Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Tips on setting up a wireless LAN

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 17:38:32 -0400

Tips on setting up a wireless LAN

Analyst offers money-saving advice

By BRIAN SULLIVAN
JUNE 25, 2003

BOSTON -- When setting
up a wireless LAN for
your company, there are
a couple of things you
should keep in mind,
according to Craig
Mathias, a mobile and
wireless analyst and
founder of Ashland,
Mass.-based Farpoint
Group.

First, forget about
conducting a site survey
to determine the location
of access points. Unless
your company has a big
facility with a large
number of users, site
surveys are a waste of
money, Mathias said at
a workshop at the 802.11
Planet conference here today.

"We generally don't recommend site surveys anymore because it is just taking a
client's money," Mathias said.
Access points are relatively cheap, between $600 and $1,000, so it's easy to buy
more if coverage is spotty, he said. Trial and error works just as well as hiring
someone to map out where each access point should be, he added.

When buying access points, keep in mind that they all should be the same brand and
model, Mathias said. Don't assume that products from multiple vendors will work
together just because the vendors say they're compatible, he said. The same goes
for "Wi-Fi-enabled" stickers. Read the fine print to ensure that the devices are
compatible, Mathias said.

He also recommended against using spectrum analyzers to determine dead spots for
all but the largest networks. Such tools can cost as much as $2,000 for a handheld
and $24,000 for a large system.

Mathias suggested that vendors' claims about device performance be "de-rated" by
50% to 60%. And he cautioned that ever-changing environmental conditions affect
performance. Those could even include a metal cart rolling down a hallway. Mathias
also noted that all the metal tooth fillings, earrings, wristwatches and other
accessories that people in the audience were wearing had created a "radio hell"
that would affect the WLAN that was running in the hall.

Benchmarking is difficult to do, Mathias added. He said that when he benchmarks a
product, he does it in real-world conditions and runs the tests for 48 to 72
hours. Often, he runs conflicting devices to see which can handle interference
better.
Companies shouldn't worry about range when configuring a WLAN, Mathias said. They
should worry more about optimizing a WLAN for capacity, he said. Short-range
devices, for example, can be compensated for by adding more access points and
antennas.  Short-range devices will also save users money because they use less
power and allow for greater throughput of information.

As for security, Mathias said that the Wired Equivalent Privacy protocol for
802.11 devices is "junk." He called the security standard a place holder until
something better can be built, adding that no one should rely on it. Instead, he
said, companies should build in end-to-end security, for example, by encrypting
data going over both the wireless and wired parts of the network.

Mathias also advised companies not to worry about outsiders seeking an opportunity
to tap into their networks.
"Who is going to sit in your parking lot waiting for something interesting to
happen?" he asked.
What an information thief is more likely to do is to break into the Ethernet
connection or simply steal a device, Mathias said. Most people don't encrypt the
data on their devices, and it's easy for a thief to distract you at an airport and
steal your handheld device or laptop, he added.

Mathias will participate in a panel discussion on the future of 802.11 tomorrow.
The conference runs through June 27.

http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/story/0,10801,82489,00.html?nas=PM-82489

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Get A Free Psychic Reading! Your Online Answer To Life's Important Questions.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/Lj3uPC/Me7FAA/ySSFAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/