and will increase in the future, is the RSS feed capability.

Having this capability will mean that your cellphone can act like an MP3 player, and perhaps you already have a cell phone that has MP3 player capabilities. But in a cellphone with RSS feed capabilities take the MP3 player format one step further.

The word “podcasting” was coined in 2004. It is a technology that no one heard about until recently but is gaining popularity at an exponential rate. A podcast is like a radio program that broadcasters create in an MP3 format and attach it to an RSS feed on their web site. Computers and cellphones with RSS feed capabilities can grab the MP3 file and download it automatically. This means that every time the podcaster makes a new show, your computer or your cell phone can automatically pick it up.

(A quick note on terminology: podcasts and punchcasts are virtually the same thing except that podcasts are typically the “radio show” that goes to your computer, while punch casts are considered the ones that end up on your cell phone, even if they are the same show in the same MP3 file.)

The value of listening to podcasts on your cell phone is tremendous. While most people have not heard of podcasts, there are literally thousands and thousands of podcasts out there, and each one is designed for a specific niche: the baseball enthusiast, a wine lover, a news junkie, an entrepreneur, and the list can go on and on. If you have a hobby or interest, you’ll probably find a podcasts on it… or 10 podcasts on it!

Aside from topics, podcasts vary in length and quality: just like television shows, they can have an interview format or a quiz show format or a monologue format, to name a few. They can be well done or poorly done.

Here’s how it works: you find the podcast you are interested in and subscribe on your cell phone (it’s free) and every time the podcaster creates a new podcast and attaches it to the RSS feed, it gets automatically loaded onto your phone.

So now you can stay on top of all the exciting news in your industry, or in a hobby or an area of interest that you might have and you can do it all on your cellphone!

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Cell Phone Information a website providing information on Cell Phones

What happens to many people is that they’re just about to purchase some wireless equipment, and then they have a sudden realisation — they have no idea how their network layout is going to work with a wireless connection. Well, there are a few things you need to think about when you decide how you’re going to connect up your computers with all that great new wireless gear.

Ad-hoc Networks Explained.

Ad-hoc networks are the ones your wireless devices create more-or-less on their own — they are also known as peer-to-peer networks. In an ad-hoc network, each computer on the network acts as an equal ‘peer’, with each one sending data to any other. This arrangement is most often used in place of a real LAN, to allow employees in a company, for example, to exchange files. You can create ad-hoc wireless networks between any computers that have wireless equipment — access to the Internet is not required.

These networks work using something called an ‘SSID’ (Service Set Identifier). Essentially, this is the network’s name, decided on the computer that was the first to connect to the network (yes, a network consisting of just itself). The other computers that connect to the network can then simply connect by finding the network with the name (SSID) they want.

This is powerful. You can put your wireless-enabled laptop next to a friend’s, and the two computers can create a little network for themselves on the fly. Thanks the way wireless networking works, they keep the connection even if you move them around — the only thing that will force the computers to disconnect from each other is if they go out of range. For many people, this spells the end of messing around with CDs and floppy disks — they can finally use their laptop just like a briefcase, carrying everything from one place to another.

Arriving somewhere with your laptop and being automatically included in the wireless network also gives you access to shared resources, such as printers. Imagine being able to take your computer to somewhere where there’s a printer, press print, collect the document and walk away again. Ad-hoc networking makes this a reality.

Access Points.

An access point, on the other hand, is a way of connecting your ad-hoc wireless network to a real, wired network. Note that this network could just be a LAN, or it could be the entire Internet. There are hardware access points and software ones, with either kind allowing you to connect your wireless device to a wired network. Internet Connecting Sharing, for example, is a software access point to the Internet, while a wireless router is a wired one. If you have wireless access at your office, the chances are it is provided as a wireless access point to the wired network, to let people bring in wireless devices and connect them to the office LAN.

A network that contains an access point is sometimes called an ‘infrastructure’ network, as opposed to an ad-hoc one. It’s worth remembering, though, that part of the infrastructure network still consists of the ad-hoc network between the computers — they can still communicate just the same as they could before.

If you think about it, you can see that the access point structure allows you to create a series of networks, all interconnected. The Internet, in this scheme, is just another wired network. You can connect your wired network to the Internet, connect your wireless network to an access point to your wired network — whatever you want.

The string of networks is potentially never-ending, with wired networks being able to break out into wireless ones as often as they need to. This concept is sometimes called lilypad networking, because it lets your computer be like a frog, hopping from lilypad to lilypad. Even though the whole area of the water isn’t covered with lilypads, the frog can still get through — and you can make wireless networks work the same way.

