Everyone is talking wireless these days. There is 802.11a/b/g, GPRS, 1xRTT, 802.1x, and a variety of other techno-speak acronyms that can cause your head to spin. Wireless does have its place in the networked world and can provide some real business benefits, if planned and implemented properly.

There are four major categories of wireless, each with its unique technology:

• Fixed / WAN (wide area network) – inter-building private, 802.11a/b/g, 802.16
• Mobile – keeping mobile users connected (1X, GPRS, BlackBerry, 2.5G, 3G)
• LAN (local area network) – roaming around the office, 802.11a/b/g
• PAN (personal area network) – Bluetooth, InfraRed

Let applications drive...

The first thing forgotten is that applications should drive the implementation not the technology. Network technologies are the support infrastructure for applications. Companies should consider what applications or business processes would benefit from the flexibility of a wireless solution. A sound business case is still needed to justify the investment in wireless, whether it is WAN, LAN, Mobile or PAN. Consider who is going to be using the solution and who has the greatest business need in the organization. Once that has been determined, run a pilot project to validate your business case and then roll it out to the larger population. There are so many variables in a wireless implementation that you need to test it thoroughly to get it right.

The other major item that people misjudge in wireless is the requirement and implementation of security. Security in the wireless world follows the same base principles that the wired world has been dealing with for years: Authentication (make sure they are who they say they are), Authorization (make sure they only get access to what they are supposed to have), Auditing/Accounting (monitor what is happening), Encryption (make sure no one intercepts the data in transit) and Manageability (ensure that your administrator doesn’t end up working 80 hour weeks). Managing this process and the solution is critical to the success of a secure wireless solution. There is some very basic security included in most technical solutions; the trick is to understand its purpose and remember to turn it on.

Separate with a firewall

You should also treat a wireless connection just like you would a business partner link or the Internet. Since you do not control the physical end point of the connection, outsiders could have access to it. Consider what type of traffic could flow over the connection and then treat the link appropriately with encryption and appropriate authentication. Best practices would be to separate all wireless connections from your private network with a firewall to secure and monitor your wireless solution.

In the end, a properly planned and implemented wireless solution can facilitate increased productivity, increased employee satisfaction, lower costs, and more functionality. Just make sure you consider your requirements, select the best fit technology, consider your security and pilot the solution before rolling it out.

Scott Murphy has enjoyed designing, planning and implementing wireless LAN, WAN, and WISP environments for the last several years. He has recently spoken at both Communitech and Smart Toronto meetings on the topic of wireless technology.