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New in Wireless...
1/31/2005
www.cisco.com) purchase of AirDefense in October 2004, to strengthen its wireless security story (the Airespace buyout is next). New products should be available in March that incorporate the RF monitoring capabilities boasted by AirDefense. Key features include detection of “rogue” access points, protection against unauthorized intrusions, and the ability to track a wireless network’s overall “health.”Remember, security can be imposed at several layers in the OSI model, and a multilayer defense is more effective than any single method. (American University in Washington, DC uses a combo of encryption keys; unique Service Set Identifier, or SSID, names; and required registration to a university computer account.) If your campus has Remote Authentication Dial-In User Services (RADIUS) authentication in place, be sure to utilize it for your wireless LANs, too.
Voice Over the Wireless LAN (Wireless VoIP)
For those who understand just how different wireless is from wired networking, wireless VoIP is a somewhat frightening prospect. Why? Because to achieve good voice quality requires very consistent network conditions, and it’s tough to design a wireless network that meets those stringent requirements. Dartmouth College (NH) is piloting students’ use of softphones (a program on the computer that allows it to be used like a phone; a headset is highly recommended) over the campus network, including the wireless network. The college is testing a combination of equipment including such from Cisco Systems. Another manufacturer working in this area is Extreme Networks (www.extremenetworks.com), which is supporting voice over wireless by implementing the SpectraLink Voice Priority Protocol and Inter-Access Point Protocol in its Layer 3 switches.
Handhelds on the WLAN
Remember the softphones at Dartmouth? That software is also available on some personal digital assistants (PDAs), permitting users to make voice calls over the wireless LAN via handheld devices. This will be an added boon to many: Wireless PDAs have really taken off in the university healthcare environment where practitioners use the devices to access patient records, record vital signs, and review medication orders. Now, they’ll be able to communicate, too.
Other Trends…and You
Watch for increases in wireless throughput to 100 Mbps via 802.11n (planned to be ratified in 2006), with pre-standard implementations as early as this summer. Another IEEE standard in the making is 802.11e, which will specify quality of service (QoS). This standard is expected to be ratified by mid-year. However, packet prioritization or Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) is already here.
Also coming soon are phones that can use both traditional cell/PCS and Wi-Fi. The first of these have come to market, but are not yet widely available.
As for the trends in general, and what action you should take: Frankly, it isn’t a question of whether, but when these trends will affect your institution. Prepare yourself now for the future of wireless on your campus by researching and piloting some of these new technologies; in short, work now to get those policies in place.
Wendy Chretienis a Network Systems Consultants with Elert & Associates , an independent technology consultancy.
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