Information supplied and written by Lee Asher of
CyberTech SoftShop
Suppliers of the DeadEasy Ebook Maker and Publishing Wizard.

Computers and their accompanying printers were huge years ago. In the past toner reservoirs and toner cartridges were used instead of ink cartridges like those used now. It was difficult to fill a toner cartridge and it was very messy.

Toner cartridges were an improvement. Print wheels and ribbons were used in some printers. Computers are now more compact and the printers do more than just print in some cases. Printer cartridges now have self-contained reservoirs. Refilling some printer cartridges now is not as messy as adding toner was.

Printer cartridges are available in two types. Primarily Hewlett-Packard and Epson printers used the first type the Piezo Electric. An applied electric current is put to a small crystal causing it to expand approximately every five microseconds (20,000 per second).

The inkjet ink squirts out through the print heads very fast and very precisely because of this expansion. Because Piezo Electric has fewer print heads than bubble jet/thermal printers it can do more precise action and tends to last longer. Bubble jet cartridges heats the ink rapidly into a bubble and then squirts it through ink nozzles thousands of times per second.

Bubble jet printers are less noisy than the Piezo based printers. You can expect really high resolution color printing from it. Inkjet has ink squirted through the nozzles as they move over a variety of media, not mega pixel method. Various colored liquid ink is squirted at the paper to create an image. The page gets scanned by the print head horizontally by a motor assembly that rolls the paper vertically.

A strip of an image is printed and the paper moves toward the next step. It not only prints a strip across the page it also prints vertical rows of pixels in each pass for speed. There are a number of types of inkjet technology. Ink in small drops are squirted onto the paper through tiny nozzles in drop on demand (DOD).

It resembles turning a hose off and on 5,000 times a second. How much ink is dropped on the page and which nozzle fires and when is controlled by the driver software program. The ink may smudge after printing is one problem with inkjet technology. With the development of new ink compositions, this is progressing.

Ink is discharged onto the paper in the Thermal Technology of printing. This process has three stages. In stage one the squirt begins when the ink is heated to create a bubble. When the pressure is initiated the bubble breaks and

The resulting vacuum draws out the ink from the reservoir to replace what was ejected. Printers used to be costly because the print heads that would imprint the image on the paper was within the printer. Printers are cheap now but the expense comes when you need to buy cartridges.

You could almost conclude it would almost be worth it to buy a new printer instead of the cartridges because the price of the cartridges can be more than the cost of the most basic inkjet printers.

Though the current price of cartridges is expensive the complex technology they contain will end up being cheaper in the long run than it would be to continually replace printer heads.

Now print heads are contained within the cartridges themselves. It’s exciting because if you use the correct cartridges for your printer you could have it for a very long time. Color cartridges work the same way as black cartridges by squirting the ink through tiny nozzles onto the paper in horizontal strips while they move across the page.

There are three individual reservoirs in color cartridges, one is filled with cyan, the other with magenta, and the other with yellow ink. The quality of the image can be influenced by a lot of things. The quality of the paper can affect the image you get. The image you get can be affected by both brightness and absorption of the ink.

Brightness indicates the vividness of the print image and absorption is how effectively the paper absorbs the ink. When using an inkjet printer, it is best to use paper specifically designed for its use. The best possible image can be possible with the use of the proper paper.

Things that can affect your printing project are display properties settings and/or printer settings. You may want to leave your documents alone to dry for awhile depending on the paper you use and your printer. Most printers have an ink saver setting that puts out less ink which will allow documents to dry faster. You should have knowledge of how your printer operates.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Discount ink cartridges which includes
Cheap ink cartridge, if you have time drop by his site for some tips and information.

Keeping Shipping Costs Down

When shopping for inkjet printer cartridges online keep in mind that postage can add significantly to the cost of a single inkjet cartridge. In some cases the cost of postage can be as much as the cost of the inkjet printer cartridge effectively doubling the price you pay. While this is still often cheaper and more convenient than going to your local office supply shop or newsagent to buy your inkjet cartridges it’s not really the best way to maximise your shopping experience.

Instead you should always buy a minimum of two especially if you tend to buy printer cartridges on a regular basis.

If you don’t buy printer cartridges very often then why not combine an order with a friend or group of friends and split the shipping costs.

Don’t get caught short

Have you ever noticed that your inkjet printer cartridge always runs out of ink just when an important document is half way through printing? This means you have to rush out to the nearest stationery shop and pay through the nose for a replacement printer cartridge. The solution to this is simple. Always have a replacement printer cartridge stored in your draw or on the shelf so you can replace it straight away. Then reorder another cartridge straight away. That way you never have to wait or worry if for some reason your printer cartridge delivery is delayed in the postal system.

