Antacid for WLAN standards

There are a few developments afoot - some technical, some regulatory - that could serve as a shot of virtual Pepto-Bismol to settle some of the current wireless LAN standards upsets. I described last week a few of the standards-related issues giving network managers indigestion as they attempt to build long-term wireless strategies.

For example, 802.11a moved to a wider frequency (5GHz) in part to get higher speeds (up to 54M bit/sec) and in part to avoid interference issues in what is becoming quite a crowded 2.4GHz band. In the 2.4GHz band now are 802.11b LANs, HomeRF LANs, Bluetooth short-range point-to-point capabilities, cordless phones and even microwave ovens. The 802.11g standard, which is sanctioned by the IEEE but still requires the FCC's blessing, is also in the band, bringing higher speeds and greater scalability to the 802.11x LAN family.

But the benefits of using the 5GHz spectrum are offset by the lack of backward compatibility with the current generation of 802.11b LANs, because the frequencies don't match. Some vendors are partly compensating for this by moving all the security and management functions to a LAN-neutral server often called an " access point controller, " so that at least you can preserve the management software portion of your investment as you migrate. Still, at this point, you do need to buy all new hardware.

On the technology side, multimode radio chipsets that are expected to hit the market in the first half of 2002 from several silicon makers, could alleviate this pain. They will deliver the ability for LAN system makers to build products that support Bluetooth, HomeRF, 802.11b, and later 802.11g, according to Wayne Caswell, communications chairman of the HomeRF Working Group.

" Rather than forcing 802.11b into all environments for compatibility reasons, users will be able to move about with a device that senses the protocol [in operation wherever they are], " he says. This would enable notebook users to easily move between WLANs in their offices, in public hot spots, at home, and wherever.

At some point, multimode chips might also include support for mobile WAN protocols (GSM, Code Division Multiple Access, and the like), so salespeople can download their e-mails while driving, or allow car passengers to work online.

Next time: FCC proposals could ease interference woes

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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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