Archive for the ‘Wi-Fi’ Tag

Recommended Reading: Techworld on Unified Access

I ran across a nice Techworld article that talks about the need for wireless to be as fast, reliable,and scalable as wired Ethernet. Namely, because of the number of new wireless devices on the network that don’t *have* Ethernet ports. However, this article goes beyond BYOD and talks about management and policy for a single Unified Access layer (Wired, Wireless, and VPN), which I believe is a growing trend.

You can read the story here:

http://news.techworld.com/networking/3374453/wireless-networks-need-catch-up-with-fixed-line-cisco/?olo=rss

802.11ad

One of my Enterprise customers asked me today about 802.11ad as a replacement for their 802.11n, and if they should wait for chipsets that support operation in 60 GHz.   Here’s what I  wrote back:

“802.11ad / 60GHz technology is most likely going to be used for short-range / high-capacity cable replacement (think wireless HDMI to home theater components).  The higher frequency doesn’t make it a candidate to replace the current use cases of today’s Wi-Fi.  Also, because of that different frequency band, it will not be backward compatible with 802.11n or legacyWi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g).  While there could ultimately be multiple chips in end-user / client devices, history suggests it’s not likely – most of the phone / tablet manufacturers today don’t implement chipsets for 2.4 GHz *and* 5 GHz largely due to battery life concerns.  Additionally, similar claims around having multiple chips for both Wi-Fi and Wi-Max were popular at one time, but were never widely productized. ”

 

Location Tracking at the Mall

In my job as a Sales Engineer, one of the applications of wireless technology that I get asked about more and more these days is location tracking. At first, I used to get asked about how to track high-value assets. For example, hospitals would ask about how to track expensive (or rare) medical equipment. Or how to track items that were frequently stolen, such as wheel chairs. In this scenario, the equipment had to be tagged in order to track it’s location. Most often, this was done with an active RFID tag in 2.4 GHz which then ran across a wireless LAN as the data was being correlated at a central location server.

With the proliferation of Wi-Fi enabled devices such as smart phones and tablets, I now get asked about how to track the people carrying them. It seems that the general consensus is that tracking people offers much more valuable data than tracking physical assets. One such article that highlights this is one on Evan Schuman’s Storefront Backtalk entitled “Mobile Tracking At The Mall: The Potential Is Stunning”.

The location tracking mentioned in this article seems to be based on cellular frequencies. However, much more accurate location data can be accomplished via Wi-Fi. This is because there are more data points (Access Points) to triangulate from in a pervasive WLAN when compared to the number of data points (cell towers) in a mobile location tracking scenario.

As far back as a few years ago, the pre-cursors for these types of networks were being installed. Personally, I was involved in a project that deployed free guest Wi-Fi in the food courts of 65 malls across America. With their wireless LAN controllers, switches, and security devices already in-place, deploying a location tracking applications would simply consist of expanding the wireless footprint to include the proper density of APs, as well installing a location server or appliance.

How Long Does It Take For A Single Carrier To Get To 20,000,000 Wi-Fi Connections?

11 Days!  That is just one of the stunning statistics from an AT & T infographic that I saw recently.  The infographic also compares how long it took to reach the same number of connections in years past.  Check it out – you’ll be amazed!   Much of the additional data is of particular interest to those in the Hospitality and Retail Industries.

Rather than re-invent the wheel, I’ll point you to a great blog post from Slashgear.com that pretty much says everything that I would regarding the data.

Enjoy!  http://www.slashgear.com/att-infographic-notes-massive-wi-fi-use-growth-on-mobile-devices-22167040/

 

 

 

 

 

CWAP Beta Course – Recap

If you read my latest posts, you already know that I attended the Certified Wireless Analysis Professional beta course hosted by the CWNP program in Atlanta, GA last week. 

