WIRELESS NETWORK SERVICES

IP NETWORK SYSTEMS

IP Network Systems provide a wide range of wireless network products and services. Our systems include WLAN, Point to Point and Wireless Mesh Solutions.

Designing your network's wireless segments can be intimidating. You need enough cell overlap for roaming and sufficient bandwidth for your applications. If you skimp on wireless access points, you can end up with throughput problems and patchy coverage that limits where your users can roam and work.

It all starts with a wireless site survey, where we assess and map out your wireless infrastructure's RF (radio frequency) environment and the placement of your access points to ensure your WLAN performs well.

There are numerous standards for wireless networks, the following statements provide a brief overview of the system types.

The 802.11a standard uses the same data link layer protocol and frame format as the original standard, but an OFDM based air interface (physical layer). It operates in the 5 GHz band with a maximum net data rate of 54 Mbit/s, plus error correction code, which yields realistic net achievable throughput in the mid-20 Mbit/s.

802.11b has a maximum raw data rate of 11 Mbit/s and uses the same media access method defined in the original standard. 802.11b products appeared on the market in early 2000, since 802.11b is a direct extension of the modulation technique defined in the original standard. The dramatic increase in throughput of 802.11b (compared to the original standard) along with simultaneous substantial price reductions led to the rapid acceptance of 802.11b as the definitive wireless LAN technology.

802.11g. This works in the 2.4 GHz band (like 802.11b), but uses the same OFDM based transmission scheme as 802.11a. It operates at a maximum physical layer bit rate of 54 Mbit/s exclusive of forward error correction codes, or about 22 Mbit/s average throughput. 802.11g hardware is fully backwards compatible with 802.11b hardware and therefore is encumbered with legacy issues that reduce throughput when compared to 802.11a by ~21%. The then-proposed 802.11g standard was rapidly adopted by consumers starting in January 2003, well before ratification, due to the desire for higher data rates, and reductions in manufacturing costs. By summer 2003, most dual-band 802.11a/b products became dual-band/tri-mode, supporting a and b/g in a single mobile adapter card or access point. Details of making b and g work well together occupied much of the lingering technical process; in an 802.11g network, however, activity of an 802.11b participant will reduce the data rate of the overall 802.11g network.

802.11n is a proposed amendment which improves upon the previous 802.11 standards by adding multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and many other newer features. The TGn workgroup is not expected to finalize the amendment until December 2009. Enterprises, however, have already begun migrating to 802.11n networks based on Draft 2 of the 802.11n proposal. A common strategy for many businesses is to set up 802.11b and 802.11g client devices while gradually moving to 802.11n clients as part of new equipment purchases.