12th Annual Well-Connected Awards: Wireless

It wasn't long ago that wireless data service was considered a boutique technology, a specialized network service used by a few vertical industries or a convenience for the tech elite. But times have changed, and wireless data, in a range of different manifestations, has entered the mainstream.

Or has it? The explosive growth of home wireless, combined with integrated Wi-Fi capabilities on just about every notebook computer, certainly stimulates lots of interest. Likewise, the addition of data-oriented services to legacy cellular voice offerings is gaining momentum as speeds increase and prices fall. However, overall adoption of wireless data in the enterprise continues to lag expectations.

Readers we've surveyed tell us there's plenty of demand for wireless data and mobile apps. Users find the untethered experience liberating and say it's critical to improving productivity. Most enjoy the convenience of high-speed wireless data at home and want this service at the office and on the road. However, the challenges of creating a wireless home network are trivial compared with the issues enterprise IT pros face.

The Number 1 (and 2 and 3) obstacle is security. Yes, new standards such as IEEE 802.11i and WPA have addressed the most significant vulnerabilities associated with first-generation WLANs. But implementing and supporting those standards remains problematic. In addition, wireless security problems extend beyond simple authentication and privacy services and include: policy-based access control; flexible guest-access services; detection and containment of rogue devices; and intrusion prevention. Implementing multilayer WLAN security is neither cheap nor easy. Nevertheless, vendors are making serious strides. Dedicated IDS/IPS vendors, including AirDefense, AirMagnet, Air Tight Networks and Network Chemistry, have revved their products. Infrastructure vendors Aruba Networks, Cisco Systems, Trapeze Networks and others have enhanced the security systems on their WLAN infrastructure offerings.

Beyond security, some IT organizations and enterprise bean-counters view wireless as a convenience that won't deliver compelling ROI, and refuse to prioritize WLAN development. As a result, many organizations take a tactical approach, focusing on providing wireless access in public spaces. In addition, concern over rapid evolution of WLAN standards and architectures makes many IT pros reluctant to jump in too fast, for fear of getting stuck with a wireless white elephant.

While wireless voice over IP (VoIP) has been touted as the killer app, enterprise-class handsets--especially the holy grail of dual-mode Wi-Fi and cellular devices--have been slow to emerge, and the challenges associated with engineering wireless LAN infrastructure to meet the quality of service requirements of voice have been considerable. The vendor community has been disingenuous in this regard. It pontificates about the need to deliver WLAN solutions that don't require RF engineering expertise--Cisco and Aruba in particular have improved their dynamic RF management capabilities--but even in these two cases, the simple solutions don't address all the complexities of such deployments.

Still, progress can be seen. Current products provide much better performance, security and manageability than those of a year ago, prices are falling, and immense pressure to innovate--both at start-ups and established companies--exists. "Innovate or die" is the mantra. Cisco, for instance, has added mesh capabilities to its offerings, while other vendors have enhanced their intrusion-prevention capabilities, improved their location-tracking features, broadened controllers to meet the high demands of deployment at the core and scaled down controllers to better support branch offices.

Beyond the LANAlthough Wi-Fi commands most of our attention, other wireless data technologies often deliver greater business value. Fixed wireless point-to-point systems from companies such as Adtran, Canon, Cisco, LightPointe Communications, Orthogon Systems and Proxim Wireless, continue to evolve in performance, functionality and overall reliability. Most systems operate using unlicensed spectrum, and newer system designs greatly simplify installation. Applications include facility interconnection in campus, urban and rural areas; disaster avoidance and recovery; temporary network installations; and backhaul for metropolitan-area networks.

Wide-area mobile wireless data services and apps provide unique opportunities to enhance the productivity of individuals who aren't typically tied to one office location. Now that service offerings from Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless deliver a broadband user experience, with offerings such as EV-DO and HSDPA providing about 500 Kbps downstream TCP throughput and sub-200 millisecond latency, the old excuse that mobile data is too slow to support modern apps doesn't stack up.

Clearly, the most popular mobile application is e-mail, with Research In Motion's BlackBerry system reaching cult status. RIM has done a great job leveraging emerging cellular data networks and demonstrating the value of a multitier mobility solution that uses middleware effectively. At the same time, other vendors, such as Good Technology, now provide a RIM-like e-mail experience and more device choices, including the popular Treo smartphone.

Mobility Is Here To Stay

Many IT professionals feel conflicted about how to deal with the mobility challenge. They appreciate the increasing strategic value of ubiquitous connectivity, but recognize the risk of delivering mobility and buying into a market too early, when standards are fluid and costs are high. The goal, as always, is to meet the organization's information needs without creating a financial or architectural black hole. At the least, IT must respond to requests for pilot projects and put the pressure back on users to demonstrate that the technology is more than a convenience.Most IT professionals would be well-advised to embrace wireless and recognize that increased mobile connectivity is both beneficial and inevitable. Once that issue has been settled, it's time to sort out the good solutions from the bad.

Wireless Categories
• Enterprise Wireless LAN System
• Wireless Analysis Tool
• Smartphone

• Point-to-Point Fixed Wireless System
• Mobile Messaging Gateway
• Wireless-Enabled Notebook Computer

Wireless Winners

Enterprise Wireless LAN System
Winner: Cisco Systems Unified Wireless Network
The enterprise WLAN market is crowded, with 20 or more vendors vying for your attention. But Cisco stands above the rest, offering the security of dealing with the market leader and some of the best AP, controller and management technology available. For Cisco Ethernet shops, the Unified Wireless Network represents an effective solution that helps avoid the finger-pointing and integration challenges common to overlay solutions without compromising on features and functionality. Cisco's 2005 acquisition of Airespace raised many questions about how the company would integrate Airespace's technology with its legacy wireless offerings. In less than a year, Cisco has answered most of those questions while pushing forward with innovative enterprise Wi-Fi solutions.

