The answer to that question is a resounding "It depends on your needs". Since the initial specification of a wireless protocol in 1997, wireless LANs (WLANs) has made great improvements in price as well as functionality. Today wireless LAN equipment offer theoritical speeds as high as 54Mbps at 30 meter (100 feet) distances. Generally used to increase the mobility of computing devices, wireless LANs excell in a number of applications.
Wireless LAN (WLAN) Advantages
Wireless LANS have two main advantages: no dedicated wiring and increased mobility for equipment. A distinct advantage of wireless LAN technologies is for connecting to a corporate Intranet in a conference or boardroom. Have you ever walked into a conference or board room only to find that the only two LAN jacks installed in the room are already taken by those arriving earlier. With Wireless LANs, up to 20 devices can be connected simultaneously. No more need to bring your (often corporate IT illegal) hub to the meeting. In buildings where installing structured cabling might be destructive, as in historical sites, or cost prohibitive, a wireless LAN offers a competitive priced alternative.
Another advantage of wireless LANs is to accommodate a mobile workforce either traveling between location or within a corporate campus environment. No longer do these employees have to hunt down visitor cubicles or a "live" jack where they can plug into the corporate Intranet. The same holds true for company consultants and visitors who can access the Internet without having to authorize their computers to the wired corporate network. If you are considering a wireless LAN installation tell us about your project.
Other Considerations of Wireless LANs
Wireless LANs have some disadvantages over wired LANs including cost, and performance. A wireless LAN requires a unique network adapters which are generally more expensive than those for dedicated wiring. Performance however, is probably the biggest consideration as speed, sharing, and device interference are the main areas. Wireless network speed range from 1Mbps to 54Mbps with actual performance generally one third to one half that in practice. Compared to 100BaseT networks, this is slow but compares favorable with 10BastT installations. Since some of the more popular protocols utilize unregulated radio frequencies, interference from devices such as cordless phones, microwaves, and other appliance can disrupt or reduce overall performance of the network. Lastly, since the typical wireless access point behaves as a hub, it is good for maybe 20 simultaneous users. Other physical consideration include the fact that the wireless access points still need to be wired to the network, walls and other obstructions limit coverage area, and overlapping WiFi areas can cause problems.
Wireless LAN Protocols Options
There are three local LAN wireless standards in use today: 802.11a, b, and g. The following provides some pros and cons for each protocol.
- 802.11a
- Use: Corporate
- Bandwidth: 5GHz (regulated frequency band)
- Cost: Higher than 802.11b and g
- Coverage: Smaller range, walls and other building structures attenuate signal more strongly
- Interference from other devices: Minimal
- Compatibility with other Protocols: Not Compatible
- 802.11b
- Use: Residential
- Bandwidth: 2.4GHz (un regulated frequency band)
- Cost: Lowest
- Coverage: Greater range, walls and other building structures will not attenuate signal as strongly
- Interference from other devices: Cordless Phones, and Microwaves
- Compatibility with other Protocols: Not Compatible
- 802.11g
- Use: Residential/Corporate
- Bandwidth: 2.4GHz (un regulated frequency band)
- Cost: Midway between the a and b equipment
- Coverage: Greater range, walls and other building structures will not attenuate signal as strongly
- Interference from other devices: Cordless Phones and Microwaves
- Compatibility with other Protocols: Compatible with
Wireless LAN Security
Although there has been some concerns about wireless network security the use of Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP) based on RC4 encryption prevents open access to wireless networks. Through the exchange of security keys unauthorized access and "tapping" of the network is prevented.
RBC Cable Technologies has the Expertise
We have been designing, installing, and configuring corporate data networks for the past 14 years. As a trusted supplier to Fortune 50 and small enterprises alike, We can design a system to meet your individual needs at a price you can afford. Please contact us or submit a project form so that we can help you reach your goals.
Sign Up for Our Newsletter Now!
