Wireless Networking
Wirless Networking - General Information:
Over the past few years, wireless networks (WLAN.s), have grown in popularity and it is not difficult to understand why. This technology has achieved standardization, (IEEE 802.11 standard), become more stable, faster, more cost effective and is easy to deploy.
The nature of a wireless infrastructure however, means that it is open to the air. With a traditional, wired, network the fear of having unauthorized users on your network was negated by the fact that someone would need physical access to your wire to connect the device. In a wireless environment that is simply not the case. Wireless devices can broadcast their signal over distances that make the connection of an unauthorized device from an inconspicuous location possible. In fact, many devices popular today can broadcast their signal in excess of 300 feet indoors and over 1,000 outdoors! This means that someone in the next office, suite, building or even block can install a wireless network card in a computer and be on your network, and unless you are monitoring for this activity, you will not even know!
Additionally, in a wired network, the clients are stationary. Computers are connected to the network where they are plugged in. A major consideration for going to a wireless network however, is to provide the clients with mobility. In order for a wireless solution to work well, the equipment must be selected, configured, and installed with the specific environment of each customer in mind as RF (radio wave) behavior, interference, and number of clients all effect wireless network performance.
· Ensuring the solution will meet your needs now, and in the future.
· Prevention of hijacked internet connection, and the resultant performance degradation.
· Preventing directed attacks against your business for the purpose of rendering your network unusable, or capturing information (Denial of Service, Man-in-the-Middle, Application-directed attacks).
· Captured network information posted to internet for use by some other malicious hacker.
· Capture and analysis of actual network traffic. This threat has it.s own onerous consequences such as:
· Password Capture.
· Confidential information compromise.
· Identity theft.
· Compromise of your actual computer systems. Which could result in:
· Data compromise (both company and customer).
· Trojan/Virus infection.
· Total system failure.
Wireless Local Area Netowkr - (WLAN's):
Wireless Local Area Networks (WiFi Networking) have many applications:· Mobility - users can mover around.
· Scalability - number of users can grow.
· Easy network restructuring - network resources can be moved.
· Voice over IP (VoIP) wireless phone integration.
· Commercial wireless Internet access points for your customers.
· Wireless video surveillance.
· Decreasing cabling costs of new infrastructure deployments.
If your business can benefit from any of these features, a wireless network may be right for your environment. Our skilled professionals can design and implement the right wireless solution for you. And with our complete business information transport portfolio, we ensure that your business has a wireless solution that is inter-operable with your current or new infrastructure.
Wireless Wide Area Networks - (WWAN's):
Wireless Wide Area Networks are a good method to connect buildings in a campus environment. Some advantages over point-to-point wiring are:· Higher bandwidth than T1.s
· Cheaper, easier and quicker to deploy.
· No recurring costs associated with leased lines.
· Flexibility of point-to-multipoint solutions.
If your business has two or more buildings with line of sight to each other, and are looking to expand to other locations, need higher bandwidth, or want to get out from under leased line payments, today to explore the options a wireless wide area network can provide