UIUCnet Wireless - Future Directions (2003)

Introduction

This document was written in 2003. Many of the recommendations for development below, such as UIUCnet QuickConnect, have since been implemented.

As wireless technology continues to develop, UIUCnet Wireless will continue to develop along with it. This page describes the plans for the future development of UIUCnet Wireless. It is primarily intended for campus users shopping for new wireless networking cards, and for campus administrators considering new higher-speed wireless options and new wireless security options.

Upcoming wireless standards and UIUCnet Wireless

There are three wireless networking standards in relatively common use at this time:

• 802.11b - (11 Mb / second max speed, 2.4 GHz frequency)
  802.11b is UIUCnet Wireless's current networking standard. It is currently the most common and least expensive option.
  
  
• 802.11g - (54 Mb / second max speed, 2.4 GHz frequency)
  This standard uses the same frequency as 802.11b, so g cards are compatible with both b networks and g networks. The g standard is capable of a higher theoretical maximum speed. However, in practice, when a b card connects to a g network, the connection speed for all users is reduced to the maximum speed of the b card.
  
  Therefore, although 802.11g wireless access points will be installed around campus as time permits, it will not be advertised as a g network (with the associated higher network speeds) until b cards are no longer in common use and campus users can reliably see the g speeds on the wireless network.
  
  
• 802.11a - (54 Mb / second max speed, 5.5 GHz frequency)
  This is the first new wireless networking standard that will be both worked into UIUCnet Wireless architecture and advertised as such. At the moment, equipment that supports the a standard is more expensive and less widely supported, but there is currently less interference in the 5.5 GHz frequency range than in the 2.4 GHz range used by the b and g standards. Users of systems with dual a/b or a/b/g cards will be the first ones to see the increased network speeds on a access points, due to the b and g speed conflicts described above.
  

Recommendations for new and future wireless cards

Most cards being manufactured today support more than one of the wireless standards. Make sure that whatever card you buy supports at least the 802.11b standard, since it will continue to be the default wireless network on campus. (CITES strongly recommends that your card be Wi-Fi certified; for a list of Wi-Fi certified products, see the Wi-Fi Alliance's Certified Product Listing page.)

A wireless card that supports both 802.11a and 802.11b is advisable, since 802.11a is the first high-speed wireless network that will be widely installed on this campus.

A wireless card that supports all three formats (802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g) will be the most versatile for the longest time. However, it will be some time before the g format is broadly available at its highest possible speeds on UIUCnet Wireless because of the way b card users slow g cards' access to a g network, as described above.

There is currently little value in choosing a card that supports only 802.11b and 802.11g, because of the b rate limiting effect on g networks explained above. If you choose a multiple-standard card, make sure that both 802.11a and 802.11b are included.

Summary

• UIUCnet Wireless will continue to develop along with advances in wireless networking technology.
  
  
• Users must have a wireless network card that supports 802.11b. It will be the "entry-level" wireless network option on campus for some time.
  
  
• If your network card supports more than one standard, the combination of 802.11a and 802.11b will provide the quickest and most visible benefits in speed and connection availability. The 802.11a protocol is in a frequency range with less interference and is not rate-limited by other protocols.
  
  
• UIUCnet QuickConnect will provide a simpler way for UIUCnet Wireless users to access the most commonly used network protocols (web, email, file transfer, and shell access).
  
  
• The VPN system will continue to be an essential part of the network options presented both to UIUCnet Wireless users and to users connecting from other networks. It will be more versatile, providing more networking options to UIUCnet Wireless users, and it will be available to a wider range of users.