Anyone who's ever scaled a ladder to lay networking cables through a drop
ceiling knows that fine-tuning a company's networking needs is tough work. And
anyone in the IT department of a small- to medium-sized business (SMB) knows that
their network needs are constantly in flux.
Thankfully, a solution exists
that meets an SMB's flexibility requirements and alleviates the headache of constantly
laying network cables. It's the wireless LAN, and it allows your company to build
a flexible network using radio signals instead of cables.
Wireless LANs,
at their most basic, consist of two components: a wireless access point and a
wireless-enabled client. The access point is a paperback-sized device with an
antenna on top that transmits the radio signal to the client, which can be a notebook
or desktop computer, PDA, printer, or just about any other networked device in
an enterprise. Many HP notebooks and peripheral
devices come with wireless capability built in. You'll need to check each device
before installing your wireless network. Add-on cards and antennas are available
for most recent-model computers and peripherals.
Even though wireless LANs
can be a blessing to your enterprise, you'll want to do some homework before adding
wireless to your existing network or going all-wireless. First, you'll need to
assess your network from an access perspective, determining who in your organization
would benefit most from going wireless.
Typical questions you'll want to
ask include:
- Who in my organization uses a notebook versus a desktop
computer? Notebook users in a wireless network can bring their computers to meetings
and access vital information without running back to their desks.
- What's
the physical size of my office? Most access points reliably transmit radio signals
up to about 150 feet. If your office is bigger than that, or is situated on different
floors, you'll want to purchase the correct number of wireless access points.
-
How many employees will use the wireless network? Up to 20 employees can use a
single wireless access point. If your employee count is higher, you'll need additional
access points.
The final--and very important--step is to secure your wireless
network. This can be done by turning on the encryption and media access control
(MAC) addressing in the software that comes with your wireless access point. For
the utmost security, consider creating a virtual private network for your wireless
LAN.
 | Introducing
a wireless LAN into your business can bring about more productivity, lower network
costs, and allow greater flexibility for your employees. Wireless LANs are also
pretty straightforward to install and maintain. If your office environment is
atypical, however, HP Services can help you determine which setup is best for
you. |
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