Ericsson Wireless LAN 11Mbps DSSS, Intel PRO/Wireless 2011 LAN Solution, 3Com AirConnect 11Mbps Wireless LAN Solution
By Rob Schenk
For this story, we acquired wireless LAN solutions from Ericsson, Intel, and 3Com. On further inspection, we discovered that the products were virtually identical in terms of hardware architecture, software, and performance. All three use chip sets from Intersil, and each manufacturer has (or had) a research and development agreement with Symbol Technologies, the original maker of these products. Because of the three products' similarity, we reviewed them together and noted the few differentiating features among them.
We found the setup process of these products a little more cumbersome than that of the Cisco Aironet 350 Series and the Lucent Orinoco AP-1000. The Ericsson, Intel, and 3Com products required initial configuration via a null modem cable between a PC and the access point. We then used HyperTerminal to assign the AP an IP address.
Each product was up and running in about 15 minutes. Once the access point was configured, we were able to access the administrative interface with a standard Web browser. Access points also can be managed via direct serial connection or telnet. Installing the NIC drivers on our client laptops was simple: both Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows 98 automatically recognised the wireless PC Cards. Finally, drivers were quickly pulled off the accompanying CD, an SSID was assigned, and the installation was complete.
The three vendors provided virtually identical software utilities, though the utilities were renamed. A site survey application runs a series of tests to determine optimal placement of access points throughout an organisation. The application then produces a canned report that summarises the information.
The client software utilities let users monitor signal strength in real time, adjust power management settings, and auto-discover networked access points. Users can modify the power management slider bar to set the optimal ratio of power used versus speed. There are also utilities to upgrade the NIC's firmware, perform diagnostic tests (such as a ping test), and monitor current system status. The NIC firmware can be updated directly from a local file, although we'd like to see a direct link to the manufacturer's Web site for easier updating.
Ericsson's and Intel's client software implementations are virtually identical. 3Com has slightly modified its offering by adding a launcher applet that provides access to the same information, but in separate windows.
Upgrading of firmware on each vendor's access point could use some refinement. Firmware must be updated using a TFTP server or Xmodem software. In contrast, the Cisco Aironet 350 can update AP firmware directly over the Web. All the companies in the enterprise class stated that software to enable automatic updating is in development for release this year or next. Similar to the Cisco Aironet 350, the AP firmware update and configuration settings can be centrally deployed to other remote access points simultaneously, though they must reside in the same subnet. Since none of the vendors support remote flashing of client NIC firmware, it must be done manually. All three products support both 40-bit WEP and 128-bit encryption levels. The 3Com AirConnect also supports two different Layer 3 security solutions for enhanced security: one based on MPPE and the other based on IPSec.
Ericsson also has a high-security feature called WLAN Guard. It uses ISAKMP/IKE for authentication and key negotiation and IPSec for authentication and data transmission.
The Web-based administrative interface is relatively easy to navigate. There are capabilities to monitor system status in real time, adjust security levels, and manage mobile units. The Ericsson, Intel, and 3Com products, however, lack the failover capabilities of the Cisco Aironet 350.
The manufacturers have added SNMP support to the access points, allowing standard network management platforms, such as HP OpenView or Tivoli IT Director, to query and log the APs. The AirConnect, for example, can also be used with 3Com's Transcend Network Supervisor, which plugs into various management platforms. In contrast, Intel offers the WNMS (Wired Network Management Software) to centrally manage APs and clients.
Only 3Com offers a Power-over-Ethernet adaptor in the box. The adaptor is an option with the Ericsson and Intel solutions. As expected, we found similar performance among the three products. The 3Com and Intel wireless networks transferred data at 4.52 and 4.55Mbps, respectively, (as compared with 6.28Mbps from the leader, the Cisco Aironet 350). The Ericsson managed just 3.8Mbps using 128-bit encryption. This could be due to Ericsson's use of an older firmware revision than the other two solutions.
Interoperability throughput was generally as advertised, although there were a few exceptions. The Intel product and 3Com AirConnect performed well with the Cisco Aironet 350; the Ericsson product managed to sustain only a 1Mbps connection, though this also could be due to the product's older firmware. We also needed to change several default access point settings before connecting properly with the Lucent-based products (from Intermec Technologies as well as Lucent) and the D-Link and Linksys networks.
Ericsson Wireless LAN 11Mbps DSSS
Company:Ericsson
Ph: 13 13 74
Price: TBA
Rating
Intel PRO/Wireless 2011 LAN Solution
Company:Intel
Ph: 02 9937 5800
Price: TBA
Rating
3Com AirConnect 11Mbps Wireless LAN Solution
Company:3Com
Ph: 1800 644 606
Price: AU$1,800; wireless PC Card, AU$300; wireless PCI Card, AU$350; Starter Pack (includes access point, 3 PC cards, and management software), AU$2,700.
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1%
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