Manual network access logins (Was: Re: [RAM] The mapping problem: rendezvous points?)

Gert, Tony,

>> Mobile IPv6 aka "VoIP connections survive roaming about" sounds like
>> a good plan for when we have omnipresent IP connectivity without having
>> to manually login to all these different access points - but this is
>> some
>> distant future, at least over here.  Which is why there might not be so
>> much demand...

This is indeed a significant problem. As long as the login process
is manual, all work stops until the user looks at the screen and
takes out his credit card or types a password. This applies equally
well to communications that could survive address changes
(Mobile IPv6, HIP, SIP, etc.) as any other communications, such
as polling your e-mail server for new messages.

There are many reasons for this situation both on the technical
and perhaps even more in the business side. Lack of a technical
solution is not the problem; we have some and we could easily
invent more. Its more of a question of how many solutions we
have, having a solution in all devices as opposed to just most
of them, suitability of solutions to the different business
models providers have, etc.

But I would suggest this is an orthogonal problem to discussing
routing scalability or even mobility. We know that we as the
industry must solve the network access problem, if we are
going to have gadgets that don't need continuous attention
from their owners and large screens to look at login pages.
Or $9.95 for every movement to a new administrative
domain...

> You can already wander around cities like Mountain View CA with WiFi
> connectivity.  When WiMax deploys, if even 50% of the hype comes true,
> this is going to become more common.  And EVDO is already doing this
> today.

Or GPRS and UMTS. But you have to separate the the hype
about wide-spread connectivity of a particular access technology
and its effect to the network access problem. The problem is
not lack of wide-spread connectivity, but more in the use
of different networks. GPRS, UMTS, and perhaps
EVDO and later WIMAX are capable of serving you all over
the place. Each of these networks gives you an automatic
network access mechanisms. No typing, no web pages,
completely automatic. And even some of the movements
between these networks work automatically.

However, not all combinations can be made to work automatically.
More importantly, there are networks that do not use
the automatic means or do not have roaming with
your own provider. E.g., even if you do not need to
type anything in the new WIMAX network, you probably
still have to use your credit card or password
if you switch from WIMAX to a local WiFi network.

Jari

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