Wirless LANs

Want to be a hero? Remember those users who just yesterday were bitching and moaning that you deleted their MP3 files from the server? What would they say about always-on wireless Internet access, not just at the office but when they telecommute? At the very least, you'll never again get stiffed when it's time to pay for lunch.

Although the payoffs are alluring, building a WLAN (wireless LAN) is still a formidable task, even in a controlled environment. Will it be fast enough? How about QoS (Quality of Service)? Should you go with 802.11b, hold out for speedier 802.11a, or mix and match? Can users roam without their sessions dropping? What about hackers sitting in your parking lot sifting through Ethernet packets? Don't fret. We walk you through the history and current state of WLAN technology, lay out the standards currently on the table and offer tips to build a WLAN that will serve you well today and in the future.

Once employees get a taste of wireless, they'll want it everywhere. We recommend you take a proactive approach and select a wireless gateway for your telecommuting users. That way you'll be able to standardize on a device that will best suit your company's security, throughput and configuration needs, and will let you offer helpdesk support. To help you make an informed purchasing decision, we gathered 11 devices from 10 vendors for our largest head-to-head review of SOHO (small office/home office) wireless gateways, defined as products that integrate NAT (Network Address Translation) routing capabilities with wireless access points. Some also offer 10/100 Ethernet switching and a parallel port for sharing peripherals. How much for all this? Retail pricing hovers around $300, but street pricing is more like $200. That's dirt cheap for the benefits provided. In fact, we gave MaxGate's UGate 3300 Cable/xDSL device our Best Value award. This inexpensive gateway finished a close second overall to Nexland's WaveBase, our Editor's Choice.

Finally, we address the state of MMDS, or multipoint multichannel distribution system. Also known as wireless DSL, MMDS is a broadband wireless technology that has the potential to bring broadband access to users outside DSL coverage areas--a single MMDS hub can serve a radius of up to 35 miles, compared with 18,000 feet from the central office for DSL. The only drawback is the availability of spectrum.