Out of the box, most Wireless Access Points (WAPs) and routers default to no security. They are designed with the novice in mind and do not enable advanced security features such as WEP/WPA encryption, MAC address filtering or password protection. If you were to browse through a large multi-tenant office building or apartment building with a wireless enabled laptop, you would see a large number of open, unsecured WAPs. It only takes seconds to connect to these networks and begin browsing resources including files, printers and the Internet. In some of these cases, the individual has purposely left their wireless system open to allow free Internet access. In the majority of the cases, however, the individual has no idea they have left their connection open.

The beginning of a good wireless solution is proper planning. The first step in that plan is going out to your location and doing a Site Survey. This involves setting up a temporary WAP and walking around with a laptop and reading the levels of service in the different areas of your location. Only by doing this can you ascertain, for instance, that your building has thick steel that obstructs most of the signal between floors. In this case, you would need multiple access points to cover your entire business.

There are many other issues when setting up wireless solutions including authentication - do you only want to allow certain people to use your wireless while excluding others? There are power issues. Do you have power outlets in your ceilings or attic? There is a technology pioneered by Cisco called Power Over Ethernet (POE) which are power injectors that allow you to just run a CAT5 cable to the WAP device and send the power through the remaining pairs in the cable. This is a huge cost saver in many installations.

There are many other issues that are involved with a successful wireless setup. Please contact us - we would love to help formulate a plan for a wireless solution for your needs.