Wi-Fi security, voice deployments remain question marks

Wireless in the Enterprise This newsletter is sponsored by Aerohive Networks, Inc. Advances in Wireless LAN Architecture: The Aerohive Cooperative Control Architecture Respected industry analyst Craig Mathias takes a detailed look at a new approach to wireless LANs that eliminates the need for WLAN controllers. He discusses Aerohive's cost-effective, reliable, and scalable solution built for high performance across a broad range of applications. To get all the details, download this special report. Network World's Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter, 08/15/07 Wi-Fi security, voice deployments remain question marks By Joanie Wexler Security issues – whether actual or perceived – remain the bane of wireless LAN implementers’ existence. So say the respondents to the Kubernan/Webtorials 2007 Wireless LAN State-of-the-Market research, sponsored this year by Nortel. Respondents’ “insecurity” about wireless security has been a consistent primary research finding each of the four years that the study has been conducted. Nearly 52% of 300 respondents, who are subscribers to the Webtorials networking education Web site and who play a role in their companies’ WLAN implementation, cited security as one of the two biggest challenges of building large-scale Wi-Fi deployments. Get Up to Speed on the Latest in WLANs Easily stay on top of the latest developments and issues in WLAN technology, standards, security, telephony, management and more with Network World's latest Executive Guide, "Keeping Up With the Wireless Whirlwind." Click here to download! The next “biggest” challenge – reliability and stability concerns related to Wi-Fi’s use of unlicensed spectrum – didn’t garner even half as much attention (24%). The issue seems to remain primarily one of education and training: Most users believe the technology and capabilities exist to keep their networks secure, but implementing wireless security is so complex and multidimensional, they don’t feel confident that they won’t leave a protective stone or two unturned. That being said, enterprises are doing some things right: Nearly 38% have deployed Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), which embodies the most current and most robust IEEE standard for Wi-Fi security, 802.11i. Thirty-six percent continue to use VPN technology over their Wi-Fi connections for protection and the same percentage has also implemented wireless virtual LANs (VLAN) to segregate user groups and applications. About 13% have deployed wireless intrusion detection/prevention (WIDP) overlay systems from a third party, while another 20% have deployed the WIDP capabilities embedded directly in their Wi-Fi system by their primary vendor. Other key findings: * Enterprise plans for adopting VoIP over Wi-Fi are all over the map. * Enterprises are planning to wait for final standards ratification before deploying 802.11n networks. * The degree of enterprise Wi-Fi backbone coverage seems out of sync with the percentage of employees that seem to have access. For the details and a discussion of these and other Wi-Fi trends indicated by this year’s survey, tune me in, and listen to a Webcast in which I’m joined by Webtorials consultant Steven Taylor, Nortel’s director of enterprise wireless, Kyle Klassen, and plenty of accompanying figures and charts.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Joanie Wexler is an independent networking technology writer/editor in California's Silicon Valley who has spent most of her career analyzing trends and news in the computer networking industry. She welcomes your comments on the articles published in this newsletter, as well as your ideas for future article topics. Reach her at joanie@jwexler.com. This newsletter is sponsored by Aerohive Networks, Inc. Advances in Wireless LAN Architecture: The Aerohive Cooperative Control Architecture Respected industry analyst Craig Mathias takes a detailed look at a new approach to wireless LANs that eliminates the need for WLAN controllers. He discusses Aerohive's cost-effective, reliable, and scalable solution built for high performance across a broad range of applications. To get all the details, download this special report. ARCHIVE Archive of the Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007