Wireless LANs Face Huge Scaling Challenges

BobB writes with this excerpt from NetworkWorld: "Early WLANs focused on growing the number of access points to cover a given area. But today, many wireless administrators are focusing more attention on scaling capacity to address a surge in end users and the multimedia content they consume (this is particularly being seen at universities). Supporting this involves everything from rethinking DNS infrastructure to developing a deeper understanding of what access points can handle. And 802.11n is no silver bullet, warn those building big wireless networks. 'These scaling issues are becoming more and more apparent where lots of folks show up and you need to make things happen,' says the former IT director for a big Ivy League campus."

Comments

Re:Hmmm

[mikael_j]

I suspect you'd be amazed by the number of supposedly technically proficent individuals who don't understand that with WiFi you have to essentially share bandwidth with every other computer and AP using WiFi nearby.

I used to do first and second line tech support for a line of wireless APs, more than half the calls were from people (who in a lot of cases should've known better) who were pissed at their AP for not letting them connect while there were at least ten other APs nearby...

Unfortunately a lot of people see WiFi as either a necessity or some kind of "solution" to their cable "problem", and lord have mercy on any fool who suggests that they connect their home NAS using a regular wired network and simply hide the cables, no no no, they NEEEEEEEEEEED WiFi for their home NAS.

/Mikael