Wireless+Networks



Wireless technology has only recently reached a point of maturity that means it is feasible to roll out a managed wireless network to a school campus. Many schools have made some use of stand-alone access points that have provided some degree of wireless connectivity, but these products are not designed to cope with class lots of students, who all have devices they wish to connect to your wireless network.

 **Why Wireless?** Increasingly we will see a need for wireless to service a range of devices that staff and students will expect to use as part of their workflow. Wireless devices offer freedom of deployment and use of client devices without the need to find an ethernet port to plug into. Wireless has only recently matured to the stage where it is capable of delivering reliable, fast connections in a situation as complex as a medium to large school. There are four developments that have contributed to that maturity:
 * the large number of devices that are wireless enabled, laptops, PDA's, iPods etc
 * advanced antenna technology which allow each packet of data to be sent in an optimum fashion, and also allow for multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) which allows greater amounts of data to be transferred over greater distances.
 * smart wireless systems where a central controller can actively monitor all of your access points and ensure that data is traveling as efficiently as possible for your users
 * wireless N which is currently a draft standard (but looks like it may be ratified in September 2009) has allowed for speeds which approach those on most desktops (100Mbit/s), greater range and uses both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands which again improves performance, especially since the 2.4GHz range gets interference from a number of common devices like cordless phones and microwave ovens.

**Is setting up a wireless network something we can do ourselves?** If your school resembles your house in both size and number of computers then you should be able to buy a wireless access point, plug it in and get reasonable performance. If you do not know how to secure the wireless network, or how to make sure that it is not acting as a DHCP server (if there is already one on your network), or how to make sure your wired network is not exposed via your wireless, then you probably should seek help even in a small school. For installations requiring several access points and larger numbers of client devices, it is recommended that you seek professional advice about your wireless needs. Here are just some of the things that a professional will be able to assist with:
 * checking for radio interference from appliances like cordless phones, microwaves and other wireless networks
 * pinpointing areas that are hard to get a signal to, so that your network can be planned accordingly
 * advice about which type of commercial wireless solution will best suit your needs
 * advice about network configuration (will you allow guest access, will the wireless network sit outside your firewall, should it run on a separate vlan etc)

 **Can we just have a wireless network?** No, you will still need a good wired network. Servers still need the speed and reliability that a wired connection offers. As a rule you should look to connect anything that primarily stays in one spot to your ethernet network. It should be a better connection, and it will take some of the load off your wireless network.



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