* Trapeze, Proxim target smaller sites
Fat, lightweight, switched or meshed? These are among the primary architectural alternatives typically under discussion for enterprise wireless LANs these days.
Usually, total cost of ownership (TCO) calculations of these designs have focused on headquarters offices and vertical environments. But as WLANs proliferate, the branch office’s contribution to TCO will increase.
Similarly, smaller and midsized businesses – being businesses, after all – require enterprise-class features such as security and QoS for VoIP support.
In the end, the architecture you use will be driven by its TCO, key features, and how easy it is to install and manage the WLAN. That might mean different architectures for different installations – depending on how difficult the site is to cable, whether the site will have a wired LAN or will be completely wireless and whether it will be managed locally or remotely.
A couple of WLAN vendors – Trapeze Networks and Proxim – have recently announced products targeted at these environments.
This week, for example, Trapeze Networks announced a WLAN switch for the branch office, the MXR-2. The MXR-2 presumes you’re using Trapeze’s WLANs in another site with people managing them. The MXR-2 can reportedly be drop-shipped to the remote site, plugged in, and then configured centrally by the wireless personnel already familiar with the company’s highly ranked RingMaster management software.
While common wisdom once implied that most smaller sites would likely run “fat” APs – intelligent radios with no corresponding switch – because the cost of a switch seemed like overkill when only one or two access points were needed. However, the MXR-2 lists for just $995. And, according to Trapeze, one switch and one access point can be installed for $1,350. The MXR-2 supports up to three APs.
The company has competition, most notably from Symbol Technologies, which also recommends placing a wireless switch – its comparably priced WS 2000 – in the remote site. But Symbol combines wired and wireless networking with six Ethernet connections plus a WAN port in its device. When joined with a Symbol AP-200 802.11a/b radio, the configuration costs just a couple hundred bucks more than the Trapeze MXR-2 setup. But it also supports fewer features (no 802.11g radio yet, no automated site survey tools, for example).
Also, unlike Trapeze’s product, Symbol doesn’t yet support 802.11i/WPA2, but will in November, according to the company.
For smaller businesses, Proxim last week announced a stand-alone AP, the AP-700, which retails for $599 and includes the requisite 802.11i, draft 802.11e, Super Mode 802.11g and 802.11a features, as well as built-in Wi-Fi rogue detection in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
Next time: A closer look at the branch-office competition.
