Wi-Fi wireless LANs (WLANs) have been displacing wired Ethernet as a preferred means of client access for years. Two years ago, we asked readers about wireless plans: Our InformationWeek Wireless LAN survey found about 40% of respondents predicting that they would largely replace wired access infrastructure within five years. Fast forward and it’s likely that today’s torrent of mobile devices rushing into the enterprise, whether resulting from formal, front-door BYOD policies or furtive, or back-door infiltration, is accelerating the timetable.

Worse yet for early adopters, the changing device mix means existing WLAN installations could face significant stress, if not outright gridlock, unless network managers make some architectural changes. Yet enterprises could learn a lot about WLAN design from educational institutions, which have been among the leaders in wireless deployments and have some of the highest device densities of any environment. As Ohio University’s CIO, Brice Bible, is quoted in discussing his campus’ recent WLAN upgrade, “Wireless is by far the most popular access method on our campus and students are bringing more mobile devices to campus than ever before.”
Network Computing