Jim Geier

When deploying a wireless LAN, be certain to have a plan for fixing problems if they arise after the network becomes operational. In fact, even try to proactively find trouble spots and mend them before they affect users. This reduces downtime, which certainly makes users much happier. These types of efforts fall into what most […]

By Jim Geier In the previous instalment of this series, we explored what you should think about regarding configuration management of wireless LANs. Now, let’s take a look at what you should consider when implementing network monitoring. Network monitoring continuously measures attributes of the wireless LAN. This plays a key role in proactively managing the […]

More and more companies are now beginning to apply location-based services over WLANs to enable some rather interesting enhancements to applications. In general, a location-based system (LBS) keeps track of the position of users on the network as they roam through the facility. A centralized system collects and integrates this position information to drive additional […]

Operational support generally contributes to nearly fifty percent of the total lifecycle costs of a wireless LAN. As a result, be sure to fully plan related operational support. Support elements for wireless LANs are similar to those for typical wired networks; however, wireless support must take into account the uniqueness of radio wave propagation. Configuration […]

Model: RTC-2000 Price: $12,000 MSRP Pros: Full protection against ARP attacks; extensive rogue detection; integrated, lower-cost total solution. Cons: No wireless denial-of-service protection, limited GUI for making configurations. OptimumPath’s wireless router is heavy on security and contains a great deal of functionality for both wireless and wired infrastructure networks. The RTC-2000 provides cost savings resulting […]

There are lots of companies today wanting to deploy wireless connectivity over larger areas, such as cities and rural areas, as an alternative to using copper and fiber-based solutions. Wireless is certainly less expensive to install and support in most cases, especially in locations where it’s cost prohibitive to install physical media or right-of-way issues […]

The marina segment is emerging as an important portion of the public wireless LAN hotspot market. There are estimates that 90 percent of all yachters use the Internet regularly while at home or in the office. Even though most boaters are on vacation, many of them still want access to the Internet while relaxing on […]

When deploying a wireless LAN, you can easily forget about the wired side of the network. The access point wiring, sometimes referred to as a distribution system, is very important because it is what connects the access points into the corporate network. In addition to providing access to resources on the network, this wiring also […]

The mobile workforce is rapidly becoming dependent on information, as they need to stay in touch via e-mail and continue to access corporate applications while on the road. Nearly all road warriors carry laptops today, and wireless connections are becoming very popular. Because of this, hotels are beginning to offer broadband wireless access throughout their […]

When planning the layout of a wireless LAN, you must take into consideration power sources for access points. Some companies limit installation locations to areas where a six foot cord can reach an electrical outlet. Other companies opt to install new outlets, which require extra electrical wiring. Power-over-Ethernet (PoE), however, can significantly decrease costs associated […]

Network Instrument’s Observer (Version 8.3) is a $995 software-based network monitoring and protocol analysis tool capable of evaluating 802.11 wireless LANs. A definite advantage of using Observer is its wide breath of analysis features for wireless LANs. As with other tools on the market, Observer captures packets on the radio side of the network and […]

Model: HG-2000 Price: $399.00 MSRP ValuePoint Networks’ HG-2000 is a wireless hotspot gateway that’s designed for companies deploying wireless LANs for public use. The HG-2000 hardware is equipped with an 802.11b radio interface that meets Wi-Fi-compliancy requirements, one 10/100BaseT WAN port, and four 10/100BaseT LAN ports. The gateway includes software that hosts the features that […]