Determining whether a network should be wired, wireless or a mixture of both should be part of every new network design process. Often a decision on how to proceed is based on what worked well the year before for a similar project. However, since the available offerings change rapidly, the question of wired vs. wireless should be explored in-depth as part of every network design process, regardless of what worked for a previous project of similar scope.

I recently had the task of designing a LAN for a new addition to an existing medical building, and I went through the process of determining what application worked best for that environment. While doing so, I carefully considered technologies and trends, network needs and security, and cost and management factors.

Technologies and trends

Understanding the available and future technologies is necessary in designing a network. In widespread deployment today are 100Mbit/sec. and, to a lesser extent, 1Gbit/sec. Ethernet over twisted-pair copper cabling to the desktop. On the wireless side, 802.11b has proven to be the workhorse of WLAN connectivity, with 802.11a and 802.11g providing higher speeds for that freedom.

The need for bandwidth is ever-growing, particularly in medical, financial, advanced computing and research environments. To address these needs, the IEEE has focused on expanding both wireless and wired capabilities. 802.3an was approved last year as a standard for providing 10Gbit/sec. Ethernet over copper cabling, and recently the IEEE 802.3 Higher Speed Study Group announced it will focus on developing a Ethernet over copper standard.