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AnchorDesk

David Coursey
Wireless networking is primed to boom--really!

David Coursey
Executive Editor, AnchorDesk
Wednesday, May 22, 2002
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My hype detectors go on high alert whenever I hear journalists say something's about to go big. But here goes anyway: Wireless networking is about to go big. "Big" as in widespread, mainstream, TiVo-esque, lots-of-people-you-know-are-doing-it adoption; "about to" as in over the course of the next year.

That hunch is based on both personal experience (product demos I've been to, readers' letters, friends asking me to help set up wireless nets at their homes) and wider industry trends (falling hardware prices, the continuing broadband rollout, and the way Windows XP makes wireless networking a near no-brainer).

ALL THOSE DATA POINTS tell me this is a good time to take a look at where the wireless market is now and where I think it's headed near-term.

Low prices on 11mbps 802.11b hardware--access points for under $150, PC cards for around $60--will keep it the wireless standard of choice for almost everyone.

It's still too early for 802.11a, which supports speeds up to 54mbps and, in some cases, beyond. (Note that the various wireless Ethernet standards, collectively known as 802.11, are distinguished by the letter at the end.) That said, 802.11a has two primary advantages: Speed and signal quality. Though coverage areas remain about the same, 802.11a has less of a problem with interference from other devices than 802.11b, because it operates in a different frequency band.

Over the next year, expect to see more and more dual-protocol access points that support both a and b standards, allowing computers connected by one standard to talk to those connected by the other. A dual-band device allows you to mix fast nodes with slow ones and upgrade your network as you find the need (and money). D-Link, for example, already offers one such access point--for a whopping $499.

The next wireless standard, 802.11g, is supposed to combine the best features of the a and b protocols. 802.11g operates on the same frequencies as 802.11b and is thus interoperable, yet it offers the speed advantages of 802.11a, with throughput up to 54mbps.

THE QUESTION IS, why would you need that kind of speed when your Internet connection tops out at 6mbps? Unless you're doing big file transfers from computer to computer within your home or office, it probably doesn't. In the future, however, you could do cool stuff like send video from room to room over a high-speed wireless net.

While offices can get along fine with access points, home users and some small businesses need devices that can attach directly to a cable modem or DSL modem. For this, I like wireless gateway/routers that include a three- or four-port hub/switch. That way, machines that are close to the gateway can connect via regular Ethernet cables.

I haven't cared as much about whether these devices include a printer port--mostly because I haven't had a printer I needed to share across the network, but also because other connections have sufficed. For example, the FedEx guy just dropped off an HP Business InkJet 2280tn, which has a built-in Ethernet port. This means I can plug the printer directly into one of my Linksys router's four Ethernet ports.

BE WARY of wireless gateway/routers that include a firewall. I've had really mixed results with these, especially when it comes to using multimedia chat or anything else that requires special port settings. My Linksys even blocks some traffic when the firewall is turned off--good thing it has a nice DMZ feature that allows a single machine to be completely open to the Internet.

For desktops, I like USB-based wireless adapters, provided the 11mbps throughput of your USB 1.1 ports (which is what almost all of us still have) isn't slower than your network speed. In other words: Don't bother with USB 802.11a adapters.

For portables, remember that these cards have antennas that extend out from the computer--antennas that can break and, in so doing, ruin your whole day. That's an excellent reason to buy a portable with built-in wireless. That's also why I like the 3Com cards with the X-Jack antennas that slide back into the computer when not in use.

WHATEVER KIND OF HARDWARE you need, there are plenty of good brands on the market. I've been using a collection of hardware from Linksys, Agere, D-Link, Netgear, and 3Com hardware. At current prices, the name-brand premium is negligible. At the same time, while I haven't had any huge problems with interoperability, I like the idea of having a single-vendor solution--less finger-pointing and easier upgrades.

Because Windows XP is Microsoft's first truly network-friendly OS, hardware vendors have been really good about writing drivers for it. All the major brands should now have drivers to support the "zero setup" feature of Windows XP--but you should still check to make sure before buying.

Lacking a firewall in the access point/router, you will probably want a software firewall like ZoneAlarm or Norton Internet Security on every machine on your network.

Wireless networking is one of those classic "it'll be here any minute" technologies. (Bluetooth, anyone?) But even if it's taking longer than expected to arrive, that doesn't mean it isn't on the way. Check back with me in a year and tell me I'm wrong. In the meantime, let me know what you think.

Have you installed a wireless network at home or at work? Are you thinking about it? What are you waiting for? TalkBack to me, and take my QuickPoll below!

Have you installed a wireless network at work or home?
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