Choosing a printer

When shopping for an inkjet printer you should ensure that you take into account the cost and availability of replacement inkjet cartridges. In particular look the availability of compatible inkjet cartridges which will save you substantially over the life of the printer. Remember that OEM inkjet printer cartridges often exceed the cost of the printer after the purchase of a few replacement cartridges.

Register and Join the mailing list

Most Internet shops give you the option of joining a mailing list and registering when you make your first purchase. Registering saves time as you are not required enter your details every time you visit. The mailing list gives you access to information about regular specials and product updates and information. They are often researching the market to bring you the best available products at the best prices. Stay up to date the easy way. Just remember to check their privacy policy to ensure that they won’t sell or pass on your contact information to any one else.

By C. Cavallaro of The Inkstop

The Inkstop a quality Australian discount inkjet printer cartridge supplier.

For more information visit http://www.theinkstop.com.au

It’s a sad commentary on the way of the world today, when you stop to think about the fact that people will go out of their way to avoid radiation exposure - such as in the case of x-ray technicians who shield themselves within a protective booth or by donning lead aprons - and, yet, those same people will walk around, day after day, with a cell phone attached to their ears without concern. Cell phones, cellular phones, mobile phones, wireless phones…call them what you will - without proper precautions, they can still pose a significant threat to those who use them.

SAR Absorption

The CTIA - or, Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association - has defined SAR (specific absorption rate) as “a way of measuring the quantity of radio frequency energy that is absorbed by the body”. In plain English, SAR indicates the amount of radiation that your body is being directly exposed to through the use of devices such as cell phones. Every time you use a cell phone, you’re holding a machine to your head that sends electromagnetic waves directly to your brain. These waves, which are the equivalent of microwave energy, are transmitted to the brain through cell phone antennas and - depending upon how close that receptor is to your head, as much as 60% of that radiation is absorbed. So much so, in fact, that they can penetrate 1 ” into the actual brain. That was the bad news…even worse is that many models exceed that limit. In effect, you’re slow-cooking your brain in the very same way that a microwave oven cooks dinner on a busy day.

Through various studies, evidence has indicated that there’s been a significant increase in brain tumor occurrences among cell phone users. In addition, researchers have also discovered that the impact of cell phone frequencies (which cause the brain to be bombarded by radiation or microwave energy) also appears to cause genetic damage within human blood. It’s believed that the auto-immune system is negatively impacted, as well. The potential for long-term adverse affects, then, is astounding and may include diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Children and Cell Phone Safety

If all of that concerns you - as well it should - then think, for a moment, about how many children are using these phones on a regular basis. You’d be hard-pressed in today’s society to find a child or teen who doesn’t, at some point in the day, have one pressed to their ear. The odds of developing something devastating are even more likely, since their skulls are thinner and their brains are still in the process of growing. Between that and the fact that, due to their age, the number of cumulative years in which they’d receive exposure to the harmful radiation that’s associated with these phones will be greater than those of an older generation, it’s a frightening prospect, indeed.

Although it’s certainly a great convenience to be able to carry a portable phone around in your purse or pocket, and has - in some cases - helped to save the life of someone in jeopardy by enabling folks to dial 911 without having to search for a nearby phone, it’s not an even trade-off and children should never use such devices, except in an emergency. One of the biggest problems that parents may face today is that, since cell phones are convenient - and popular among young people - keeping their children cell-phone-free may be next to impossible. Whether it’s necessary to have youngsters stay in communication with family members when they’re away from home or simply to use in the event of an emergency, many parents feel forced into providing them for their kids and don’t give much thought to the possible dangers that their children may be exposed to, as a result.

Reducing the Risks

Cell phone safety must be made more of a priority by adults and children alike. Until such time when the dangers that are intrinsic to these types of devices have been nullified, there are certain steps that can - and should - be taken by those who find it necessary to use phones such as these.

• Only use a cell or mobile phone when necessary
• Limit the length of your conversations when utilizing a cell phone
• Invest in a hands-free set-up so that the phone’s antenna isn’t near your head
• Purchase a cell phone with an external aerial
• Research the SAR for the unit that you’re thinking of purchasing
• Invest in a SAR Shield for your cell phone

Protecting Yourself with a SAR Shield

With a history of reducing radio frequency radiation by up to 89%, the SAR Shield offers significant protection against the damaging effects that are experienced by those who use cell phones on a regular basis. This attachment operates using the same principle as the technology used for the U. S. Air Force’s Stealth Aircraft, which makes it invisible to radar systems. Due to its winged design, the SAR Shield is able to conform to any size cell phone. In the case of an external antenna, simply bend it around the antenna and you’ll be protected from most of the harmful radiation waves for the lifetime of the phone. For those which house an internal receiver, the SAR Shield attaches directly to the phone’s hard outer shell. For the best results, this should be attached on the upper portion of the cell phone’s structure, so that it doesn’t interfere with any other attachments, such as belt clips. For more information on how to purchase a SAR Shield, visit www.sarshield.com.

