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Riding the (Radio) Wave

PFW Password - Spring 2001 In the winter edition of the Password, you may remember reading an article which discussed the newest method of network connectivity - wireless networking. At that time, only a handful of hardware manufacturers had brought products to market, as the IEEE 802.11b or 'Wi-Fi' standard for high speed wireless data was in its infancy. As of today, only a few months later, wireless has become mainstream. Many hotels and airports offer connectivity to those who have a laptop and a wireless adapter card, major computer manufacturers now offer integrated 802.11b networking in their laptops and PCs, and wireless NICs can be found on the shelves of your local retail computer store.

What does all this mean? With so many new products emerging, specific features of the hardware, such as Access Point and client installation / configuration, security, remote network management, interoperability, and overall performance become very important factors. But how do you choose which feature mix is right for you? That's where Mobility by Design can help.

In a recent edition of PC Magazine (March 6, 2001), ten wireless LAN solutions were tested, and the enterprise edition awards went to Cisco Aironet's 350 Series, and Lucent's AP-1000. We found the results to be very interesting (and somewhat rewarding), as we have researched/tested most of the hardware on their list, as well as others, and came up similar results. The one area in which we differ is that they felt Lucent was marginally better than Cisco, and we feel Cisco is superior. We used similar testing criteria, such as those mentioned earlier, although our testing criteria also included the category 'what will work best for an equipment dealer'.

Beyond being simply a resource for selecting the best wireless solution for your dealership, Mobility by Design offers a total wireless solution. We will work with you as you venture into the wireless world, including network design, configuration and installation services, as well as ongoing support.