The main challenge for network admins, however, is not dealing with an increased interest in wireless technology and the resulting infrastructure requirements or even “selling” the obvious benefits for new capital funding. The challenge is addressing some common misconceptions about how it all works in business.

 

These perceptions range from simple overstatement (“wireless access is always faster than wired”) to something more ridiculous (“wireless access is available in every city from every street corner”) to a view that could actually cause business problems (“transmitting financial data over wireless is always just as safe and fast as transmitting over a wired connection”).

 

Myth: A wireless network breaks easily and can delay IT projects.

For the most part, this myth can be disproven simply by using a wireless network or accessing a Bluetooth or 3G connection over a period of days and noticing that there is no disruption in service. Many laptop users connect routinely over wireless all year without any problems. The misconception comes from the fact that some wireless networks are not configured properly, says Kirby Russell, the director of product marketing at mesh networking provider Strix Systems (www.strixsystems.com). 

 

“Wireless mesh networks can be more reliable than wired networks when engineered correctly,” says Russell. “Whereas in a wired network a broken cable requires repair, a wireless network typically doesn’t ‘break,’ but occasionally someone may introduce a wireless access point that doesn’t work properly or possibly might interfere with the existing network. This may affect performance but typically won’t ‘break’ connections. Repairing a connection is as simple as navigating to your Control Panel in Windows XP and changing a parameter or connecting to another access point.”

“It’s true that for the most part if you’re a static object in a room and you have a wireless connection, there really isn’t much to worry about in terms of breaking connections,” adds Shawn Rogers, a ZyXEL (www.zyxel.com) product manager. “However, interference can come from something as simple as another router or access point using the same standard technology. Of course, there are methods around it, such as setting to another channel, but the bottom line is, if there is an introduction of another wireless device occupying the same frequency as the wireless network, there will be some interference issues.”

 

Click Here to Read 6 More Wireless Myths and Misconceptions