WLAN management: tools, tips, advice

Wireless LAN management is clearly a vital element of enterprise WLAN systems and also one of the best vehicles for minimizing total cost of ownership. But even with its long history, challenges remain. These include the user interface, flexibility, ease-of-use, RF spectrum management and a future that demands the unification of wired and wireless management. Wireless industry guru Craig Mathias recently answered readers' questions about the best tools for WLAN management, the future of young wireless technologies like fixed-mobile convergence (FMC), IP over WiFi and white spaces and more.

Moderator-Julie: Welcome to today's chat on wireless LAN management with wireless industry guru Craig Mathias. He can answer your questions on the topic (or anything else about wireless or mobile that you want to talk about). Craig is one of the best-known analysts in the wireless industry. He is principal of the Farpoint Group and author of Network World's Nearpoints blog. [Plus, see Craig Mathias's 20's tips for WLAN management: Navigating the WLAN management maze ]

Moderator-Julie: While Craig types his answer to your first question, here's a pre-submitted question and answer. What are the issues surrounding wireless management user interfaces ... what are vendors doing wrong in this area?

Craig_Mathias: The biggest complaint I get is that interfaces are not convenient, or that particular screens display the wrong combination of information. There's often too much shifting between menus and screens and it's too difficult to correlate information quickly when it's spread out like that. UIs in general are tough because no single interface works for everyone. The future is one of customization - being able to arrange menus and screens so that they work for a given installation. Implementing this vision isn't too complex, but it does give vendors pause when it comes to support.

DwightP: Are there any additional management issues surrounding 802.11n technologies that are different from 802.11a/b/g?

Craig_Mathias: No, not really. 802.11n is a PHY/MAC addition to the standard, but looks just like other radios to management software.

Bruce: Some vendors tout they can manage multiple different vendors WLAN systems (APs in particular) with the same tool. Do you see this as a requirement in this industry? (Do many folks utilize different WLANs in the same infrastructure?)

Craig_Mathias: It's not a requirement, but it is probably going to become important in larger shops. Larger companies are likely to end up with multiple systems due to mergers, acquisitions and simply from going out to bid. The AirWave product I just tested was very useful in handling mixed-vendor environments and it was easy to use as well. So, yes, this will become more common.

gm: What are the biggest challenges you see with RF spectrum management?

Craig_Mathias: Well, just initial configuration and dynamic re-configuration of RF parameters isn't easy without this kind of automation. But going forward, solutions will consider interference, traffic loads, class of service, number of users, etc., in setting radio parameters. This is a very exciting opportunity with the potential for big performance gains.

Moderator-Julie: Pre-submitted question: What's up with features like RF spectrum management? What's the next frontier in wireless device management?

Craig_Mathias: This is a key capability of WLAN management systems, the ability to at a minimum set and dynamically adjust transmit power levels and radio channel assignments, along with load balancing, troubleshooting, and logging. The two key innovations on the horizon here are the integration of interference management into management platforms (take a look at Cisco's Spectrum Expert for possible directions here), and much-more-sophisticated RF spectrum management aimed at dense, high-demand environments. I think you'll see some interesting new functionality here shortly.

DwightP: Motorola, in some of its marketing, is saying that enterprises should and can be, completely wire-free. How close is that statement to reality, both now and in three years?

Craig_Mathias: I'm not entirely in the all-wireless camp. I think situations involving stationary users, stationary equipment, or apps that require gig-E throughput will remain wired. Data centers and network cores will remain wired. But clients, both voice and data, will go fundamentally wireless. Most end-users won't need to look for a place to plug in. Productivity will rise as a result of always being connected wherever you may roam.

Jeff at U4EA: What is the biggest challenge you see within the SMB when it comes to the decision to install a Fat Access Point solution versus a managed controller and thin APs?

Craig_Mathias: It's mostly a question of scale. If you just need a single AP, as many small companies do, then whatever is in stock at the local superstore will probably work for you (as long as it's .11n). But if you plan on growing and don't want to have to start over again, then a controller-based approach might be better. Keep in mind, though, that enterprise-class WLANs need not have a controller - take a look, for example, at Aerohive Networks.