Future of WLANs: Management Strategies and Network Integration

One day, wireless networks will blend so seamlessly with the wired infrastructure that wireless LANs (WLANs) will cease to exist as a separate category. While that day may be indeed glimmering on the networking horizon, it definitely hasn't dawned yet. At . . . One day, wireless networks will blend so seamlessly with the wired infrastructure that wireless LANs (WLANs) will cease to exist as a separate category. While that day may be indeed glimmering on the networking horizon, it definitely hasn't dawned yet. At this point, network managers still face a number of choices specific to wireless networks. Decision points run the gamut from which wireless policies to institute now, to whether to move to switch-, router-, or gateway-based wireless architectures.

WLANs stand out from the pack as the one networking technology with deep grassroots ties, according to Chris Kozup, program director at the Meta Group, a Stamford, Conn.-based research firm. Network managers and other IT pros "continue to get pressure from businesses and executives for the adoption of wireless," Kozup said.

Meta Group, though, reports that it hasn't been observing a lot of wireless product procurement lately. "What we're seeing is that most companies are spending time on developing a policy," Kozup said during a recent Webcast.

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