It’s All About Choices

It stands to reason that people would prefer to keep a cell phone handy, whether for the purposes of emergency access or just to remain in touch with those who may need to reach them when a “land line” is unavailable. That being the case, the next best thing would be to exercise as much caution as possible when using a cell phone, including the willingness to invest in any device that might help to reduce the amount of radiation absorption in order to practice cell phone safety - for both you and your children. So, if you’re determined to use that cell phone, consider purchasing a SAR Shield…and breathe just a bit easier when the phone rings.

About the Author

Samantha Goode is a freelance technology writer who loves to provide tips to consumers shopping for cellular phone reviews, comparison of cell phones and new cell phones.

ABSTRACT

The business of wireless data is expected to grow in the region of 100-200 % per annum and the mobile communication industry agrees that wireless data services will form the foundation for future business. The enormous success of short messaging in many countries proves that people accept the benefits of non-voice services.

Enhanced Data Rate for Global Evolution (EDGE) is a technology that gives Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) the capacity to handle services for the third generation of mobile telephony. It provides three times the data capacity of General packet Radio Service (GPRS). Using EDGE, operators can handle three times more subscribers than GPRS; triple their data rate per subscriber, or add extra capacity to their voice communications.

This article provides an overview of EDGE technology. In particular, starting from the introduction of this 2.5G technology I describe the core technical aspects and distinct features. I will provide a comparison with GPRS for data services and then a survey of the current state of this technology in Pakistan. I have also covered some benefits for operators and customers.

1. Introduction

The importance of wireless data and multimedia services both for business and end customers are increasing on an unparalleled scale. Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) is a new radio interface solution and is based on an enhanced modulation. EDGE offers GSM network operators an evolution path to mobile data and multimedia services with a three fold increase of data throughput in the existing GSM spectrum. EDGE therefore provides an alternative for operators who do not have a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) license. Moreover it also represents a complement to UMTS for operators intending to first deploy UMTS only in densely populated areas, but who can also use EDGE to provide wide area coverage of future oriented 3G services. In the US market operators have chosen EDGE as the 3G solutions. [8].

We are presently experiencing the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) as well as the higher transmission speeds of High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD), joined by the convenience of “always on-line” direct Internet connections with GPRS. [1]

EDGE, new radios interface technology with enhanced modulation, increases the HSCSD and GPRS data rates by up to three fold. EDGE modulation is going to increase the data throughput provided by the packet switched service even over 400 kbps per carrier. Similarly, the data rates of circuit switched data can be increased, or existing data rates can be achieved using fewer timeslots, saving capacity. Accordingly, these higher speed data services are referred to as EGPRS (Enhanced GPRS) and ECSD (Enhanced Circuit Switched Data).

EDGE, is a major improvement in GSM phase 2+. As a modification to existing GSM networks, EDGE does not require new network elements. [1]

In the US, for instance, EDGE is part of the IS-136 High Speed concept, which is one of the third generation Radio Transmission Technology (RTT) proposals from TR.45. EDGE is eventually going to be standardized which makes possible to achieve a global mobile radio system with many services characteristic to third generation systems.

2. Overview

The increased bit rates of EDGE put requirements on the GSM/GPRS network architecture. Figure. 1 illustrates the GSM/GPRS architecture, the shaded parts of which are discussed in this section. Other nodes and interfaces are not affected at all by EDGE introduction. An apparent bottleneck is the A-bis interface, which today supports up to 16 kb/s per traffic channel. With EDGE, the bit rate per traffic channel will approach 64 kb/s, which makes allocation of multiple A-bis slots to one traffic channel necessary. Alternative asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) or IP-based solutions to this problem can also be discusses.

