Wireless deployment at enterprise level is a very different matter from wireless on a smaller scale, which will usually involve deploying a single or a few WAPs throughout an organisation. This feature will look at how wireless can scale up to the enterprise level, to serve hundreds or even thousands of users and to accommodate high bandwidth applications such as VoIP and video communications. Towards that end, we'll discuss deployment strategies that can be used to make wireless computing available throughout a large network.
What enterprises need
You've heard the old F Scott Fitzgerald pronouncement that "the rich are different from you and me". Well, enterprises are different from small and medium-sized businesses in more ways than having more users (and more money). Their networking needs — and solutions — are different as well.
Along with the obvious need to support a larger number of users, enterprises often need support for a larger variety of applications. For example, VoWLAN (Voice over Wireless LAN) is gaining popularity in the enterprise space. WiMax long-range wireless may be needed for large company campus-type environments.
According to the recent 2006 Webtorials "WLAN State of the Market" report by Joanie Wexler of Network World, wireless technology tied with VPN at the top of the list of most important technologies to the enterprises surveyed. One of the most interesting points in the report is that wireless networking is no longer being used only as a "hot spot" solution for lobbies, conference rooms and other common areas, but is now being deployed more widely across the organisation.
One of the most important needs for WLAN administrators in the enterprise environment is the ability to centrally manage multiple access points.
Centralised WLAN management and security
There is a plethora of products available for providing centralised management of enterprise-class WLANs. The move toward centralisation has resulted in a corresponding move away from more "intelligent" WAPs and towards so-called "light" access points (also called Wireless Termination Points or WTPs) that are controlled by a centralised controller in a switch.
There are a couple of ways to implement this model. According to the Internet Engineering Task Force's Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) working group, the two categories for centralised wireless architecture are:
- Split MAC: all security functions are handled by the centralised switch/controller
- Split Access Point (local MAC): the centralised controller handles 802.1x authentication and the AP handles cryptography
- You can find out more about CAPWAP here.
Many of the centralised WLAN products, such as ManageEngineWiFi Manager not only allow you to configure multiple APs, but also include security mechanisms to detect and block rogue access points and protect against WLAN intrusions and attacks.
Migrating to centralised management
Several companies are offering solutions to help companies with traditional wireless LANs migrate to a centralised management architecture more easily. In July 2006, Aruba Networks and AirWave Wireless announced they were teaming up to provide support by AirWave's Wireless Management Suite to Aruba's APs, making it possible to centrally manage both legacy standalone APs and modern "light" APs from the same console. You can read more about it here.
Voice over WLAN
Certainly one of the most demanding applications faced by wireless networks is voice over WLAN (VoWLAN). Voice communications are mission-critical applications…
