The best architecture for a scalable WLAN incorporates small coverage cells, which diminish contention. With 2.4-GHz b/g, that's hard to do. There are only three nonoverlapping radio channels in this unlicensed band, which limits channel reuse and overall capacity. Interference from other wireless devices is also common. Even if you optimize your access points to support small cells, it's almost impossible to control the transmit power level of client adapters. That leads to co-channel radio interference and diminished throughput.
A better design is a microcellular 5-GHz 802.11a network with a b/g overlay. Think of the b/g portion as your general-purpose wireless network. Although most users will find that system adequate, the 5-GHz 11a system gives you more scalable capacity, a premium WLAN environment that will deliver enhanced performance today and insurance for tomorrow. Still further into the future, you may find it necessary to shrink cells even more to support next-generation 100-Mbps WLAN standards like 802.11n. Increased allocation of unlicensed spectrum in the 5-GHz band will likely facilitate this future third service layer.
The incremental cost of this new design, especially in today's highly competitive WLAN switch market, is modest. But most important, it provides you with a more scalable environment, one that supports both legacy and emerging standards.
Dave Molta is a NETWORK COMPUTING senior technology editor. Write to him at [email protected]
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