Wireless

WLANs caught fire in 2003, and network managers felt the heat, struggling to find ways to manage and secure them. We strove to help. Early in the year, we discovered two useful products for analyzing WLAN traffic and radio environments, Network Associates Sniffer Wireless and AirMagnet Duo. We were also impressed by AirDefense Guard, an IDS (intrusion detection system) that can identify a wide range of policy violations, from rogue devices to poor network performance.

Our search for the perfect WLAN management solution included comparative roundups and stand-alone reviews of both gateways and WLAN switches. Among the gateways, we found the strongest security in the offerings of Cranite Systems and Bluesocket, but the manageability and scalability of Vernier Network’s gateway made it our top scorer of the year. As do gateways, WLAN switches combine management and security features, but they typically rely on proprietary APs (access points) to detect rogue devices, ensure QoS, and even detect intrusions. We found Aruba Wireless Networks’ switch to be the strongest in security, Trapeze Networks’ to be the easiest to set up and use, and Airespace’s to be the best all-around WLAN switch, although only by a slim margin.

Gateways and switches often support roaming across wireless subnets. But if your organization requires maximum mobility, roaming solutions from ipUnplugged and NetMotion Wireless take it a step farther. Both solutions currently support only Windows devices but maintain network sessions and even application persistence across both wireless — including Wi-Fi, CDPD (cellular digital packet data), and GPRS — and wired networks.

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802.11 Hardware 3Com Access Point 8200 3Com, 3com.com Very Good (7.4) Cost: $749, as tested Bottom Line: This AP boasts solid 802.11a and 802.11b performance, although 802.11a speed dropped rapidly with distance. The simple management console is easy to use, but it lacks some enterprise-ready features.

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Cisco Aironet 1200 Cisco Systems, cisco.com Very Good (7.9) Cost: $849, as tested; 5GHz module, $500 Bottom Line: This AP offers generally solid 802.11a and 802.11b performance and management. Distance and performance tests met our expectations, but 802.11a speed dropped rapidly with distance. The complicated management console provides excellent control.

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D-Link AirPlusExtremeG D-Link Systems, dlink.com Good (6.5) Cost: DI-624 router, $140; DWL-650G adapter, $75 Bottom Line: This WLAN router and adapter are solid entries in the early 802.11g market, but proprietary technology means they’re best suited to 802.11g-only environments. Distance and performance met expectations under 802.11g, but they were disappointing in mixed mode.

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Linksys Wireless-G LinksysGroup, linksys.com Good (6.5) Cost: WRT54G router, $139.99; WAP54G AP, $139.99; WPC54G notebook adapter, $79.99 Bottom Line: This router, AP, and notebook adapter represent a solid proprietary 802.11g implementation. Configuration is easy, native performance is excellent, but mixed-mode operation generally defaults to slow 802.11b performance.

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Proxim Orinoco AP-2000 with 5GHz Adapter Kit Proxim, proxim.com Very Good (8.0) Cost: Orinoco AP-2000, $400; 5GHz Kit, $150; Proxim Wireless LAN Management Software, $500 (base engine) and $3,499 (full-featured, unlimited node support version) Bottom Line: With radio performance consistent with best in class, AP-2000 has all the important current security features, hindered only by built-in management software that provides fewer multi-AP features than some of its competitors.

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WLAN Management Airespace 4024 Wireless Switch Airespace, airspace.com Very Good (7.8) Cost: $10,800; Airespace AP, $400; Airespace Central Management Software, $1,500 Bottom Line: Airespace 4024 may be the switch that allows security-conscious network administrators to deploy 802.11a and 802.11b in their organization. The 4024 provides solid security and substantial QoS in a single, easily managed package.

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Aruba 5000 Aruba Wireless Networks, arubanetworks.com Very Good (7.5) Cost: Base system, $21,995; supervisor cards with crypto, $9,000; line card with 24 10/100 Ethernet ports, two GbE ports, $5,000; Aruba 52 APs, $500 Bottom Line: This high-security wireless switch provides solid QoS features. The 5000’s capability of controlling APs via intermediate switches provides tremendous deployment flexibility. Administrators will pay for the security and flexibility when using the complex management software, though.

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Bluesocket Wireless Gateway 2100 Bluesocket, bluesocket.com Very Good (8.1) Cost: $12,995 Bottom Line: Bluesocket provides a lot of security in a single box. Roaming between subnets needs improvement, but as a security system Bluesocket is top-notch. If you want to manage APs and not just users, you’ll need to explore a different product.

