News
Issue #2003 - 30 (November 2003)
(Updated Nov. 26, 2003)

INFRASTRUCTURE, PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Product News This Week

1. Cisco Announces 802.11g WLANs
Cisco Systems is launching wireless local area network (WLAN) access points. The Aironet 1200 and 1100 Series IEEE 802.11g access points are said to mark the beginning of a new phase of WLANs and initially will support integrated wireless and wired management capabilities and later support Layer 3 roaming. Cisco and several partners said they see 802.11g as the vehicle for businesses to start deploying WLANs in 2004. (Source: EE Times) - more info 

2. Startup Rolls Test Gear for Wireless LANS - Aims enable WLAN vendors to improve tests for security.
Source: By Patrick Mannion, EE Times and Mobile pipeline

Touting scalability, repeatability and analysis, Azimuth Systems Inc. this week will launch a test gear suite that it thinks will fill the need for real-world test and validation of wireless-LAN systems-in a laboratory.

With patents related to RF isolation, analysis software and the general implementation scheme, the company also stresses the automated nature of those tests with a view toward reducing the overall setup and test time from days to minutes, while enabling more robust test.

"There's a huge hole out there when it comes to 802.11 test and validation equipment," said Graham Celine, vice president of marketing at Azimuth (Acton, Mass.). "The key is security for the enterprise, but testing for that is complex."

Celine acknowledged that many wireless-LAN switch startups do implement test schemes already, though he added, "Those tools are purely analyzers; they test for good/bad installations. In the real world, you need to validate before you ship to the user."

But even those that attempt real-world Wi-Fi test in a laboratory before sending equipment to the user have it wrong, said Celine. "They do it in large screened rooms and, therefore, lack scalability. Or, they do it in empty office spaces over open air, where they lack repeatability." In extreme cases, he said, they try to perform test on moving carts to simulate mobility. There, he said, the test is neither scalable nor repeatable.

The answer, according to Celine, is the W-Series chassis-based test system with a central test manager. "The key lies in Layer 1 [physical layer] isolation of each network device," he said, "supported by advanced software and our virtual-positioning technology that allows us to simulate mobility." 
Available now, pricing starts at $44,200 for a basic device test setup, rising to $113,300 for a small network test bench.

For more information: http://www.azimuth.com

MobileInfo Comments and Advisory: Cisco, slowly but surely, has jumped into WLAN 802.11g product space. It wants to go after the enterprise. Azimuth's test bench should help all the WLAN vendorsin lab testing. Large enterprises could benefit too.

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