April 3, 2000

Printer ready

Wireless LANs: More Than Toys

continued...page 2 of 4

Related links:

Vendors Tout Fast Wireless Connections Between LANs (1/10/00)

And from our sister publications:

Computer Reseller News Lucent renames WaveLAN line (2/28/00) InternetWeek What's Tethering Wireless LANs? (2/21/00)

TechEncyclopedia

Need a definition of a technology term? Look it up here:

Send Us Your Feedback

Installing 3Com's AirConnect access point was definitely the most difficult part of the installation process. 3Com has gone to great lengths to make these devices highly manageable and secure in a business environment, but the flip side is that you'll need to be familiar with these devices to configure them. Unlike products that were easier to set up, such as the Aironet 4800 series, this step involves setting up not only the access point's IP information, but security IDs and acceptable client configurations based on the Message Authentication Code address. Frankly, 3Com isn't the only vendor in this roundup to fall back onto MAC addresses as a configuration step, but even so, we thought this was unnecessarily granular and unpolished for today's business environments.

Additionally, the only way we were able to get this device to work in a network running Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol was to provide it with a static IP address, then disable this address in the DHCP server.

Once the access point was configured, things took a turn for the better. Remote management of the access point offers a plethora of choices. 3Com's product includes a dedicated network-management tool, as well as the ability to integrate the AirConnect devices into its own Transcend network and systems-management framework. Additionally, you can also telnet into the device or use other network-management frameworks, as long as they support the Simple Network Management Protocol.

PC Cards installed with no problems, and we were up and connected on both test notebooks within 10 minutes of installing the access point. Throughput performance was in line with the rest of the pack, although distance wasn't as great as that of the Aironet.

While AirConnect's price may not be the cheapest in this review, it's also not the most expensive. 3Com's extensive management and security capabilities make the extra money more than worthwhile. Once this product passes its beta stage into a more polished final version, it should definitely be considered for any wireless LAN installation.

Aironet 4800 Series
The Aironet 4800 is actually a pioneer in the 11-Mbps space, having arrived as one of the first 802.11b-compatible products available anywhere. But while its maturity shows in both performance and ease of setup, its documentation and management utilities are a bit on the bare-bones side.

Aironet's kit is much like the Compaq WL series in look and feel. Access points look a lot like the handset for a 2.4-GHz phone, with two antennas mounted on either side and the ability to run as tabletop or wall-mounted units. Again, easy configuration is exactly what Compaq was aiming for and fell short of because of its beta-level products. The access point simply acts as an extension of a hub or a switch.

This may sound like a bit of a problem if you're intent on shipping these to remote offices with little or no support help, but remember that the access points can be preconfigured before shipping to these locations.

Initial setup consists of assigning the access point an ID name, setting a maximum allowable bit rate, and assigning the box an IP address. Once these steps are completed, future configuration chores can be handled via a Web browser.

Interestingly, once we configured the Aironet access point via the serial connection, it was able to plug in to our DHCP-served test segment with no hassles--unlike the Compaq device. Aironet's approach of manual configuration, while not as elegant as the auto-find feature in the Compaq WL, seems a bit more reliable.

Installing Aironet's PC4800 wireless network interface cards in our Compaq Presario 1920 and Micron XKE test notebooks was the same as installing any other NIC.

Performance on our Ganymede Chariot 2.1 throughput tests was in line with the rest of the competition in this roundup. At the Aironet's maximum bit rate of 11 Mbps, actual application traffic averaged between 5 Mbps and 7 Mbps of real throughput. Distance measurements were exceptional, however, as we were able to maintain this level of traffic by as much as 375 feet and through a wall.

Overall, Aironet gave us easy installation and solidly competitive performance. From an IT manager's perspective, we would have liked it if the package had included more in the way of systems-management tools besides its standard support for SNMP, as well as better documentation. This would be especially useful when integrating this product into an existing IT infrastructure. We hope this will change soon now that Aironet has been acquired by Cisco.

Cabletron RoamAbout
Where 3Com, Aironet, and Compaq had a similar product feel, the Cabletron RoamAbout was more similar to Lucent's WaveLAN series in terms of product configuration and features--although not so similar in terms of price.

continued...page 3, 4
return to page 1

Back to Labs
Send Us Your Feedback
Top of the Page

---