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VoICE over Wi-Fi: Too Green for the Enterprise: Page 3 of 14

Voice's strict latency and jitter characteristics mean that VoIP architects have already had to make changes to their networks, such as supporting packet prioritization at layer 3 and the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) at layer 4. Adding Wi-Fi requires similar changes at layers 1 and 2, but these are even more difficult to implement because every wireless network is forced to rely on shared media.

Likewise, most enterprise Wi-Fi networks only use enough APs to ensure that stationary users receive a signal wherever there are desks and chairs. Voice means mobile users will need a signal in the bathroom and the elevator, as well as the ability to roam between APs without noticeable delay.

NOT SO FAST

Most Wi-Fi APs and data NICs already support 802.11i, the IEEE's fix for the poor security in the original 802.11 specification. But most phones don't. They still rely on Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), which can be cracked in minutes using freely available software.

The problem is that phones are inherently less flexible than PCs and PDAs, so most can't be easily upgraded in software. This could continue to be a problem even when 802.11i-compatible phones are available. 820.11i relies on the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP), which itself offers several different types of authentication. A computer can be programmed to support any or all of them, but a phone usually can't. Wi-Fi phones need to be designed with a particular EAP type in mind, not just 802.11i itself.