Most Common Misconceptions About Wireless Connectivity

Misconception #1. Security features cannot be maintained consistently.

The 802.1x standard is made to be controlled from a centralized RADIUS server. The access point authenticates each user back to this server, which is connected to a backend database that stores every user's login and password information. As an added bonus, the server can keep track the time and location of login allowing the administrator to keep records of usage. See pages 2-9 of accompanying white paper.

Misconception #2. Wireless LANs interfere with other wireless devices.

This is a very narrow view of the wireless technology that is available to consumers. This statement assumes there is only one wireless frequency. Wireless devices on the same frequency can interfere with each other. The solution to this is to manage frequency as you would manage IP addresses. Just as two cordless phones will not work together on the same frequency at the same time, wireless network devices will likewise fail. Wireless phones overcome this by auto changing frequency. The same effect is achieved by selecting wireless devices that operate on different frequencies than the wireless network. If the wireless network is at 2.4 GHz then we must select other wireless devices in the 900 MHz frequency, or in an uninhabited channel of the 2.4 GHz frequency (which has three channels). If the wireless network is 802.11a (5.8GHz) then other wireless devices may be on both 2.4 GHz and 900 MHz. There is likely to be no competition in the 5.8 GHz spectrum as it has been specifically allocated to data communications in the unlicensed frequency by the FCC.

Misconception #3. Proper security requires proprietary solutions, which are not interoperable among vendors.

This is no longer the case with current 802.1x capability installed on all commercial access points. 802.1x allows for Extensible Authentication Protocol as well as Transport Layer Security, thus giving near complete security to the data on the wireless LAN. This solution does require that a backend RADIUS server be available. This technology has already been approved by IEEE 802.11 Task Group I and will not change. To add to its credibility Microsoft also supports Transport Layer Security and has promised to port it to all of their supported operating systems.

Misconception #4. Proprietary technology is being made obsolete by upcoming standard definitions.

Most wireless devices currently on the market have been designed in anticipation of changing standards. Product developers working on 802.11b and 802.11a devices are well aware of the upcoming standards and have made nearly all of their products software upgradeable. Cisco, Lucent, and other manufacturers already support the 802.1x standards, with many more in the process of developing products with such capabilities. While new standards are continuously being evaluated, and potentially accepted, this process is slow and regular. IEEE considers new standards for wireless technology before currently accepted standards are fully released, thus regulating the process and preventing rapid degradation of products. Since wireless is a growing technology, consumers and manufacturers alike must expect improvements in standards as time passes, and, to allay problems due to this situation, must simply select products that will be adaptable.

Misconception #5. Node count per network is limited.

A wireless Access Point (AP) should be considered a HUB like any other. The 802.11b standard is capable of communicating at 11 Mbps per second aggregate (8 Mbps after overhead). The total bandwidth is shared between all users associated to the Access Point. Most access points allow the user to specify the number of clients to which network access will be granted, but bandwidth diminishes with each added user. There are multiple solutions by which available bandwidth can be increased. Among the most common are cell size limitation and radio frequency control. Cell size limitation entails designing the network with a sufficient number of access points with which to support the desired number of clients at the appropriate bandwidth. This solution reduces the number of users per access point, thereby freeing up more bandwidth per user, but requires more access points. Radio frequency control is another manner of increasing available bandwidth by using all possible channels in the 2.4 GHz spectrum or by using the 5.8 GHz frequencies. Effective engineering will take into account all possible bandwidth solutions in cell design to maximize throughput while minimizing cost.