One important fact is, however, that the 16 kb/s limit will be exceeded already by the introduction of two coding schemes (CS3 and CS4) in GPRS, which have a maximal bit rate per traffic channel of 22.8 kb/s. Consequently, the A-bis limitation problem is being solved outside the EDGE standardization, and it is therefore a GPRS related, not EDGE-related, modification. For GPRS-based packet data services, other nodes and interfaces are already capable of handling higher bit rates, and are thus not affected. For circuit-switched services, the A interface can handle 64 kb/s per user, which is not exceeded by EDGE circuit-switched bearers. [9]

2.1. Impact on GSM Network Planning

An important prerequisite, which to a large extent will determine the success of EDGE in GSM, is that a network operator be able to introduce EDGE gradually. For initial deployment, EDGE-capable transceivers will supplement standard GSM/GPRS transceivers in a subset of the existing cells where EDGE coverage is desired. Hence, an integrated mix of GSM, GPRS, and EDGE users will coexist in the same frequency band. To minimize effort and cost for the network operator, radio network planning (including cell planning, frequency setting of power and other cell parameters) must not require extensive modification.

2.1.1. Coverage Planning

One characteristic of non-transparent radio link protocols that include automatic repeat request (ARQ), is that low radio link quality only results in a lower bit rate for the user. Hence, low SIR for a user does not result in a dropped call, as for speech, but in a temporary decrease of user bit rate. For transparent bearers, which typically offer a constant bit rate, link quality control must be extended to incorporate resource allocation, in the sense that the number of dynamically allocated time slots fits the bit rate and bit error rate (BER) retirements. Transparent bearers, will thus be available in the entire GSM cell, but require fewer time slots in the center of the cell (where 8-PSK coding schemes can be used).

2.1.2. Frequency Planning

Most mature GSM networks of today have an average frequency reuse factor of around 9 (meaning that available frequencies are divided into nine frequency groups). However, there is also a trend toward tighter reuse factors. With the use of frequency hopping, multiple reuse patterns (MRP), and discontinuous transmission (DTX), reuse factors as low as 3 become feasible. EDGE supports a variety of reuse patterns. In fact, by its use of link quality control, EDGE can be introduced in an arbitrary frequency plan, and benefit from high SIR closer to the base stations. EDGE can be introduced in an existing GSM frequency plan, and that it also supports future high-capacity solutions based on tighter frequency reuse.

2.1.3. Radio Network Planning

An important prerequisite (and to a large extent, one that will determine the success of Edge) is that network operators should be able to introduce Edge gradually. The initial deployment of Edge-capable transceivers will supplement standard GSM transceivers in a subset of cells where Edge coverage is desired. An integrated mixture of circuit-switched, GPRS and Edge users will thus coexist in the same frequency band. To minimize operator efforts and costs, Edge-related implementation must not require extensive modification of the radio network plan (including cell planning, frequency planning, the setting of power levels and other cell parameters).

2.1.4. Channel Management

After Edge has been introduced, a cell will typically include two types of transceiver: standard GSM transceivers and Edge transceivers. Each physical channel (time slot) in the cell can be viewed as being one of at least four channel types:

1. GSM speech and GSM circuit-switched data (CSD);

2. GPRS packet data;

3. Circuit-switched data, enhanced circuits witched data (ECSD), and GSM speech;

4. Edge packet data (EGPRS), which allows a mix of GPRS and EGPRS users simultaneously.

While standard GSM transceivers only support channel types 1 and 2, Edge transceivers support all four channel types. Physical channels are dynamically defined according to terminal capabilities and needs in the cell. For example, if several speech users are active, the number of type-1 channels is increased, at the expense of GPRS and Edge channels. Obviously, channel management must be automated, to avoid the splitting of channels into static groups. Otherwise, trunking efficiency would diminish.

3. Interleaving

To increase the performance of the higher coding schemes in EGPRS (MCS7 to MCS9) even at low C/I, the interleaving procedure has been changed within the EGPRS standard. When frequency hopping is used, the radio environment is changing on a per-burst level. Because a radio block is interleaved and transmitted over four bursts for GPRS, each burst may experience a completely different interference environment. [7]

If just one of the four bursts is not properly received, the entire radio block will not be properly decoded and will have to be retransmitted. In the case of CS4 for GPRS, hardly any error protection is used at all. With EGPRS, the standard handles the higher coding scheme differently than GPRS to combat this problem. MCS7, MCS8 and MCS9 actually transmit two radio blocks over the four bursts, and the interleaving occurs over two bursts instead of four. This reduces the number of bursts that must be retransmitted should errors occur. The likelihood of receiving two consecutive error free bursts is higher than receiving four consecutive error free bursts. This means that the higher coding schemes
for EDGE have a better robustness with regard to frequency hopping.

