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Connectivity Without Compromise

October 16, 2011 in Featured News, Xirrus Wireless Networks

Remember way back when, circa 1999, when we all had to physically hardline our laptops into a network to actually get online? Sure, at the time it didn’t seem like too big of a deal. What did we know? It was the future after all, and if it involved tethering ourselves to one place at a time to check our email or to watch “All Your Base” for the hundredth time, then so be it.

Oh, how young and naïve we were…

Fast forward to 2011, where the idea of having to physically hardline our computers to anything beyond a wall outlet for a quick charge is almost unthinkable. It’s a wireless world, baby, and we’re all just looking for a hotspot.

Except, you know, when there isn’t actually a hotspot.

I know, I know, the thought of being somewhere that doesn’t offer ready and easy wireless access to the Internet is like expecting the rotary phone to make a comeback, but these places do exist. Wireless devices have become so common over the last decade that wireless infrastructures are at a tipping point. Sure, on paper the university library has Wi-Fi, but when you have 600 students all trying to jack-in at the same time, the stress becomes insupportable.

And do you know what that translates into? Anger. Pure, unadulterated, righteous anger. Like I said, we live in the future—now. Lets face it, our smartphones have us spoiled. Not being able to join a network wirelessly is akin to not having running water or electricity at this point. It’s not a luxury anymore, it’s just expected. Every day new mobile devices are being released that don’t even offer the option of an RJ-45 connection. We have collectively cut the network cable.

So what’s the answer? Magic? More routers? An ever increasing number of signal boosters? Increasing the number of access points doesn’t offer a thing when it comes to alleviating the strain on the network. What good is it really to allow hundreds and hundreds of people onto a network if the trade-off is sluggish speed and lesser security?

What if there was a solution?

What if there was a way to allow for loads of people to connect from wherever without diluting the network? What if there was a way to do all this without blowing the annual IT budget before the first semester even begins?

The Xirrus XR Wi-Fi Array is based on the same design principles used in cellphone towers. See, as mobile phone use exploded, cell providers realized fairly quickly that the answer wasn’t more towers, per se, it was more radios per tower.

That’s pretty much how the XR works. They offer 16 times the bandwidth with a quarter of the equipment traditionally needed. It enables a wireless network design that can provide the capacity, security, and control required to make wireless the primary means of connectivity for students and faculty.

Not just because we want it, but because we expect it.

-Chris B.

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The WiFi Revolution

October 9, 2011 in Featured News, Xirrus Wireless Networks

Wireless access has become a necessity in our daily lives. Even more so, students and educators, who spend the bulk of their day immersed in the acquisition of knowledge, feel the struggle for uninterrupted Internet service. Wi-Fi has become such a promising solution over “hardline” access points, but with it comes another problem: coverage.

Wi-Fi—or the 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)—has many benefits, but also, its limitations. Older technologies, such as Wireless a/b/g, can offer speeds up to 54Mbps. The latest protocol to be approved, Wireless n, can offer 300Mbps or more. This effectively makes wired Internet obsolete. However, each of these varieties of Wi-Fi depends on radio waves to carry the signal. Much like you have experienced with your cellphone or cordless phone at home, operating within range of the broadcasting device is always an issue.

Another issue the IT department has to contend with is traffic. Let’s illustrate this particular nuisance. Think of standing in a small office. The door is closed and when you speak a mild echo bounces off of the hard, uncovered walls. Add another person into this small space and you can have a conversation. Add another person and the 10×10 room starts to get a little cramped, but it is still manageable and the conversation continues. As you add a few more people, the room starts to feel more like a cell. During your captivity, you might not be the only one conversing. In fact, with a large enough crowd, it can become impossible to know who you are talking to and what you are talking about. Words and sentences jumble together and all you are left with is a cacophony of indistinguishable sounds. Similarly, as a single network access point becomes overrun with traffic from hundreds of would-be guests, communication in the system fails.

This is where Xirrus steps in. To extend your wireless network and increase services, they have developed an array of wireless controllers. Each Radio Integrated Access Point can increase your coverage and your Wi-Fi capacity allowing all users access to the flow of information they need.

And now for some light reading:

“Wi-Fi WDS connections can be used as wireless replacements for backhaul links or as supplemental failover connections for wired backhaul networks. Multi-node Wi-Fi WDS interconnections, when implemented with integrated switch technology create a robust, resilient mesh topology.” (Xirrus “Wireless Demystified”)

Don’t you love tech jargon? Basically, they are saying that Xirrus technology allows you to add more coverage simply by adding more arrays (nodes). They do this by employing technology such as high gain directional antennas (like a cellphone tower)—all squished into a small device that resembles a smoke detector.

Take a look at this solution for your campus and let us know what you think.

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