Wireless Analysis Tool
Winner: Cognio Spectrum Expert for Wi-Fi (formerly ISMS Mobile)
One indicator of demand for emerging enterprise network technologies can be found in the availability of effective management and troubleshooting tools. For Wi-Fi, we're seeing such a market expansion, allowing those responsible for assuring production quality services to find the tools they need. One tool that will surely find appeal in enterprises with large critical Wi-Fi infrastructures is Cognio's Spectrum Expert for Wi-Fi. To track down nasty RF problems related to noise or interference, there's no substitute for a spectrum analyzer. With its elegant implementation that smartly classifies interference sources, Cognio has made spectrum analysis both affordable and accessible to network managers who don't have a degree in RF engineering.

Smartphone
Winner: Palm Treo 700W
Choosing a smartphone still forces you to make compromises, but it's getting easier to find effective solutions that enhance personal productivity and serve as an effective platform for mobilizing enterprise applications. Palm's Treo 700W has set the new benchmark by combining the classic form-factor of the Treo smartphone with Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5 operating system and support for Verizon's high-speed EVDO network. And while we were disappointed that Wi-Fi wasn't integrated, it's cheap and easy to add Wi-Fi using the integrated SDIO slot. The screen could use some improvement and Windows Mobile is sometimes clunky for one-handed operation, but as an enterprise smartphone platform, this is as good as it gets. ID# 1702gc2

Point-to-Point Fixed Wireless System

Winner: Orthogon Systems OS Spectra 300
If you need to link two Ethernet networks, don't want to string cable or pay for leased circuits and can't afford to compromise on performance, reliability or manageability, check out Orthogon's OS Spectra 300. This system delivers high throughput and low latency, even in environments that lack true RF line of sight. We tested a long-range version with external antennas, but an easy-to-install integrated unit, which combines the radio bridge and 23 dBi flat-panel antenna into a single enclosure, is also available. Orthogon's system operates in the 5.8-GHz unlicensed ISM band, automatically choosing the best radio channel and adapting modulation to enhance reliability in adverse conditions. With 128-bit AES encryption, security is not an issue.

Mobile Messaging Gateway
Winner: Good Technology GoodLink 4.0
Competition in mobile messaging is intense. RIM leads the way in market share, and enterprises are resting more comfortably now that its patent dispute with Good Technology has been settled. However, Good Technology's GoodLink platform provides a highly effective alternative that supports both Palm and Microsoft Windows Mobile operating systems. GoodLink provides enterprises with an effective mobility solution for both Exchange and Domino e-mail environments, combining an extremely well-designed interface that makes life easy for users with a robust middleware/management platform and for enterprise IT professionals to deliver highly reliable services.

Wireless-Enabled Notebook Computer
Winner: Lenovo T43 with Atheros Communications AR5200
Choosing the best notebook computer for your enterprise requires attention to many details ranging from size to speed to cost. However, for enterprises that see value in mobility and recognize that dual-band Wi-Fi is critical for performance and scalability, the choice of an integrated Wi-Fi radio module should also be high on the list of decision criteria. While going with a generic Intel Centrino system isn't the worst decision you'll ever make, Lenovo's T43, with its integrated Atheros AR5200 dual-band 802.11ag radio module, is a more solid combination. The T43 is compact but full-featured, and Lenovo has dedicated plenty of effort to the Wi-Fi management software. The Atheros radio module also provides the best combination of performance and power efficiency of any dual-band solution we've seen.

Where Are They Now?
Last year's overall winner in Network Computing's wireless core area was Cisco's controller-based wireless LAN system, a product the company added to its portfolio through its early 2005 acquisition of Airespace. Since then, Cisco has done an effective job of integrating the Airespace offering into its overall product line. First, it added support for Airespace's LWAPP (lightweight access point protocol) to its Aironet access points. Second, it developed LWAPP controller modules for its branch-office routers and Ethernet switches. Finally, it added support for the company's proprietary Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX) to the Airespace controllers. Cisco has continued to add new functionality to its product line, including enhanced location capabilities and mesh network support.

If you look at an organization chart of Cisco's wireless networks business unit (WNBU), you'll discover that many of the most significant positions, including WNBU vice president Brett Galloway, CTO Pat Calhoun, senior director of product management Alan Cohen, and director of technical marketing Matt Barletta, are all former Airespace employees. It's clear that the Airespace technology is at the heart of Cisco's WLAN strategy. Still, while the company is clearly encouraging customers to migrate away from the older IOS-based Aironet smart APs, the strategy has more carrots than sticks. Cisco will continue to support IOS-based APs and the WLSE (Wireless LAN Solution Engine) management platform for the foreseeable future, letting customers make a technology transition during the course of normal lifecycle upgrades, which typically run three years or less in the evolving enterprise WLAN market. Dave Molta is a Network Computing senior technology editor. He is also assistant dean for technology at the School of Information Studies and director of the Center for Emerging Network Technologies at Syracuse University. Write to him at [email protected]