WiFi - 1st or 2nd Generation?

Many schools in the UK and Ireland are unaware that there are two types of wireless networks to choose from. For the purposes of clarity we will refer to them as 1st generation wireless and 2nd generation wireless.

BECTA refer to this as:

FAT AP’s - meaning the hardware, software including security is all built into the radio (1st Generation)
THIN AP’s or FIT AP’s - where the intelligence is built into a wireless switch and is controlled by management software (2nd Generation)

Selecting the correct type of wireless network is critical to fulfilling your wireless and mobility aspirations.

A 1st Generation (FAT AP) Wireless Network
In a 1st generation Wireless installation the wireless access point or wireless router has two aerials and broadcasts radio signals according to the 802.11 a, b or g standards. These devices also have the security hardware and software built into them.

Because fat APs do not function as an integrated system, the IT manager must configure each one individually. Although some vendors of fat APs include a web-based management console to ease this process, configuring dozens or hundreds of APs individually is still burdensome. The repetitive tasks are time-consuming and mind-numbing enough to lead to configuration error.
For a WLAN with more than a handful of APs, IT directors will want to consider adopting the thin AP or integrated AP architecture for their ease of configuration and management.

The issues that surround 1st generation wireless are many, some of the primary ones are listed below.

It is difficult to manage more than ten aerials.
No control over bandwidth or signal strength.
No monitoring of channel’s for changes to the radio frequency ( RF) environment.
Does not support seamless roaming (ability to move around campus without losing connections).
No integration with the wired network, the school has to manage two networks, wired & wireless.
High installation costs with multiple aerial deployment.
High support / management costs with multiple aerial deployment.
Not easy to set up guest access to services, such as the Internet, for visitors etc.
No rogue access detection (school is unaware of unauthorized wireless enables devices on campus).
Varying levels of security.
No support for one to one voice traffic over the network.

As a result of these and other issues a growing number of schools are reporting problems with their wireless networks and in some cases turning them off.

A typical 2nd Generation (Thin/ Fit AP) Wireless Installation
Given the requirements of education establishments it is postulated that 2nd generation wireless is better suited to the School environment. Wireless access points are dumb and are therefore not susceptible to tampering, reprogramming or hacking. They consist of a transceiver with antenna, are aesthetically pleasing (they look like a smoke detector) and are easy to install in a variety of locations including false ceilings.

Thin APs significantly ease the IT managers job, reducing configuration tasks by a significant ratio. For example instead of configuring 20APs individually, IT staff can configure 20 or more systems at once from a single interface. Instead of configuring dozens – or hundreds-of APs individually, IT organisations can push the configurations out to all APs from single points.

The management of the wireless network is undertaken by a wireless switch located in the IT Centre. The sophisticated software on the wireless switch enables the school to implement a wireless network that:

Provides seamless roaming (ability to move around campus without losing connections).
Integrates with the wired environment which means you manage a single network and reduce the associated management overheads.
Balances the network traffic load between wireless access points (when access points get busy users will be moved automatically, without interruption, to another access point).
Automatically manages the radio channels by dynamically assigning RF channels for best signal reception.
Controls how much bandwidth each user receives (e.g. Year 2 may require less network bandwidth than Year 6).
Monitors the wireless network and detects potentially conflicting networks being established and unauthorized devices attaching to the network.
Provides the built-in scalability to easily install new access points, and grow the network as required.
Supports Voice traffic across the network and other mobile wireless devices such as the EDA.
Provides secure guest/visitor access to authorized services such as the Internet without needing to configure the mobile device.
Controls the signal strength from each aerial turning up the power when required.
Manages wireless signal propagation by controlling the direction in which the signal goes, resulting in no leaking of signal to neighbouring car parks residents homes etc.
Intelligently calculates the number of access points required and assigns radio channels automatically by feeding your drawing of the building into the software along with the building materials used.
Provides a network management utility that enables the effective control and management of the entire wireless network from a PC.
Integrates the login procedure for both the wired and wireless networks.
Personalises the Login page with your own colours, logo and information (web-portal).

2nd Generation wireless networks significantly reduce installation and management time, they help schools to achieve government initiatives with mobility and can grow easily to accommodate new applications like Wireless Voice and Wireless Camera’s.