MANHASSET, N.Y. — Using dumb, low-cost access points (APs) tethered to a centralized multiservice switch, Symbol Technologies has rearchitected the enterprise wireless-LAN deployment model. Its switched wireless architecture looks to increase network manageability and to offset the frustration of rapidly advancing WLAN standards and security requirements — all while offering a fast, flexible, low-cost hardware and software upgrade path.
"The enterprise WLAN deployment model today is hampered by costly hardware and distributed intelligence that make it very difficult to keep up with changing standards [IEEE 802.11a, b and g] and to add features such as virtual LANs, security, quality-of-service and Internet Protocol mobility," said Ray Martino, vice president of networking products at Symbol Technologies. "The access-point churn rate is very high, and that's frustrating customers because these can cost up to $600 or more [for an enterprise-class access point]. The management problems only increase as nodes are added."
While companies such as ReefEdge and Vernier do add security, mobility and other management functions in a relatively low-cost, highly scalable fashion, "they still sit on top of regular [expensive] access points," said Martino. "We can implement a network with 10 APs running off one switch for $5,000, vs. the $10,000 it would cost with a regular setup."
Extracting cost
Symbol's solution takes cost out of the access point by extracting all the software and intelligence, turning the APs into dumb, wireless-to-Ethernet packet-conversion nodes. Powered over Ethernet using the 802.3af standard, the Mobius Access Ports comprise a radio and a dumb media-access controller and cost less than $200. "They can be put where needed, as needed, without regard to whether the radio interface is 802.11a-, b- or g-based," said Martino.
Initial Access Ports are based on 802.11b, using Intersil chips, with a migration path toward .11a planned later this year. "We're not bullish on .11g, but if we do it it'll be OFDM [orthogonal frequency-division multiplex]-based," said Martino.
All the Access Ports run back to an intelligent Layer 2, 3 and 4 multiservice switch that contains the security features, wireless services, application programming interfaces and content management software. The Linux-based IP switch comes in six-, 12- and 24-port versions with dual trunk ports that are upgradable across 10, 100 or Gigabit Ethernet. Pricing ranges from $2,895 to $5,367.
The architecture has similarities to Proxim's Harmony AP Controller and BlueSocket Inc.'s Wireless Gateway. But those "require the network to be redesigned and rearchitected whenever APs are added," said Gary Singh, senior marketing director for Symbol's networking systems division.