4. EDGE & GPRS

EDGE, or the Enhanced Data Rate for Global Evolution, is the new mantra in the Global Internet Connectivity scene. EDGE is the new name for GSM 384. The technology was named GSM 384 because of the fact that it provided Data Transmission at a rate of 384 Kbps. It consists of the 8 pattern time slot, and the speed could be achieved when all the 8 time slots were used. The idea behind EDGE is to obtain even higher data rates on the current 200 KHz GSM carrier, by changing the type of the modulation used.

Now, this is the most striking feature. EDGE, as being once a GSM technology, works on the existing GSM or the TDMA carriers, and enables them to many of the 3G services. Although EDGE will have a little technical impact, since its fully based on GSM or the TDMA carriers, but it might just get an EDGE over the up coming technologies, and of course, the GPRS. With EDGE, the operators and service providers can offer more wireless data application, including wireless multimedia, e-mail (Web Based), Web Infotainment, and above all, the technology of Video Conferencing.

Now all these technologies that were named earlier, were the clauses of the IMT-UMTS 3G Package. But, with EDGE, we can get all these 3G services on our existing GSM phones, which might just prove to be a boon to the user.
The current scenario clearly states that EDGE will definitely score higher than GPRS. The former allows its users to increase the data speed and throughput capacity, to around 3-4 times higher than GPRS.

Secondly, it allows the existing GSM or the TDMA carriers to give the sophisticated 3G services. And with 1600 Million subscribers of GSM in over 170 countries, offer the full Global Roaming, anywhere between India to Japan and to San Francisco. Based on an 8 PSK modulation, it allows higher bit rate across the air Interface. There is one symbol for every 3 bits. Thus, EDGE Rate is equal to 3x GPRS Rate.

5. Future Evolution Towards WCDMA

The next evolutionary step for the GSM/EDGE cellular system includes enhancements of service provisioning for the packet-switched domain with the service provisioning in UMTS/UTRAN (UMTS terrestrial radio access network). GERAN will provide improved support for all quality of service (QoS) classes defined for UMTS: interactive, background, streaming and conversational. By doing so, a new range of applications, including IP multimedia applications, will be adequately supported. This part of the GSM/EDGE evolution focuses on support for the conversational and streaming service classes, because adequate support for interactive and background services already exists. Additionally, parallel simultaneous bearers will support multimedia applications with different QoS characteristics towards the same MS, such as multiple media streams handled through IMS domain. A driver for such evolution on the packet-switched side is the paradigm shift within the telecommunications world from circuit to packet-switched communications.

Both the core network defined for GPRS and the current GSM/EDGE radio access network require modifications to support enhanced packet services. The GPRS/EGPRS networks can quickly and cost effectively evolve with market needs, and align with services provided by WCDMA networks. The current evolution of GSM/EDGE, which covers all of the above aspects, is being standardized in 3GPP TSG GERAN. [4]

6. EDGE in Pakistan

Pakistan has the sixth largest population in the world - approximately 150 million. There are currently four mobile operators in the country. Mobile penetration at the end of 2003 was just 2.3% with a subscriber base of 3.4 million, while fixed line penetration was approximately 2.4%. Many geographic areas in Pakistan are without telephone coverage. To accompany recent positive economic development in Pakistan and the inherently low mobile penetration, high growth within the mobile segment is expected. At the moment the people in Pakistan are more concern with the text-enabled facility like SMS. Although the introduction of GPRS gave a new concept and new boost in Cellular network but still, people are not that much concern using Internet by their terminal. Few think that it still more costly and few believe that GPRS didn’t develop the interest for using Internet if we compared it by computer.

In April 2004 Norwegian mobile telecom operator, Telenor, bid for and ultimately won a license to operate a cellular network in Pakistan. The license covers the operation of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) technology for the network. [14]

Telenor Pakistan has signed two deals with mobile infrastructure contractors for different areas of the network:

Nokia have signed a three-year deal to build and operate a GSM / GPRS / EDGE network to cover the central and Northern Punjab region (phase one), centered around Lahore.

Siemens have signed a deal to build a GSM / GPRS / EDGE network to cover the southern areas of Pakistan, centered around Islamabad.

Further enhancements in data capability over the core GPRS / GSM network will be provided in both networks with the installation of Enhanced Data for Global (GSM) Evolution technology. This component of the two systems will be installed after the initial roll-outs and will allow the subscribers to have the use of advanced mobile services such as downloading video and music clips, full multimedia messaging, high-speed color Internet access and email on the move.

Nortel Networks will upgrade Ufone’s existing wireless systems and supply new GSM/GPRS core network and radio access equipment, including Mobile Switching Center, Home Location Register (HLR) and advanced Base Transceiver Stations (BTS).

