The Case For Wireless Networking
By Tech News Staff Writer Arthur Vincie
The Champion of the Small Organization
Large companies can afford to knock through walls, run cables to outlets, and set up a wired network. Smaller and more frugal nonprofits have the same basic need – to connect computers to each other and to the Internet – but without the cash and manpower to do it. In the early '90s, many small (four to five) person nonprofits solved this dilemma through "Sneakernet" – passing files back and forth via floppy disks.
As files grew bigger, this no longer became an option, and many of these nonprofits spent great sums of money setting up wired networks. A brave few experimented with the wireless alternatives out there – power line, phone line, and infrared technologies – with usually dismal results.
While wired network gear is relatively cheap, and Ethernet LAN data rates are superior to WiFi (100Mbps vs. WiFi's current max, 54Mbps), these advantages are offset by the daunting task of setting up the network in the first place. Most commercial buildings are still not adequately "smart" when it comes to letting clients run cable from room to room. Particularly for smaller nonprofits without a dedicated IT person, setting up a new network can be quite costly. Small wireless networks can often be achieved for less than $1,000. Traditional cable connections often cost two to four times that amount.
Enter WiFi networking. It seems to deal with all of these problems at once, and the gear is now priced more competitively. There are some security gotchas, but they're not horrible. The significant downside of wireless networking at this point is sifting through the admittedly complicated naming conventions.
A Quick Primer on Wireless Technology
There are actually many flavors of wireless technology, from infrared to BlueTooth to cellphones to WiFi. These technologies already overlap in significant ways. However, this article will focus mostly on WiFi networks so a brief primer on wireless technology has been included to ensure a basic understanding of the jargon and buzzwords associated with which gadget.
BlueTooth was developed for the purpose of setting up PANs – Personal Area Networks. With an effective range of about 10 feet, BlueTooth devices were never meant to replace wired networks. However, BlueTooth is a great means of connecting your PC to smaller devices – such as cellphones, PDAs, or mice. In the near future, it is expected that BlueTooth will replace USB as the "universal" port to connect PCs and peripherals.
Infrared technology has been around for a long time. It's proven to be great for certain applications – such as transmitting information between PDAs – and essentially useless for networking computers. Infrared requires a line-of-sight connection between machines, and peters out after about six feet.
Cellphone technology, while technically "wireless," operates very differently with regard to the radio spectrum it uses and in its initial intention (point-to-point communication). However, as phones have become more like computers – even merging with PDAs in the case of the Treo PDA/phone models – they have started to acquire network features like BlueTooth. In the near future we will see phones that can connect with WiFi networks – serving as storage devices, routers, or even as "regular" computers.
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WiFi technology is actually a family of networking protocols, created by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), an industry-standards group. The protocols were given the incredibly helpful names 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. (In case you were wondering, 802.11 was the name of the group within the IEEE charged with developing the standard). In this article, "WiFi" refers to "wireless."
All of the WiFi protocols operate via radio waves, and thus are subject to interference by other radio-wave generators – such as cordless phones and microwaves.
802.11a is not a popular standard; it is as fast (at 54Mbps) as 802.11g, but doesn't "go through" walls very well due to specific limitations in the radio spectrum that it uses. For all practical purposes, 802.11b and 802.11g are the more viable protocols for WiFi networks.
802.11b was developed in 1999, and supports network speeds of up to 11Mbps, making it roughly equivalent to old-style Ethernet (10Mbs) networks. 802.11b devices can "see" through walls better than 802.11a devices can. But it doesn't support as many simultaneous users. While it's cheaper to buy 802.11b equipment, the cost difference is not that great and gets smaller all the time. Apple has branded 802.11b-related gear as "AirPort."
802.11g was developed in 2001-2002, and has all of the advantages of 802.11b but can support network speeds of up to 54Mbps. This is more than sufficient for most business networking applications. Apple has branded 802.11g-related gear as "AirPort Extreme." All 802.11g gear can work with 802.11b gear.
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What you need to go Wireless
So you've decided to build a wireless network for your office, but aren't sure what you'll need? Here's a quick rundown of the gear:
Wireless network cards for your laptops and/or Macs. These range in price from $50 (for a PC-Card, usable only in PCs) to $90 (for an Apple AirPort Extreme Card, usable only in Macs). Some PC manufacturers are bundling cards with their laptops, so definitely get one if you're also in the market for a new computer.
Wireless network adapters for your PC desktops. These are usually about $50 per card. Some manufacturers are offering these with new computers.
Wireless firewall/router. If you have a small (four to five) person network, you can get one device that can serve as both your firewall and router. The firewall connects to your broadband service (either DSL or cable modem) and protects you from nasty outside intruders. The router serves as a central point for "plugging" in all of your networked computers. These range in price from $90-$200.
If you have more than five people or devices to attach to your network, or have a mixed wired/wireless network, consider getting a second router to share the load.
Wireless Print Server is useful if you want to share one printer among many different computers without having it plugged into a specific machine. You can get a print server as part of your firewall/router, or buy one separately for $70-$100.
So your initial investment will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,000, at the high end, to network five computers. With wired network gear costing a lot less (and with all new computers shipping with Ethernet ports), why would you want to go wireless?
What you get when you go Wireless
Ease of Physical Setup: setting up a wireless network is far easier than setting up a wired network. No crawling along the floor trying to find a way to sling a cable over to the next workstation.
