Wireless Local Area Networks

Scope and Objective

Wireless local area networks (WLANs) have the potential to improve the flexibility, productivity, and the quality of work life of an enterprise (Sage Research Staff, 2001). Berean Institute is a typical two year college with about a staff of sixty eight employees and 250 students per semester. Berean teaches cosmetology, barbering and the latest software and hardware technology, which is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Berean currently has two locations in the Philadelphia area and using a Local Area Network (LAN).

BereanЎ¦s existing network infrastructure is wire line, and uses a T1. Remote users access the network through a dial-up modem pool. BereanЎ¦s wire line network model severely limits the accessibility and effectiveness of the Berean network. For example, employees in Berean facilities are unable to access the network easily from meetings, the cafeteria, or anywhere other than their offices. In addition, the effectiveness of remote users is limited by the slow speed of present-day dial-up modem connections.

The following introductory sections describe the problem to be investigated and the goal to be achieved. The introduction also provides an analysis of the relevance and significance of the research and a discussion of barriers and issues related to achieving the goal. In addition, the approach and resources to be used in accomplishing the goal are discussed. Finally, a brief summary is provided.

Problem Statement and Goal

The propose research will address a problem confronting many two year institutions in the present-day (i.e. how to best plan, design, and implement WLAN technologies). While WLAN technologies offer the benefits of mobility, reduced installation time, and decreased cost, many challenges must be met by institutions deploying them (Geier, 2005). These issues are related to security, speed, interoperability, and equipment selection, ease of use, reliability, signal interference, installation, and health risks.

In addressing the problem, the proposed research will use the case study method to examine the plan, design, and implementation of WLAN technologies at Berean. At present, the non-wireless local area network (LAN) technologies employed by Berean include 10/100BaseT Ethernet at each desktop. Ethernet ports at the desktop are switch connected to an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) T1 backbone. BereanЎ¦s one remote facility connects to the network using switched Frame Relay services along with Internet Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections.

These technologies are of limited effectiveness in connecting employees while at work and at home via Berean network. BereanЎ¦s infrastructure does not allow employees on the move to leverage the time they spend at meetings, in the cafeteria, and the other location to catch up on e-mail, retrieve information, or perform other work related activities (Sage Research Staff, 2005). For example, the way Microsoft employees interact at work was dramatically affected by the companyЎ¦s installation of IEEE 802.11b WLANs (Orenstein, 2001). Microsoft employees no longer attend virtual meetings using desktop videoconferencing. Instead, they go to real meetings and bring their offices with them (i.e. laptops with WLAN connectivity).

In addition, the cost and time required to install and operate wire line networks in two year institution facilities to support automation is often excessive. For example, the total cost of ownership (TCO) for a WLAN in the typical small office is 15 percent lower than the TCO for a wired LAN (Blackwell, 2005). The spread between wired and wireless LAN TCO is likely to be greater for LANs installed in medium size institutions. Wireless LAN technologies would seem to be more appropriate in this environment since LAN cabling is frequently removed or relocated in reaction to changing institution process requirements.

The limitation of wireline networks also extends into Berean employees residences. Remote users connect to the Berean network using dial-up connections with a maximum data rate of 56 kilobits per second (Kbps) downstream and 33.6 Kbps upstream. This remote access solution does not provide telecommuters and other less frequent work-at-home users the benefits of high speed access to corporate applications from small home/home office (SOHO) venues.

The goal of this research is to provide Berean a model for deploying secure WLAN technologies in their college and employee residences. The model will be developed from a case study of WLAN projects to be implemented at Berean.

WLANs are beginning to replace traditional wired LANs as the preferred approach to the Ў§last ten feetЎЁ of enterprise network environments