HomeRF vs. 802.11b
 
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Given their name, wireless LAN products from vendors in the HomeRF Working Group sound like they might be a networking option you could ignore. I recently chatted with Ben Manny, chairman of the HomeRF Working Group, to clear up whether enterprises interested in wireless LANs should bother paying attention to the developments in this space, or whether the group's efforts really do apply only to home users.
One source of confusion is the selection of products that sound at least somewhat competitive to HomeRF LANs from members of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance. Below are some rules of thumb in sorting out the two types of LANs.
* Match the size of your company, or the remote site you wish to wirelessly LAN-enable, to the technology. Size refers to number of users and geographical spread. HomeRF products can support roaming users across distances of up to150 feet. If you intend to enable your users to wander in and out of conference rooms across huge campuses, you need to look to an 802.11. HomeRF roaming capabilities will drop off if users stroll too far.
* Balance your needs with your budget. HomeRF LANs currently are less expensive. A HomeRF PC card from Intel, for example, lists for $129, compared with a $190 Intel 802.11b PC card. But HomeRF LANs aren't as fast. Today's available HomeRF LANs support 1.6M bit/sec, and 802.11b LANs support 11M bit/sec. While 1.6M bit/sec may be fast enough for a family of four, it is potentially restrictive for a growing corporate user base. (Note: Actual throughput on each is about 50% of these stated data rates.)
Next time we'll look at a few other distinguishing factors, including voice support.
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Joanie Wexler is an independent networking technology writer/editor in Campbell, Calif., who has spent most of her career analyzing trends and news in the computer networking industry. She welcomes your comments on the articles published in this newsletter, as well as your ideas for future article topics. Reach her at joanie@jwexler.com.
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