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Wi-Fi unplugged A buyer`s guide
for small businesses | |
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Which
flavor of Wi-Fi is right for your
business?
That used to be an easy question
to answer.
A few years ago, there were only a
few letters in the wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) or
wireless LAN alphabet. The earliest and still most
commonly-used standard is 802.11b. There is also
802.11a, and the newfangled 802.11g. Now, it seems
that there are so many types of Wi-Fi that they
may someday run out of letters.
While the
question of what to choose may be difficult to
answer, it is important for you to address it. A
2005 survey by the research firm, In-Stat, found
that the vast majority of companies (91%) now use
wireless data somewhere in their company, either
on a limited or a widespread basis.
So what is
wireless networking — and why is it important to
your small business? Basically, IEEE 802.11, or
Wi-Fi, uses radio waves to carry high-speed data
to and from an access point that connects to
cables. For more information on the latest
developments in 802.11 standards, check out the
Wi-Fi Alliance
site.
Wireless networking can be
critical to your business because it can
measurably boost productivity — whether you're
tracking inventory or meeting with customers. A
wireless office is more flexible, scalable, and
yes, often better than a wired office.
But what
kind of wireless should you use? |
| 802.11
or something else? |
As
you look at the myriad of wireless protocols, you
might run across the new WiMAX, (Worldwide
Interoperability for Microwave Access) or IEEE
802.16 standard. It promises faster connection
rates of up to 70 megabits (Mbps) per second, and
a vastly larger coverage area of about 30 miles.
Although this sounds like a tremendous advantage
over current Wi-Fi systems, which are slower and
have a shorter range, it's important to weigh the
expense of WiMAX (plus the fact that it's still an
emerging standard) in a purchasing decision. In
fact, WiMAX is largely geared to commercial
carriers for long-distance, point-to-point
transmissions — not for small businesses.
At
the moment, when it comes to wireless, the safest
for your company continues to be Wi-Fi. |
| What
kind of 802.11 is right for my business? |
| As
I already mentioned, there are several varieties
of Wi-Fi. At least one of them will work well for
your company. But which one? Here's a rundown of
choices. |
 |
802.11
legacy. These are the wireless systems
without a letter after them — and they operate
between 1 and 2 Mbps at 2.4 gigahertz (GHz). If
someone offers to sell you one, buy it — but not
for your business. Buy it to sell to a museum
someday. They are, for the most part,
obsolete.
Bottom
line: Not for you. |
|
802.11a is a more common
standard for wireless networking. It operates on
a 5 GHz range (so there's less interference)
with rates of up to 54 Mbps. "Given that there
is much less interference on 5 GHz, 802.11
typically performs better at a distance," says
John Gmuender, the vice president of engineering
for SonicWALL, an Internet security firm in
Sunnyvale, Calif.
Bottom line: If you need
something fast, consider using 802.11a. "If you
want to anticipate high-bandwidth applications —
applications needing higher throughput data
rates, such as voice over IP," then Wireless-a
is a good bet, says Roger Skidmore, the chief
product officer for Wireless Valley
Communications, an Austin, Texas-based wireless
software developer. |
|
802.11b operates on a
2.4 GHz range with rates up to 11Mbps. Why is
Wireless-b slower than a? Because it's older.
But 802.11b still remains one of the most
popular protocols, because it was first and
still does some things better than a, according
to some users — like have a maximum range of
several miles. (Note: Wireless a- and- b don't
play nice together, so don't try to mix your
hardware.)
Bottom
line: If you need something relatively
fast and you're cost-conscious, this brand of
Wi-Fi may work for you. |
|
802.11g is the latest in
Wi-Fi, and at the moment it's difficult to buy
any wireless equipment that isn't Wireless-g
compatible. Like 802.11b, it operates on the 2.4
GHz band, but it's faster, running at a maximum
rate of 54 Mbps. What's more, it's compatible
with 802.11a equipment, meaning you don't have
to upgrade the entire office.
Bottom line: It's faster
and at the moment, it's the de-facto standard.
Most small businesses should consider investing
in a Wireless-g network. "If you need to set up
a wireless network immediately, 802.11g is
definitely the most established Wi-Fi standard
on the market right now," says David Blumenfeld,
vice president of marketing at Jiwire, a Web
site. |
|
802.11n is the next
thing. It uses a radio technology called MIMO
(multiple input/multiple output) that promises
speeds of up to 100 Mbps, plus an extended
range. But like WiMAX, 802.11n standards won't
be settled until 2006, so if you see something
that offers "n" compatibility, it might still be
too early to buy.
Bottom line: The 802.11n
is not quite ready for prime-time. But it may
soon be. | |
What
about the other letters? Don't worry about them.
These additional standards are, for lack of a
better term, not major developments. For example,
802.11d is a specification that allows for
configuration to comply with the rules of the
country in which the network is to be used;
802.11e adds multimedia support to Wireless-b, g
and networks; and 802.11i adds advanced encryption
standards and improves key management.
"Among
the alphabet soup of wireless protocols, 802.11g
offers consumers a safe, widely-used standard that
is backward compatible and ensures support for the
broadest range of devices on the market," says
Scot Zarkiewicz, president and chief executive of
SingleClick Systems, a wireless and home
networking software provider.
Focus on the big
letters — a, b, g and possibly, n — and you can't
go wrong. |
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