Well it wasn’t AT&T’s west coast network, but the iPhone did manage to short circuit one, albeit much smaller, network today. The iPhone’s Wi-Fi connection appears to be causing problems on the wireless network at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

The built-in 802.11b/g adapters on a number of phones occasionally flood certain parts of the University’s wireless LAN with MAC address requests. This has lead to the temporary loss of signal from 12 to 30 wireless access points on different occasions.

The campus primary WLAN provider, Cisco, is currently working with network administrators who have opened a help desk ticket with Apple. However, a specific cause has yet to be determined.

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The world of Wireless ISP’s is quickly growing. Wireless access points seem to be sprouting up over night, showing up on more and more radio antennas and water towers. The number of companies offering cheap, fast, reliable, wireless internet is also on the rise as people seek out alternatives to broad band and fiber optics.

While Americans see this growing trend as an increase in convenience. Allowing them to read the morning news on their laptop as they sip coffee at their favorite coffee shop. Or write an email while sitting in the park. The rise of wireless internet is also providing the less fortunate with what most of the developed world takes for granted.

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