A six-point case for virtualised wireless networks

22 Nov 2011

David Galton-Fenzi, group sales and marketing director at IT distributor Zycko, challenges IT decision-makers to consider the benefits of shifting to virtualised wLANs.

With more mobile devices to support and increased user expectations when it comes to quality of service, enterprise wireless networks have never been under more pressure.

At Zycko, we are strong advocates of the shift from microcell to virtualised wireless LANs (wLANs). Virtualised wireless is based on the same principles as technology leaders will have seen in their server or storage virtualisation projects: the aim is to gather resources and present them to end-users as one single pool of resource.

When it comes to wireless networking, virtualisation pools radio signal across virtual ports. This means that, once a port has been assigned to a device, the device can move freely around the network with no signal interruption, while still transmitting data at an optimum rate.

That’s a big change from legacy wireless networks, which use microcells running on different channels to offer enterprise or campus-wide coverage. In a virtualised wLAN, by contrast, all wireless access points use the same channel.

In our experience, organisations that typically make the shift to a virtualised wLAN are looking to provide a secure, robust wireless connection that can be more closely regulated and managed and is more able to cope with a variety of next-generation mobile devices.

But for those IT decision-makers that are not yet convinced to take that step, there are a number of questions to consider:

Is all wireless is born equal? The latest standard is 802.11n, which allows for speeds up to 300 megabits per second (Mbps) – but make sure this is what’s actually provided, as discrepancies of up to 40Mbps can be found in supposedly equal offerings from different manufacturers. That said, there’s no need to worry about older kit, as virtualised wireless should be backwards-compatible and supports both 802.11a/g and 802.11b.

What’s our network density? Microcell networks rely on a lot of access points to provide complete enterprise coverage. However, when one access point is used by more than five devices, it struggles. Virtualised wireless requires around 30 percent fewer access points and can handle many more devices as it dedicates a virtual port to each device. Zycko’s office of around 100 employees uses 3 virtualised access points, for example.

What are our current and future networking costs? A wired network requires hundreds of miles of cables (typical in enterprise environments) that cost a lot to install and maintain – plus they mean employees are tied to their desks by Ethernet. Virtualised wireless offers the same level of service but without the same cost – take advantage of it. Microcell networks incur higher CapEx and OpEx, due to the increased number of access points and personnel required to manage them, and it’s because of this that virtualised wireless has proved popular in schools and colleges; it’s robust, secure and presents excellent value for money in a sector that constantly works within limited budgets.

What are our security concerns? Wireless networks don’t stop at the office wall and can spill out into the public domain. This means they’re susceptible to security breaches. Regardless of the network type, the diligent CIO needs to make sure that their network technology incorporates physical layer security. There are also dedicated heterogeneous network security focussed vendors that specialise in bespoke bolt-on security, designed to meet specific levels of compliance (in the education or financial services sectors for example), or just provide additional peace of mind.

How do we plan to build out our network? Wireless networks rely on three radio channels: 1, 6 and 11. These channels have to be deployed in a fashion that means they don’t overlap, otherwise they’ll interfere with each other. In order to manage interference in a microcell network, you decrease the power in the access point, which decreases its range. But that means you’ll need to buy more access points and indulge in expensive and time-consuming site surveys and channel planning. As soon as you need to scale up, you’ll go through all of this again. This isn’t an issue with virtualised wireless, which provides a switch-like experience as specific channels can be assigned to data/VoIP etc. Expansion is simple and additional access points can be added with no configuration required.

How will our business use IT in the future? The enterprise environment is all about roaming network reliability. Virtualised wireless offers the necessary seamless mobility and QoS for future technologies to be implemented now. Devices on microcell networks are always searching for the best connection, but virtualised wireless means there is no roaming – the device just sees one virtual network making it perfect for any LAN-based business technology that requires mobility and constant availability.