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Special Series: Technology and the CEO >> Part 4 Wireless on Campus
7/22/2005
In the fourth part of our series, a look at how wireless computing can provide convenience, connectivity, and an air of being on the cutting edge of technology.
By David R. Black
The advent of wireless computing has provided educational communities at all levels the speed and flexibility for connectivity once thought nearly impossible without traditional wired Ethernet installations. This relatively new technology raises several cautions, however, that need to be examined before making the decision to integrate wireless with existing infrastructure, or building a network from the ground up. We must also consider how this effort can be applied, what hardware is used in sending and receiving wireless, and most importantly, how the learning process can be enhanced with its use. Philip Mugridge, director of academic computing for Eastern University (PA), recently addressed these issues for EU, and his thoughts are behind the following contexted responses.
Let’s first examine some of the basic terminologies, standards, and hardware. Wireless involves the use of radio waves transmitted and received through access points located in strategic areas of a room or building. The access point is hardwired back to a switch or hub, which relays the data to a server or out to the Internet. Desktops or laptops are equipped with wireless network cards which send and receive data to the access points at specified frequencies within established protocols and standards.
Three wireless standards are in use today: 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. Most widely used is 802.11b, commonly known as Wireless Fidelity, or Wi-Fi. It provides data transmission comparable to a typical wired Ethernet connection at 11Mbps. Its range is around 300 feet, making it suitable for most home and small business installations and LANs.
The most recent standard, 802.11g, builds on the previous two protocols and is backwards-compatible with both .11a and .11b. It can transfer data at more than 54Mbps, up to 275 feet. Both .11b and .11g standards work on the 2.4Ghz frequency. Hardwired installations utilizing Ethernet cable (with Category 5, 5e, or 6 wiring) provide the safest, most dependable and secure method for sending data over long or short distances. Because the cable is shielded and installed in ceilings, walls, and under floors, it is far less subject to outside interference, and gives consistent data transmission rates.
The Ethernet wire is connected to a desktop or laptop computer on one end, and a patch panel and switch on the other. The switches are then connected by fiber (or in older installations, copper) to central servers. Installation is labor-intensive, often requiring extensive planning to overcome older building design. Costs vary, but an outlay of $125 to $175 per jack is typical, in addition to costs for switches, racks, and switch closets.
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