I really enjoyed all the side bar discussions between attendees.  There were at least 3-4 vendors represented, as well as VARs/Integrators and enterprise wireless network administrators.    I  spoke about my favorite side-bar discussion, which was about locating wireless devices through spectrum analysis on my Computerworld blog.   

Attending the course also really reinforced what a big believer I am in the CWNP program.  It’s great to see a vendor neutral training and certification body in our field.   I really think that along with the IEEE and Wi-Fi Alliance, they have done a great job promoting and educating the community about wireless technology, which helps drive growth / adoption, which is good for everyone involved. 

Therefore, I wanted to take the time to interview one of the CWNP co-founders, Kevin Sandlin, to have him explain about the program and how it fits an emerging trend  in the marketplace:

It’s a Wireless World…

A little levity regarding the ever-expanding nature of wireless…  Happy Friday!

Super Tuesday Poll – Ethernet Adapters

It’s been awhile since I have done a “Super Tuesday” poll, so I thought I would throw one in today.  You should answer this question for your primary computer, whether that be a desktop, a laptop, a tablet PC, or whatever.

I can’t give any “I voted” stickers away, but take satisfaction in the fact that you are shaping the (wireless) direction of America…. 🙂

Related Posts:

Xirrus Adds Senior Sales Executive From Juniper Networks

Hayley Tabor Joins Xirrus to Rapidly Expand Global Footprint and Open New Routes to the Enterprise

Xirrus®, the leader in high performance Wi-Fi, announced today that Hayley Tabor, former senior vice president of U.S. enterprise sales at Juniper Networks®, has joined the Xirrus team as vice president of the company’s worldwide sales. Tabor brings to Xirrus an extensive global network of CIOs and major system integrators with whom she has been doing business for more than 20 years. She will be responsible for adding new professionals to the Xirrus sales team to open up new geographies and routes for the company into the enterprise.

While at Juniper, Tabor built out a highly effective sales coverage and vertical market model to drive aggressive growth through the channel and increased market share across the enterprise.

“From day one, my vision for Xirrus has been to become the ‘Juniper Networks of Wi-Fi,’ delivering the highest performing, highest capacity Wi-Fi architecture to the enterprise and to stake out the high ground against Cisco® and other legacy overlay architectures,” said Dirk Gates, CEO and founder of Xirrus, Inc. “By adding a seasoned executive like Hayley to the team – who knows how to sell performance and build high performance teams – we will supercharge our already remarkable growth rate by leveraging her skills, network, and her proven ability to deliver high growth, open new markets, and find innovative routes to the enterprise.”

“It is a remarkable opportunity to join a company that has grown as fast as Xirrus in recent years and has achieved such an intense and passionate customer following,” said Tabor. “It’s clear to me that only Xirrus was focused on solving the Wi-Fi performance problem for the enterprise. Coming from the switching world, as I looked at the competitors in the Wi-Fi market, I saw that only the Xirrus architecture puts both intelligence and more radios at the edge, closer to the user, thereby closing the gap between Wi-Fi and enterprise switching. When you have an innovative architecture like Xirrus with power and value 3X to 5X greater than anything else in the industry, I truly believe we’re in a great position to make substantial gains on the industry and in our own revenue.”

Previously, Tabor held progressively senior positions at CA focused on the large enterprise including; Canadian country manager, senior vice president of sales for the western U.S., and senior vice president & general manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Interview with Xirrus CEO Dirk Gates

Here is a TMCnet Video interview with the Xirrus CEO, Dirk Gates.  It was filmed at INTEROP Las Vegas 2010, which was held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center April 25th-29th.

5/11/10 NOTE: I apologize for problems originally posting the video.  Everything seems to be in order now.  🙂

Wi-Fi Busters Episode 1

My employer, Xirrus, is starting a series of videos called “Wi-Fi Busters”. Each episode will explore a certain myth around wireless communications. The first episode is around the myth that Wi-Fi causes adverse health effects.

This video is less than 3 minutes and is both fun and informative — check it out!