A key component of the Ufone expansion will be Nortel Networks BTS 12000, designed to deliver additional capacity within a GSM/GPRS network while positioning operators to drive lower costs and to offer advanced wireless services based on third generation (3G) EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution) technology. The expansion will also include Nortel Networks Passport Packet Voice Gateway (PVG) for migration of TDM voice trunking to a packet-based infrastructure.

7. Benefits

As highlighted previously the need to reduce business risk and make the best use of existing resources is of paramount importance within today’s business environment.

7.1. Financial

GSM based networks have become the standard within the cellular landscape. As EDGE is a GSM based technology and provides an enhancement for GPRS at a little additional cost it is considered the best way in which to capitalize on existing resources. [1]

7.1.1. Radio Access Network

In most cases GPRS enabled base stations and BSC’s can be simply upgraded to EDGE by way of relatively low-cost software and hardware upgrades, which will pro-long the life cycle of the deployed RAN elements.

7.1.2. Core Network

For GPRS enhancement, there is very little modification to be completed within a GPRS enabled core network, thus enhancing the sunk core network investment.

7.1.3. Antenna Sites

There is no requirement for additional antenna sites when deploying EDGE. Assuming high quality linear amplifiers with high RF output power are used within the BTS, the coverage pattern will be the same as the existing GPRS deployment, so protecting existing site investment.

7.1.4. Spectrum Utilization

EDGE triples the GPRS data capacity whilst using the existing GSM spectrum and offers up to three times the GPRS data rate to the end user. EDGE is spectrally the most efficient radio technology for data applications requiring up to 100Kb/s throughput (compared to CDMA and WCDMA), and only WCDMA is spectrally better for higher throughputs.

7.1.5. Applications

GPRS enabled applications and services will generally not require any additional investment to become EDGE compatible. This is also valid for known WCDMA applications.
Although the financial benefits of EDGE can be apportioned to individual network elements as outlined above, one of the main business drivers is that EDGE forms an essential part of the overall GSM evolution towards a seamless multi-radio GSM/ GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA network. As mentioned previously GSM is the main standard for cellular communications worldwide and the business benefits of deploying an industry standard technology can be seen in nearly every aspect of a network deployment, from end-user devices, to applications to hardware.

7.2. For Operator

Operators can also experiences the advantages of EDGE in following ways.

7.2.1. Migration to wireless multimedia services

The operator can increase data revenues by offering attractive new types applications to end-users.

7.2.2. Improved customer satisfaction

Increased data capacity and higher data throughput will decrease response times for all data services, thus keeping end users satisfied and connected.

7.2.3. Early deployment of 3G type applications

EDGE networks are expected to emerge in year 2001, when mature markets are likely to start demanding multimedia applications.

7.2.4. Quick network implementation

EDGE will not require new network elements and EDGE capability can be introduced gradually to the network.

7.3. For User

7.3.1. Improved quality of service

Increased data capacity and higher data throughput will eventually satisfy the customers’ need for QoS.

7.3.2. Personal multimedia services

Attractive new types of applications and terminals will become available.

7.3.3. Potentially lower price per bit

Lower cost of data capacity for high-speed data applications gives the operator flexibility in pricing.

8. Conclusion

While the tug of war between access technologies - CDMA vs. UMTS vs. GSM — continues to be debated globally, EDGE provides an ideal solution for GSM carriers to add data capacity using limited spectrum. Keeping in view the fact that GSM supports more subscribers today than any other access technology (roughly 65 to 70% of the global subscriber market), and that GSM/GPRS operators are scrambling to add capacity to support user growth and launch next generation data services, the increased capacity and throughput offered by EDGE becomes very compelling. And, in a market where wireless carriers must squeeze the most out of capital outlayspast and future, it is no real surprise that we are going to see a renewed wave of interest in EDGE from our GSM customers.

Today the position of EDGE as a technology evolution of GSM is clear. Initially promoted as an alternative to WCDMA and generally a niche technology, EDGE is now regarded as a key enabler for GSM/EDGE and WCDMA operators alike. Being able to drive business value from existing GSM infrastructure and spectrum is one of the main advantages, and along-with the ability of EDGE to reduce CAPEX, time-to-market and time-to-revenue, with regards the delivery of global high-speed data services, EDGE is a must technology.

The cellular companies working in Pakistan did not have the license for the EDGE. Now as the introduction of some new companies like Telenor and WARID, it is possible that in near future Pakistan will also be able to use this facility. Then GPRS can become a real important factor in cellular network, as the people in Pakistan will use the Internet not only for downloading ring tones but also can enjoy the streaming videos by their cell phone and so many other facilities.

