Tag Archives: Matthew Gast

About 1786 days ago Wireless Networks

Networking Needs for the 802.11n Era

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Try out these Wi-Fi terms — 802.11b, 801.11g, and now 802.11n, not to mention 2.4 GHz versus 5 GHz frequencies. For the not-so-techie business owner, shopping for wireless networking gear can put a cramp in the brain quicker than you can say 10/100 megabit Ethernet hub. Don’t let the geek speak make your eyes glaze over so fast. Once you get past the jargon, wireless networking is actually pretty simple to understand. It’s also an area of technology most companies can’t afford to assemble piece by piece without any forethought or strategy. Five numbers to understand: 802.11 802.11 are the Wi-Fi industry standards regulated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The little letter after the 11 indicates the generation of standards, each letter as the alphabet progresses being more sophisticated, faster, and with a wider range of coverage than the previous. 802.11b was the first widely implemented protocol introduced back in 1999 (which makes it a dinosaur now). Most companies are still using 802.11g, which hit the market in 2003 and took off very quickly just as wireless gear was becoming more affordable. It was also a vast improvement over “11b” or Wireless B.  Mainly, it was faster.  Then along came “11n” 802.11n hasn’t actually been approved by IEEE yet, although all the major wireless vendors are using it in their latest product lines. “The IEEE can’t guarantee the final draft of 802.11n that gets approved will be completely operable with what’s currently on the market. But you now have big companies like Cisco and Trapeze shipping “N” Once that happens, you know it’s safe,” says Mark Tauschek, a senior research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. There are a number of reasons why companies aren’t waiting around for final approval to either sell or purchase Wireless N technologies. “Bottom line: it’s six to eight times faster than ’11g’ and it has at least a 50 percent wider range.  I will also say this — I believe 50 percent is a conservative figure based on my own experience using ‘N’,” says Tauschek Other differences that set Wireless N apart from Wireless G and B include: Crowded frequency. Wireless B and G operate on the very crowded and unregulated 2.4 GHz frequency making it more likely for interference from everything from other nearby wireless networks to microwave ovens and portable phones. Wireless N is set on the 5 GHz band, which is also not regulated and therefore open to all. However, it hasn’t had the time to jam up yet with other technologies. Less interference. Wireless N runs into less interference from common building architecture than previous generations. “It goes through wood floors, sheet rock, even concrete walls, as long as there’s no wire mesh built into it. Mesh fencing of any kind chops it apart,” says Tauschek. Stronger signal. Wireless N is the first 802.11 generation to feature multiple input/multiple output technology (MIMO). This is the secret sauce that enables 11n’s signal to be so much stronger. When a wireless device beams out a signal it bounces off various surfaces in its path that can cause slight variations in signal strengths. MIMO technology sends out duplicate signals that reinforce each other into one strong signal that goes further and with greater clarity upon arrival at its destination. Deciding when to upgrade For companies still operating in an “11g” world, is it time to migrate to “11n”?  The short answer is yes, and no. In other words, it depends on the company in question. It also depends on who you ask. “Many applications can benefit from increased speed, especially those that involve heavy data transfer. The higher capacity of 802.11n also enables service for a higher density of users,” says Matthew Gast, author of  802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide (O’Reilly, 2002).  Then again; “If you have a ‘g’ network and you’re not putting a lot strain on it, you can probably wait. Unless your gear is old and decrepit, which is unlikely, there is little reason to upgrade,” counters Tauschek. He says companies, like engineering and graphic design firms, that pass around a lot of large files are most likely to benefit from investing in “11n.” Tauschek and Gast also agree that if an organization is upgrading their wireless network anyway then “11n” is definitely the way to go. The question is where to begin. Putting the pieces together Switching to “11n” is not as simple as just buying a new router and calling it a day. That new Wireless N router will work with the old gear (all 802.11 gear is backwards compatible), but users won’t get the full benefit of the upgrade. Regardless of the router, the network is only as robust as its own hardware. “The shopping list is fairly straight forward,” says Gast, who narrows it down to these three areas: Wireless N capable access points. Okay, so the bad news is having to pony up for new access points. The good news is that work spaces will need fewer of them. That’s because Wireless N sends out a stronger signal with a wider range. Power for the access points.  This is a feature to shop for within those new access points that will save power and keep the company wireless network as unplugged as possible. “Many small-scale access points need to be plugged into the wall.  Better access points can take power over the Ethernet cable connecting them to the network,” says Gast. Before buying the access point, read the fine print on technical specifications and ask the vendor about the product’s “power over Ethernet” capabilities. Faster switch for the network backbone. Older Wireless B and G switches use 10/100 megabit Ethernet ports. In order to take advantage of those dramatic increases in speed that comes with the new “11n,” the network switch needs to be upgraded to a gigabit switch that can accommodate all that extra bandwidth. Whether a business decides to pull the trigger yet on Wireless N, the company next door may have done so already. That means that there’s likely to be a risk of interference on the 5 GHz frequency bleeding through the walls or even from across the parking lot. Between that and the already clogged up 2.4 GHz frequency, it may be time to consider 6 GHz portable phones. SIDEBAR: “Wireless N” Networking Products for Small Business NetGear  Known for its networking hardware solutions, the Santa Clara, Calif.- based company released its ProSafe 802.11 Dual Band Wireless Access Point just this Spring (April 2008). Priced for the small to mid-sized business, ProSafe sells for $475 and includes a gigabit Ethernet port, three antennas, and a console port for local configuration. NetGear also offers a Wireless N router (the RangeMax) for about $120. Linksys offers a Wireless N gigabit router for about $120 and its Wireless N Access Point priced at $160. As the prices would indicate, these product lines are geared more towards the needs of a small company or home office. Linksys, a division of Cisco, also offers outdoor antennas that are N-compatible, as well as their Wireless-N Gigabit Security Router with VPN tunnel support ($200) and for the road warriors on staff; a Wireless N notebook adapter ($120). Belkin is another option to consider for entry level businesses looking for modestly-priced networking products. Belkin’s line of Wireless-N routers ranges in price from $90 to $180. They also offer 802.11n adapter cards, desktop cards and a USB adapter. D-Link now offers a line of Wireless N access points priced between $80 and $160. The high end model only networks up to four devices, however. So this is really meant for either a small business or home. D-link’s business class networking solutions are sticking with Wireless G for now.