Ease of Maintenance: adding a new computer to the network can be as simple as setting up its wireless card, which takes about five minutes.
Portability: If you are relocating in the near future, you can take a wireless network with you. All that cable generally stays in the walls.
Plays Well With Wired Networks: Generally, your router will have wired Ethernet ports so that you can plug it into a traditional wired network. If you've already invested in a wired network, but want to add wireless clients, you don't have to scrap your existing gear.
Mobility Within the Office: Want to share files while you're in the conference room? Need a break from sitting at your cubicle, but not from work? Take your laptop with you and still stay connected.
Mobility Outside the Office: As more companies and people "go wireless," it becomes easier to take your laptop on the road or to your client's office, and stay on the Internet. Many people are opening their wireless routers to the public (either intentionally or unintentionally) and businesses such as Starbucks offer wireless access in many of their stores.
It's the Future: It's clear that WiFi networks are here to stay and will eventually dominate networking technology. So get a headstart now on learning the ins and outs.
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CASE STUDY: Girls Vacation Fund
Girls Vacation Fund (GVF) is a nonprofit serving underprivileged girls by sending them to summer camp, where they can get away from their home environment in the city and experience enrichment and educational programs along with hiking, swimming, and canoeing.
The camp is largely paper-based, with only one dial-up connection, and runs for the summer months (July and August). The administrative office, however, is located in New York City, and has a permanent staff of five with one to two persons who come in on "as needed" basis. They have had IT consultants retained in various capacities over the years, but do not have a dedicated IT staff.
The office is in a small (three room plus breakroom/conference) space in an older midtown building that has yet to be "wired" for networking. They are entirely PC-based, with a mix of WinXP and Win2K laptops and desktops, one HP inkjet for check-printing and confidential correspondence, and one shared HP high-speed laser printer. They have one Win2K file server with a dedicated backup system.
They recently (less than two years ago) networked their computers using WiFi. Each laptop and desktop has a WiFi 802.11b or 802.11g NIC. They have a LinkSys wireless router/firewall that has a wired connection to the server and also connects to their broadband Internet connection. All computers in the server room can be connected via standard Ethernet ports as well as wireless. All computers in the other two rooms are connected via WiFi.
The signal strength throughout the office is very good, and the average network throughput speed is also very consistent (averages 11Mbps). The signal has no trouble traveling through the rather thick walls separating the different rooms. With minimal setup, visitors with WiFi access can get up and running on the Internet (though not necessarily on their network domain). The HP printer has a wireless card which enables it to be shared over the network.
By wiring the file server to the router, they eliminated a possible bottleneck and reduce the number of wireless clients (which can lead to decreased throughput). The network was largely set up by the office/financial coordinator, who has IT experience but is not an IT professional. The time spent setting up the network, configuring the firewall/router, and the cards was more than made up for by the lack of having to drill through the walls to run cable.
Given that GVF leases the space and may relocate if their staff increases (which is likely in the next two-to-three years, given their rate of growth to date), wireless definitely made the most sense.
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Some Dos and Don'ts
As always, there are some notes of caution when setting up your network.
Do Set Up Security On Your Router: Read your router's manual on how to set up WEP or WPA (these are both wireless security protocols) on your router, to keep outsiders from using it.
Don't Put Your Router Next to the Cordless Phone or other "noisy" device (microwave ovens are a good example) if you want a good signal.
Do Put Your Router in a Central Location if possible. While WiFi routers can "see" through walls, signal strength does decrease with distance and obstructions. Locating your router central relative to your computers can help alleviate "dead" or "weak" spots in the office.
You Don't Have to Buy All of One Brand of Gear. If your level of IT experience is minimal, buying all your gear from one vendor is a good choice. But if you can put in the time and effort, it's worth it to shop for the better bargain. WiFi gear has become more commoditized over the past few years. For example, I bought an AirPort Extreme card for my Powerbook, but a Dell TrueMobile wireless router (about $100 less than an AirPort Extreme router). The router took longer to set up, but it works just fine.
Do Write Down Your Configuration Information in case you have to reset your router and set up your network and security all over again.
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Innovations....
What Virtualization Can Do For You (March, 2008)
Wireless Innovations: New Wireless Technology Is Good News For Nonprofits (October, 2007)
METRIX – A Free Database Solution for Nonprofits (March, 2005)
The Case For Wireless Networking (October, 2004)
Open Source – New Horizons (May, 2004)
The Electronic Data Initiative for Nonprofits (August, 2003)
Placing Wireless Technologies in Context: Are They Right for Your Agency? (October, 2002)
How "Open Source" Can Open Doors for Nonprofits (June, 2002)
CUNY Wired! Showcases the Best in Academic Technology (April, 2002)
A Handheld Future (June, 2001)
Migration to Handhelds: Visiting Nurse Association of Brooklyn (June, 2001)
Using Handhelds in the Field: ACCION International Empowers the Self-Employed Poor (June, 2001)
Nonprofits Benefit from ePayments Technology (April, 2001)
Handheld Computing: Readers Respond (July, 2000)
Is Handheld Computing Ready for you? (May, 2000)
Community Voice Mail comes to New York (August, 1999)
Other Articles of Interest....
How we're using Information Technology to Further our Mission (February, 1999)
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