Faheem-ur-Rehman
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology
Islamabad
fahreh@yahoo.com

I know you know what a LAN (Local Area network) is and a WLAN (Wireless Local Area network) but do you know what a WPAN is…..?

A WPAN is a personal area network which uses Bluetooth technology to connect everything from cell phones and ear pieces to key boards and desktops.

When most people think of wireless they will think about Wifi hot spots or wireless routers. Bluetooth acts like wireless wire connecting components over ashort distant.

One of the biggest booms of Bluetooth technology is Bluetooth enabled phones that give you the ability to connect to your computer wirelessly or to your Bluetooth ear piece in you car.
Other quick examples of Bluetooth networking is wireless keyboards and mice.

Bluetooth travels at 1mbps and has a max distance of about 5-10 meters. 1mbps does not seem very fast but it is three times faster that a serial port.

WPAN’s (Wireless Personal area networks) are all around you and they will become more and more common. Desktop computers with Bluetooth enabled keyboards and mice combined with a cell phone that syncs your data.

A new use of PAN’s is in the hospital industry where Bluetooth technology is helping doctors monitor patients. Bluetooth gives the hospital staff more freedom to treat a patient when not having to trip on or untangle wires.

Because blue tooth enabled devices can communicate with each other life saving equipment will be able to more effectively monitor changes in a patients condition.

The military is also experimenting with Bluetooth devices and PAN networking in creating smart suits for the battle field. A soldier armed with a blue tooth enabled SAT Phone, Bluetooth head set and Bluetooth laptop, can communicate with anyone in the world. The most important thing is that the soldier won’t have a million wires to connect and get in his way during battle.

As Bluetooth technology gains popularity the issue of security will have to be addressed. Virus writers have already made cell phone proof of concept viruses and have actually infected a few phones.

Bluetooth does have many built in features which help protect a user from being hacked. First is distance, unlike WI-FI Bluetooth travel only at most 10 meters. Next, Bluetooth uses frequency hopping and 128 encryption can be enabled. Other features of Bluetooth are built in PIN numbers to verify who they are communicating with and block other devices from connecting.
More and more devices will become Bluetooth enabled such and your car radios and home appliances. Bluetooth enabled cars and appliances will be able to connect to your home network or cell phone and notify you when they need repairs or to give you status updates.

Check out the lowest price usb wireless networking devices on the internet http://www.wirelessninja.com/USB_Networking.htm Simple and secure wireless networking news in the name of the game at http://www.wirelessninja.com

Nokia, as we all know, is currently 1 of the earth’s greatest builders of mobile devices and this is compared with other principle competitors for instance, Samsung & Motorola (as well as others). Nokia construct mobiles for each dominant sector and back in ‘07 Nokia was voted the most valuable global brand. Their commodities fall into four type of sectors - mobile phones, multimedia, networks & enterprise solutions.

The cell phone revolution headed by Nokia is apparently inexorable. The thickset bricks made in the nineties for instance, the Nokia 2110 that was almost 236 grams have nowdays been superseded with light-weight, slender hand sets for instance, the Nokia 6282 that comes in at 115 grams or the Nokia 7380 that weighs primarily 80 g. The phones all have the most current in communications electronics along with well founded fashion sense.

Deciding on a hand set was in the past a simple job on the other hand when you think about the products possible to all of us today, it becomes slightly harder. Consumers can buy their mobile devices with the thought of various accessories, - could it be a statement of fashion an object which makes one look spiffing - or could it be only for the advantages that the telephones presently offer, for example, e-mail & WAP, etc. You probably know that for mobile phones in the uk, Nokia is the best choice.

More technologies are also consolidating in Nokia phones to allow the customer the possibility to communicate with more than simply speech. Nokia telephones which include cameras are also becoming commonplace as is the facility to make video and broadcast them to friends and associates through multimedia messaging. You should furthermore see full color video on every one of their cell phones and well over 1/2 are available with the facility to show WAP info (URLs altered only for the smaller displays on a mobile phones). Also obtainable is the mobile devices which are built with radios & MP3 facilities only for listening to your favourite tunes. The cost of their sets range from nothing at all up to a few hundred pounds, it mostly depends about what folk want.

Nokia, as we mentioned, continues to be the planet’s #1 fabricator of mobile devices, even though some think that Nokia’s number 1 ranking might be under pressure specifically by Sony Erickson. Even so, Nokia are backed by the advantage of decades of experience in handset assembly & has brilliant loyalty from its regular consumers coupled with with their reputation only for reliability & user friendliness.

As emerging technologies become even more vital in today’s handsets, the space between Nokia and all of its competitors will become extra obvious.