About 2455 days ago Telecom and Wireless

Letting Go of Your Landline

It was late one night at the offices of Shopper Shuttle, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based transportation service that serves the tourist trade. Co-founder Camille Alcasid had an epiphany. In the middle of rearranging the office for a new employee, she asked herself a question: Why do we need all these wires? “After untangling the first couple of devices, it became obvious to me,” says Alcasid. “We need to move things around without hassles.” That moment started an avalanche of wireless activity. Today, the computers in the office are wireless; the company’s Private Branch Exchange phone system is online; and, of course, all employees are on call via cell phones. An increasing number of businesses are following in Shopper Shuttle’s footsteps. A study by Insight Research Corp., of Boonton, N.J., forecasts that the number of business landlines will steadily decrease through the end of the decade, from 54 million lines today to 44 million by the year 2010. These traditional circuit switched lines will be replaced by newer, less expensive technologies, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), cellular, VoWLAN VoIP, the latter being VoIP over a Wi-Fi wireless network. According to Infonetics Research, wireless LAN (local area network) equipment sales are at $654 million and are expected to continue well through 2009. Wires are so 20th century. Here’s how to get your business out of the stone ages: THE BOTTOM LINE The first step is to look at the impact on your bottom line. Computers will require a wireless modem (though many already have them built in) and a wireless router. The router is the gatekeeper to the Internet: all your office equipment communicates with the router, while the router communicates with the World Wide Web. A wide variety of routers are available at your local electronics store. Finally, the high-speed Internet connection is available through AT&T, Verizon and other local phone service companies, and can run $30 or more a month. And before you put down that money, think about if you really need to go wireless. “If mobility isn’t important to your business, you may be wasting your time worrying about a wireless network,” says Microsoft online editor Monte Enbysk. “But more and more businesses today have workers who don’t camp out in offices all day.” THE INFRASTRUCTURE If you decide to go forward, a wire from the router (the only wire in the office) will connect to the wall’s cable or DSL outlet. The router should be placed high, like on a bookshelf, and near the center of the office. The next step in the transformation is to convert your office computers to laptops. Desktop computers can also have wireless modems, but tying your computer to a desk seems to defeat the purpose of having a wireless office in the first place. Make sure the new computers have a built-in (internal) wireless card. External wireless cards are available, but internal ones require no assembly – just press a button and it will pick up on all the available wireless routers in the area. Converting to laptops also enables your employees to have wireless offices wherever they may go, since their modems would pick up on any wireless router available worldwide. Be aware that the days of free wireless connections are pretty much over – most airports and hotels now charge a nominal amount for their once pro-bono service. HANGING UP For most companies, the biggest concern in going wireless is usually the phone line. With the number of companies foregoing the landline, virtually all cell phone carriers offer business plans that support multiple phones. Business plans are different than traditional plans because they offer feature helpful extras, typically including pooled anytime minutes, which reduce the cost of calling during business hours by taking a company’s minutes as a unit, rather than by individual phones; unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling plans, which allow a company to “network” its cells; call forwarding and call waiting, two staples of phone communication; and even conference calling. Be aware that some plans require everyone to have the exact same type of phone – at least initially. Also, looser plans, such as “calling circles,” enable everyone to call each other for unlimited minutes every month. Replacing the fax is a little trickier, but still a practical alternative to keeping your antiquated large machine.  This may be the easiest problem to solve. Low-cost programs such as Send 2 Fax and Mighty Fax  make it easy to receive faxes through the Internet. They can be saved and printed out for signatures or archival purposes. Sending faxes is more complicated, as the act requires a scanner. But scanners typically cost under $100, though super-compact ones will cost more. It may be worth the money to get a tiny scanner if you’re getting rid of the fax machine. The desired document must be scanned into the computer and sent to the recipient over the Internet line. Purchased software can help you with this, too, though PC and Mac owners can use Microsoft Office or Outlook and other default e-mail software to fax items as well. SOCIAL SECURITY Finally, experts say wireless equipment is about twice as vulnerable to hacker attacks as landline equipment. Many can be avoided by adding a network key: a simple password system that helps prevent interlopers from stealing your bandwidth or, worse, your information. Matthew Gast, author of 802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide, says on O’Reilly Media’s Wireless Devcenter that it’s smart to be cautious, but not afraid of going wireless. “Although wireless LAN security can seem challenging because of the press it has generated, most of the challenges can be addressed by reasonable security precautions,” he writes.