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Tag Archives: wired networks

The State of the Network: Wired vs. Wireless

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    In a November article by John Cox of NetworkWorld, he pointed out two very important facts about networks as we know them, or at least how we use them:

    • In June WLAN vendor Meraki found that smartphones and tablets have overtaken computers on Wi-Fi networks.
    • Colleges and universities have spent the last decade and lots of money running Ethernet cables to dorm rooms and now are discovering that 50% to over 90% of those wired ports are never used.

    Our devices are now designed for wireless network access, and the younger generation rarely even considers connecting a computer to a wired port. Even for me, a guy who started his career before PCs (yes, old as dirt), I often find myself in a hotel room with a wired Ethernet port that I can’t connect to because I’ve stopped carrying a cable, so I need to rely on the wireless network (which usually performs much more poorly).

    But that won’t be for long. With 802.11n, the latest evolution in WLANs, maximum throughput is increasing tenfold, enabling the dream of reliably streaming video and walking into our company headquarters and having our mobile phone automatically transition from the cellular network to the WLAN to take advantage of better signal strength.

    So where does that leave LAN infrastructure and should you plan on investing in more LAN infrastructure when users’ expect wireless?

    Do you imagine devices retrograding back to wired or do you see them progressing to wireless?

    Actually, I don’t expect to see any significant changes. In the home, where wired ports never really seemed to catch on, even in new development, wireless will be king, and will most certainly grow in scope. Not only will your computer access be wireless, your TV, DVR/set top box and audio equipment will also be wireless, enabling new heights in shared media access. As for the corporate environment, it’s hard to imagine commercial construction without wired access. It may diminish somewhat, especially in large cube farms or “bullpit” areas, but closed offices will continue to be wired. Certain computing applications, especially those employing high performance computing, will still benefit from the wired connection, and commercial landlords don’t want to limit the applicability of their properties. Universities may be the exception to this status quo approach. With their young and mobile “customers,” wireless is the only approach that makes sense and the up to 90% unused wired ports in university dorm rooms have not gone unnoticed as an unfortunate waste of money.

    Even though wireless seems to be stepping in the door while wired is stepping out, there is a state of limbo between the two and there will be for more years to come. And even though wireless is gaining ground, the backbone of every wireless network is wired, and this is not likely to change for a very long time, if ever. So where does that leave you, and how do you ensure that you are reaping the full potential of your wireless as well as your wired infrastructure?

    The key is that your network is now a convergence between wired and wireless, and it must be managed accordingly. You need network management solutions that can handle both networks, simultaneously, because this is how your network traffic is delivered. Here are three key reasons for considering converged network management and troubleshooting:

    • Elimination of multi-vendor, multi-product solutions, allowing for better management and cost savings.
    • Better visibility into which network is causing network problems: wired or wireless. Issues can easily be on either side.
    • Increased scalability. With both wired and wireless network getting faster all the time, it’s important to have a solution in place that’s been designed from the start with high speed networks (i.e. wired) in mind.

    Wireless is starting to reach the throughput and applicability of wired networks with 802.11n, but increased capability leads to increasing user demands, requiring careful planning when implementing wireless network upgrades, including the ability to monitor your wireless and your wired network simultaneously. Converged network management is your only option for handling the higher throughput of improved wireless networks, allowing you to quickly monitor and analyze traffic regardless of the network it traverses.

      Unified Wired and Wireless Network Management – Is It a Reality?

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        There has been a lot of argument and discussion about integrating all the different aspects of wireless network management as well as wired network management. Tech Target’s Lisa Phifer makes the business case and covers how to prepare for the integration. One thing to keep in mind, while wireless networks do require the same kinds of analytical and diagnostic tools as any other LAN to maintain, optimize and secure network functions, the transport of wireless is vastly different.

        In a LAN environment, signals are conducted over a fixed, well-defined and stable set of electric cables. Wireless network signals are transmitted using Radio Frequency (RF) technology. Even with the new 802.11n ramification that gives wireless similar bandwidth, security, and speed to a wired network, wireless still contains more layers that need to be managed as compared to a wired network. Which leaves you asking the question “Do I really need to have an integrated network?” Never say never, but for the most part an integrated wired and wireless network is not where you should be focusing your energy when creating and managing wireless. Instead, focus your attention to the four layers that make-up the wireless network and the best design, and then continue to monitor these different layers to get the most out of your wireless networks, especially if you are running on 802.11n.

        Watch this quick video that explains each layer:

        or read below for an overview of these layers.

        Spectrum Layer – More Devices Affect Your Data

        Before blanketing new areas with wireless access, understand the spectrum and be aware of any devices that might affect your wireless network. The 802.11 protocol is free and unlicensed, which means that other devices such as microwaves, radar, wireless cameras, and motion detectors may already be using the same frequencies used for your wireless access points. Having a thorough understanding of how your spectrum is being used and the devices that might affect it is an absolute requirement to ensure the health of your network.

        Wi-Fi Layer – Where Do You Get the Best Signal Strength?

        With a good understanding of the context in which you’ll be setting up access points, it is time to analyze the Wi-Fi layer. Pay special attention to signal strengths within different locations, signal-to-noise ratios, and data rates. It might even be as simple as walking around with your laptop to understand dead zones and where the strongest signal can be obtained. By doing this analysis, you’ll understand how to better use your Wi-Fi network to maximize efficiency.

        Network Layer – What’s the Overall Utilization of Your Network?

        Now that you’ve confirmed where the air is clear and where it is not, monitor the flow of data itself. Determine top users, what protocols they are using and what the overall utilization of the network is at any given time. Network analysis reports can provide visibility into network traffic as well as insights on how to track, analyze, and fix areas in the network that could be causing trouble. Focus on issues of throughput, transmissions, and how packets are moving during this stage.

        Wired and Wireless Interface Layer: Comparison of these Networks

        Wireless network traffic doesn’t always travel through the air link. For example, when authenticating over WPA2 or 802.11x, wireless traffic is oftentimes sent through the wired network to the authentication server and then back to the wireless device, thus data is frequently exchanged between a wired and wireless network. You can’t rely solely on wireless data — you must account for the wired portion as well to effectively troubleshoot problems as they arise. Network downtime might be due to an issue with a wired router or switch that has nothing to do with the wireless network. Thus, monitor both your wired and wireless networks as the two systems are in constant interaction with one another.