How to Integrate a WiFi for Mobile Networks

Karen Cameron, EdTech 541

Image from wifinotes.com

Should school’s have a WiFi Network?

Absolutely! School’s are under more and more pressure to meet the needs of all students and with the adoption of the Common Core Standards, more technology needs to be incorporated into everyday learning and teaching. Allowing teachers and students to be mobile increases the opportunities for all. However, before a school jumps in and establishes a wireless network, there are some considerations to take into account.

A school’s answer to uninterrupted learning.

Before beginning, we need to ask the following questions

o Who needs access to the network?

o Will users come to the network with different needs?

o What areas need coverage?

o How many users will be accessing the network?

o What sort of tasks will the users be performing?

o How much data is currently being used on the network? Will this change?

o Will the network need to grow in the future? Through usage? Through range?

(Williams & A'Bear, 2004)

Wireless Access Speeds

There are four types of Wireless Technology: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n.

802.11a standard uses a 5.5 GHz frequency, this is less common with the other types, but the further you are away from the access point, the slower the connection, and it drops off quickly.

802.11b uses a 2.4 GHz frequency, and maxes out at 11 Mbps. This is the least favorable option because it is so slow.

802.11g also uses the 2.4 GHz frequency, but maximizes it at 54 Mbps. It is important to note that wireless cards max out at 24 Mbps. The benefit to the 802.11g option is it supports 802.11b cards.

802.11n claims to have speeds of 33 Mbps, however this is only achieved in channel bonding. It also allows for all other types of cards to run, however, the more diverse the cards accessing it, the slower it runs.

802.11g is the optimal choice for Wireless speed it runs at a faster speed and supports other types of cards. This allows for a faster access points and less frustration. There is not a significant cost increase. The higher bandwidth also allows for more users to share the access point before speed is compromised. (Wireless Networking Speed: Ideals and Experiences - Article 2168 )

What is a wireless access point?

Where and how to locate wireless access points?

This is a tricky question. The main idea is cost effectiveness. First, it is important to state that wireless does not mean without any connection. Each access point needs to be connected to each other with Ethernet, as well as close to a power source. This can become quite costly in older buildings. Also, you want to make sure that you have optimal coverage of the area. It is important not to try to cover too much area with one access point. Access point coverage should overlap to provide optimal service. Although individual users may not see an increase in speed because of the overlapping, the access points will be functioning at their full capacity.

(Williams & A'Bear, 2004)

Interference

Interference occurs when access points try talking over one another. It is important to make sure they are set to different channels to reduce this issue. Otherwise bandwidth will be compromised and devices will perform at slower speeds.

Image from wlanbook.com

Security

There are a few options for added security to wireless networks. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) was designed to provide the same level of security as that ran on an Ethernet connection. WEP encrypts information via a shared key. This is good because it helps keep would be hackers at bay. However these keys are rarely changed, giving someone with the tenacity of sticking with something a long opportunity to crack the code. It would be smart to change these keys fairly often, however that can be a nightmare because every device accessing the wireless point would need to be re-configured each time. This can cause an administrative nightmare. The BEST option is to employ a RADIUS server. RADIUS stands for Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service. The main advantage, it can be centrally managed. This allows for a reduction in administrative costs. RADIUS provides triple A coverage – authentication, authorization and accounting management.

(Williams & A'Bear, 2004)

Do your research!

Before randomly installing access points, here is a list of things to do to optimize coverage and reduce cost.

o Get a copy of the building blue printso Walk through the school to make sure the blue prints are correcto Place temporary access points around and test their efficiencyo Keep a log of the readings for future reference if expansion is requiredo Install an access point at a proposed location, yes this is time consuming, but it

will allow you to make sure you have accurate readings.

(Williams & A'Bear, 2004)

Works Cited

Williams, B., & A'Bear, M. (2004, May). Retrieved September 12, 2013, from Microsoft.com: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&cad=rja&ved=0CG4QFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.microsoft.com%2Fdocuments%2Fuk%2Feducation%2Fsolutions%2Fwireless%2Fdownloads%2Fsteps-wireless-networking-in-schools.doc&ei=0BI2Uqu5C4reigKgwYCw

Wireless Networking Speed: Ideals and Experiences - Article 2168 . (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2013, from The University of Iowa: http://its.uiowa.edu/support/article/2168