The SCinet committee is providing conference attendees with ubiquitous IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and IEEE 802.11a wireless TCP/IP services for the SC2004 Conference. The wireless service coverage areas include the exhibit halls, the conference meeting rooms, and selected common areas. The wireless networks are connected to the SCinet commodity network (and the Internet), the high-performance show floor network, and several national agency networks. There is no connectivity between the wireless network and XNET. Wireless networks are anticipated to be available from November 4-11, 2004.

Free wireless!

All conference attendees may take advantage of the wireless service. There is no charge for its use. While every practical effort will be made to provide stable, reliable network services, there is no explicit service level agreement for the wireless network, nor are there any remedies available in the event that network services are lost. Please refer to the SCinet Service Level Policy for more information. If you need to ensure connectivity to SCinet, you should order a physical connection. SCinet will monitor the health of the wireless networks and maintain this information for exhibitors and attendees.

IEEE 802.11b-compliant wireless network interface cards will be sold at the conference. Order forms may be obtained at the SCinet Helpdesk. These wireless network interface cards are "plug and play" on most laptop computers. As a general rule, SCinet cannot support setup, configuration, or debugging of laptop computers and their wireless network interfaces.

SCinet control of the 2.4GHz and 5.2GHz frequency radio spectrums

In order to provide the most robust wireless services possible, SCinet must control the 2.4GHz radio frequency spectrum used by 802.11b and 802.11g (2.412GHz to 2.462 GHz) and the 5.2GHz radio frequency spectrum used by 802.11a (5.15GHz to 5.35GHz) within Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

This has important implications for both Exhibitors and Attendees:

o      Exhibitors and attendees may not operate their own IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g wireless Ethernet access points anywhere within the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, including within their own booth.

o      Wireless clients may not operate in ad-hoc or peer-to-peer mode due to the potential for interference with other wireless clients.

o      Exhibitors and attendees may not operate 2.4GHz or 5.2Ghz cordless phones.

o      Exhibitors and attendees may not operate 2.4GHz wireless video or security cameras, or any other equipment transmitting in the 2.4GHz or 5.2GHz spectrums.

o      Any special request to operate equipment in the prohibited frequency range(s) for specific demonstrations must be pre-approved by SCinet. Requests for exemptions may be submitted to wireless@scinet.supercomp.org.

Successful wireless operation is a community responsibility.

SCinet wants you to have a successful, pleasant experience at SC2004. This should include the ability to sit down with your wireless-equipped laptop and check e-mail or surf the Web from anywhere in the wireless coverage areas. Please help us achieve this goal by not operating equipment that will interfere with other users.

SCinet is watching.

We will be trolling for rogue access points and clients in ad-hoc mode. SCinet will actively police both the 2.4GHz and 5.2GHz frequency spectrums. Please distribute this notice to your booth staff and consultants.