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Cranite Wireless Wall Software Suite 2.0a Cranite Systems, cranite.com Very Good (8.1) Cost: $11,000, 100 concurrent users, includes one policy server, one access controller Bottom Line: Cranite’s software-based gateway creates a highly secure connection between wireless devices and the wired network but requires deploying dedicated client software. Military-grade encryption protects mission-critical data in transit, while a simple on/off client interface reduces help-desk calls.

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ipUnplugged Roaming Gateway, R3.4.3 ipUnplugged, ipunplugged.com Very Good (7.9) Cost: $8,000, 100-user configuration; $34,000, 500 users Bottom Line: ipUnplugged’s easy-to-manage software/hardware wireless-mobility solution leverages MobileIP and IPSec. It offers solid wireless mobility across different networking media but needs more robust authentication capabilities and better client-deployment methods.

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NetMotion Mobility v5.01 NetMotion Wireless, netmotionwireless.com Very Good (7.3) Cost: $25,624, 100-user configuration; $95,000, 500 users Bottom Line: NetMotion’s software-based continuous networking technology creates a seamless connection back to the corporate LAN. Military-grade encryption secures mission-critical data. High price and fragmented management interfaces detract from the offering.

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ReefEdge Connect System Version 3.3 ReefEdge, reefedge.com Very Good (8.1) Cost: $7,500, 100 users, includes one Connect Server 100 Bottom Line: ReefEdge’s hardware gateway solution is easy to install and manage, allowing clients to connect via Web-based authentication or OS-specific IPSec tunnels. Although it offers client flexibility and a client utility that eases the creation of VPNs, the product’s management capabilities fall short.

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Trapeze Mobility System Trapeze Networks, trapezenetworks.com Very Good (7.7) Cost: Mobility Exchange, $7,495; RingMaster Tool Suite, $1,995; Mobility Point (single radio), $679; Mobility Point (dual radio), $899 Bottom Line: Trapeze’s WLAN switch starts with very good design and deployment software, leading to a stable wireless network. If user loads vary widely from day to day, Trapeze is ill-suited to the task. For most office environments, however, Trapeze provides significant help in designing a solid wireless network, backing it up with very good roaming and security features. 

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Vernier IS-6500p Integrated System Vernier Networks, verniernetworks.com Very Good (8.3) Cost: $10,535, 100 users, includes one control sever and one access manager with PoE

Bottom Line: Vernier’s hardware gateway solution provides extensive control over security policies. Wireless users can be flexibly managed by physical location (via individual switch ports), time of day, or destination URL; and connections can be secured via Web-based authentication or OS-specific VPN tunnels.

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Wavelink Mobile Manager 5.6.2 Wavelink, wavelink.com Very Good (7.8) Cost: Administrative console, $500; pricing per managed AP starts at $110 Bottom Line: This solid, useful wireless management solution is suited for a heterogeneous wireless network. Its security features could be stronger and its list of supported APs longer, but it meets a serious need by providing a single management interface for multiple APs.

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WLAN Monitoring AirDefense Guard 3.0 AirDefense, airdefense.net Excellent (8.7) Cost: $24,995 to more than $100,000, depending on number of sensors deployed Bottom Line: This IDS (intrusion detection system) admirably performs real-time monitoring of wireless network activity, maintains current and historical logs of network hardware, and detects security violations based on signatures and statistical analysis.

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AirMagnet Duo AirMagnet, airmagnet.com Very Good (8.4) Cost: $3,495, including NetGearWAB501 802.11a/b PC Card Bottom Line: AirMagnet Duo is a very good RF (radio frequency) monitor that is aware of Ethernet network traffic. If your primary concern is optimally deploying a wireless network in a mixed 802.11a/b environment, this is the tool to have. AirMagnet’s NIC drivers provide good radio-spectrum analysis of a wireless network’s environment. The network analysis capabilities are not as strong as those of some competitors.

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Network Associates Sniffer Wireless Network Associates, sniffer.com Very Good (8.3) Cost: $9,995, perpetual license; $8,162, yearly subscription Bottom Line: Sniffer Wireless is a top-notch network monitoring tool that uses radio frequency as a transport. If your primary concern is the performance of an existing network, this is a good solution. Sniffer Wireless applies the traditional Sniffer in-depth networking analysis tools to WLANs. The software’s primary limitation is in the sensitivity of its wireless NIC drivers.