When will 802.11 wireless networking become cost-effective, secure,
reliable, cheaper and better supported? Wireless networks these days can't even cross a wall, building-to-building wireless connections are unreliable and connectivity is never stable. What are future prospects of 802.11 wireless networking in LANS as well in WANS? Will it will replace ISDN, DSL, ASDSL either totally or partially?
QUESTION POSED ON: 22 JUL 2004
QUESTION ANSWERED BY: Lisa Phifer
First, I'll beg to differ with you on the state of 802.11 wireless networking. Worldwide, over 20 million 802.11 devices were sold to the home and small office market last year. Wireless LANs are spreading like wildfire, and countless home users have little trouble using wireless in residential settings, passing through walls, keeping connections up for long periods and running VPN over wireless to work from home.
Yes, there have also been problems. In the first WLAN I helped install, we couldn't get wireless to stay up between adjacent bedrooms in a woodframe house. I've thrown away cheap USB adapters that were cranky and had instant success with newer replacements. Proper AP/router placement can make all the difference, as can a good PC card. Ubiquitous wireless in the enterprise is obviously harder than spot-covering a small area, but new RF techniques like MIMO and better management tools will help.
Prices have also been dropping. Residential grade wireless routers are well under $100, and PC cards under $50, fast approaching their Ethernet counterparts. Business grade 802.11 prices are falling, but definitely not as fast. As long as there is unmet demand, prices will stay high. For example, the Cisco Aironet 350 card still commands a premium price, even though it is one of the older 802.11b PC cards on the market.
I firmly believe that 802.11 interfaces will soon be standard equipment in laptops, routers, PDAs, home audio equipment and many other products that we buy. Today we expect Ethernet and modems to be factory-installed at no additional cost, and I think 802.11 will follow suit.
That said, I don't think that 802.11 will completely replace Ethernet in the network core or LAN segments that require high capacity/high reliability -- for example, connecting mission-critical servers. I also don't think 802.11 will replace "local loop" technologies like ISDN and DSL -- I think WiMAX (802.16) has a better chance of filling that role.
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