| |
| |
|
Hardware Information |
|
|
|
Inexpensive Radius Server Gives Wireless Networks The Security They Need
Many small businesses have considered connecting computers and other devices to their corporate network via wireless (WiFi) connections, and a brave few have actually done so. Many of these early networks required that wireless devices be carefully placed within the building so that the wireless signal reached all intended recipients. Typically, these networks lacked adequate security features, which left them vulnerable to information and resource theft by unauthorized persons. These two problems have now been largely solved, meaning that it may be time for more small businesses to look into the potential advantages a wireless network can offer. Wireless Networking Basics Building a wireless network requires two distinct types of hardware components, wireless access points, and wireless access cards. The wireless access point is a device, which is attached to an existing computer network via a standard Ethernet cable. It has an antenna on it, which allows it to broadcast and receive signals from PCs and other devices. Each device wishing to communicate with the access point needs a wireless access card, which also contains an antenna. The current wireless standard, called 802.11g, allows for up to 54 megabits of data per second to be transmitted between the desired access point and the access card. While not quite as fast as wired networks, which typically run at 100 megabits to 1000 megabits per second, wireless networks offer more flexibility, and can be less expensive to install. This is especially true for older buildings where installing cable can become cost prohibitive. Cutting Corners Wireless networks use radio frequency waves to transmit information, and thus they are susceptible to being blocked by walls and other obstructions in a building. These obstructions can cause "dead zones" where the radio waves are unable to reach their intended recipients. Microwave ovens and other radio frequency emitting devices can also wreak havoc on wireless signals. The solution is to place your wireless access points strategically around your building so that interference is minimized. When the distance from a wireless access point to the wireless device is more than a few dozen meters, wireless repeaters can be installed to boost the signal. These repeaters can also be placed so that the wireless signals can be accessible from all corners of the building. Wireless Network Security Solved Installing a simple wireless network is pretty straightforward, but installing a secure wireless network can be substantially more difficult. However, an Ann Arbor company called Interlink Networks now offers their LucidLink products, which make installing comprehensive wireless network security a snap. Before LucidLink became available, an organization wishing to lock down their wireless network would need to hire expensive network security consultants to install and manage the wireless portion of the network. LucidLink packages all of this expertise into a software add-on that is so easy to use that even a small company's office manager can easily take control over who is accessing the company network via wireless. It goes above and beyond simple address authentication (standard with most wireless routers), and implements what is called a RADIUS server. RADIUS servers are what large organizations spend thousands of dollars installing and maintaining in order to secure their large (1000+ node) wireless networks. Until now, installing a RADIUS server was out of the price range for all but the largest companies. In contrast, LucidLink's product can be purchased for as little as $99 for a 3 user Home Office Edition, $449 for a 10 user version, and goes up to $3995 for a 250 user version. Summary While there are still issues with making sure that all areas of a building are covered, the current WiFi standard (802.11g) has a more powerful signal, meaning less emphasis needs to be placed on the locations of attached devices. However, it is still recommended that a professional site survey be done to verify that all required areas of the building can be reached by the wireless signal. Meanwhile, Interlink Networks has finally solved the security problem at a price that is affordable for small and medium sized business. Terrence A. Weadock is the President and Founder of Dominant Systems Corporation, an Ann Arbor-based computer network solutions provider.
MORE RESOURCES:
Hardware - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Protecting Your Computer From Power Surges, Data Loss, Viruses, And Spyware Protecting Against A Power Surge:Your computer is an expensive investment; you should protect it from a power surge. If a sudden rush of electricity hits, a surge protector will blow the fuse or trip the breaker, this is what saves your computer. At War With The Internet When it comes to sales of technology products over the Internet, there are now two factors that potential buyers must consider as possibly 'too good to be true'. In the past, there was only price to worry about. What is ESR Meter? All capacitors have a certain amount of resistance to the passage of AC current. ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) is the sum of all internal resistances of a capacitor measured in Ohms. Review of Logitech Computer Speakers When it comes to computer speaker systems, you have a lot of choice. However, there are simply some brands that stand way out in terms of sound quality and dependability, and one of those brands is certainly Logitech. Just The Fax, M'am For years, I smugly prided myself as a non-fax machine person. I felt it beneath my dignity to own such a technical contraption. Selecting an Ink Jet printer-With Low Operating Cost Printer technology has made tremendous advances in the past five years. Speeds are up and print quality is great. What You Should Know Before You Buy Computer Equipment You will have many factors to consider when deciding on which computer equipment to buy. The bewildering amount of choices can seem overwhelming. How To Backup Your Hard Drive We all know that we should back up our system as soon as possible. But if you're like most of us, you will get to it tomorrow. Testing Flyback Transformer - How to Test and When to Replace It Nowadays, more and more monitor comes in with flyback transformers problems. Testing flyback transformers arenot difficult if you carefully follow the instruction. Review of Popular Wireless Headphones Just about everyone would I agree, I think, that wires on headphones are just about the most annoying wires associated with any electronic device. When you listen to music you don't want to have to stay in anyone one place, and you don't want to have to worry about cords tripping you are pulling your headphones down. How to Change, Upgade or Remove an IDE Hard Drive Hard drives - Hard drives are a little more complicated. First off, you have to know what you want to do with the hard drive. Ergonomic Products 101 Human beings are scaling new heights day by day. Markets are becoming more and more complex and competitive. Where Can I Find The Best Case Mods Online and Save Money? Are you captivated by the stunning Case Mods you've seen online but shell shocked at some of the prices.What is a case mod, some of you may ask? Have you every wanted to spice up that boring bland box you call your computer?Well you can and there are lots of people online with fantastic clever ideas on themes, gee whiz lights, sounds, and much much more. The Merging of Humans and Computers Soon the human brain will be completely interfaced with the computer. The benefit to mankind will be truly significant. How To Upgrade Your PC Before you upgrade your PC hardware it's best to search all options and ask for advice. Only after this you can go and buy a new component. Discover Everything About Wholesale Bar Code Reader And Software! It is a given fact that buying wholesale would make us save more money than buying individual items at retail. Purchasing in bulk means more profit for the seller that he could be afforded the leeway of granting discounts. Inkjet Jargon Explained With all the technical terms out there, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with inkjet jargon. Unfortunately, understanding the differences between the various terminologies is a must in todays advanced technological age. Used Laptop Computer: Your Quick Purchase Inspection Guide - Part 4 Used laptop computers are everywhere these days. How can you sift through the mass of available used laptop computers to narrow your search down to the right laptop for you? This fourth and final article strives to give you a few suggestions for your next laptop purchase. Basics of RAID A couple of the recent Tech Tips from www.geeks. What Is A Crystal? And How To Test It Crystal are use to keep the frequency of the clock from drifting. If the signal from this clock stops, or is weak, or the pulses begin to vary, the electronic equipments might show intermittent faults or might stop altogether.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
