Why go wireless?

Wireless LANs provide users accesses to shared information without looking for a place to plug in. It offers the convenience and mobility over the traditional wired networks. The mobility of a wireless LAN can support productivity and service opportunities not available with wired networks since LAN users are provided with real-time information anywhere within their organization.

Installation is also made simple and easy for wireless LANs. Installing this system eliminates the need to pull cable through walls and ceilings. It allows the network to go where wire cannot go.

Though initial investment may be higher for wireless LANs compared to the wired network, long term cost benefits and life-cycle costs can actually be lower. Configurations can easily be changed to suit the needs of the organizations from smaller number of users to full infrastructure networks over a broad area.

Considerations

Although wireless LANs offer the flexibility in configuring and installing the network, as well as the benefit of mobility in setting up computers, one should consider the following before choosing this type of LAN.

Home/Office Layout—The floor plan of one’s house or office is an important consideration before setting up wireless LANs. Since this network uses either radio frequency or infrared waves, it is important to determine the path for which these waves are to travel. Interactions with walls, metals, and even people can affect how energy propagates and can limit the efficiency of the network. Solid objects block infrared signals.

Coverage—It is also necessary to determine the extent of the coverage of a particular wireless LAN technology. The range for typical wireless LAN systems varies from 100 feet to more than 300 feet. Hence, before installation, one must ascertain the extent of the coverage needed to be able to choose the wireless LAN system suited. Coverage can, however, be extended for a total freedom of mobility via roaming with use of microcells.

Compatibility with Other Devices—Before deciding to go wireless, one should be aware that wireless LAN systems from different vendors might not be interoperable. The different technologies applied may not function with the others such as when one uses spread spectrum direct sequence technology and the other on spectrum frequency hopping technology.

The systems using different frequency bands will not interoperate even if they both use the same technology; and even with the use of the same technology and frequency band, the system will not work if implemented differently.

Licensing Requirement—As wireless LANs make use of radio frequencies, there are certain regulatory requirements before its implementation. Hence, it is important that manufacturers and dealers of wireless LANs get the corresponding certification. Consumers are thus forewarned to inspect the necessary certification of their dealers before actually implementing wireless LAN in the offices.