CWNP Blog

CWNP
May 13, 2010

dĭf'ə-rěn'shē-ā'shən

I read an article the other day that spoke of an increasing need for differentiation in the WLAN space, especially as commoditization occurs and feature parity between vendors is stabilizing. Because they’re the big kid on the block, Cisco has gotten a lot of press about their new CleanAir technology. Some folks doubt the usefulness of integrated spectrum analysis, but in my opinion, CleanAir is a good example of the kind of differentiation factor that is important in today’s WLAN marketplace.

CWNP
May 03, 2010

APs for Haiti (Aerohive repost)

(reposted with permission from Aerohive) You bet we did! When my friend Mark Elliott of Mercy Ships (MercyShips.org) asked if we could “help a brother out”, we jumped at the chance.

CWNP
April 27, 2010

The Cisco Premium

In the vendor scramble towards low-priced commoditized 802.11n hardware, one vendor is drawing a line in the sand and bucking the trend. Perhaps the only vendor that could stand resolute with this decision, Cisco is foregoing the sprint to status quo (low priced 2x2) by introducing the antithesis of commodity, something that fits by itself in a category called “premium.”

CWNP
April 13, 2010

Eka"hau" We Do It

Ekahau really impressed me a few weeks back. First off, they’ve jumped headlong into supporting CWNP trainers (CWNTs) by providing training and resources so that CWNTs can continue to offer the best wireless education on the market (that’s my shameless pride in our CWNTs). Support like this is critical for CWNP training and trainers to maintain industry relevance. Having some of the best tools on the market is a big part of having functional WLANs, but even the best tools are useless in the hands of a dummy. Ekahau’s people are smart enough to make some super products, and they’re smart enough to follow up on their great tools by pushing forward with educational efforts. Many vendors are active in the same way, and we appreciate them all very much. Special thanks to Jussi and EJ at Ekahau for hosting the CWNT webinar!

CWNP
April 10, 2010

Small Victories Lead to Big Ones

As Mercy Ships pulled into Liberia in 2006, the country had just come out of a 14 year civil war. Children had been trained to be soldiers and were even forced to kill their own families. Civilians had their arms amputated at the wrist (long sleeve) or at the elbow (short sleeve) for no other reason than to create casualties for the government to have to deal with.

CWNP
April 09, 2010

Becoming an Agent of Change - An Introduction

My name is Mark Elliott I am a former US Coast Guard Officer and a 15 year IT professional manager having served on both sides of the Purchase Order as both an IT Director and as a Post and Pre Sales Engineering Manager. My good friend Kevin Sandlin of CWNP has invited me to start this blog to highlight my faith based humanitarian service and how I use IT technology to change the plight of the poorest and sickest people of this world.

CWNP
April 06, 2010

Revisiting Wi-Fi Interoperability Certification: Devil is in the Details

A vast majority of technologies blossom and wither away. Only a few of them survive the test of time. Wi-Fi seems to be one those robust technologies. It has transformed not just the way people work, but the way they communicate and play. Wi-Fi was initially designed to be a (yet another) technology to connect notebooks and computers to networks, but now it has made its way into all kinds of consumer devices – e.g., phones, PDAs, gaming consoles, cameras, DVD players, televisions. With proliferation of 802.11n, the trend is just going to increase. Hence, there is a strong need to make sure that all the Wi-Fi devices are interoperable.

CWNP
April 01, 2010

Controller-less Vendor with Omnipotent Controller?

I often have the privilege of learning about new products before they are released, which allows me to get some hands-on experience and a close-up preview. Every now and again, I get a sneak peak at something special, a WLAN game changer. For a few months now, I’ve beta tested, provided detailed feedback, and worked closely with the engineering team at Aerohive in preparation for a new game changing product. Finally, the information embargo is over and I can speak freely. What a relief.

CWNP
March 31, 2010

Locking down 802.1X client settings

A few months ago, I discussed the need for the Enterprise mode of WPA/WPA2 encryption in even small businesses and how outsourcing the RADIUS/802.1X server can save a great deal of time and money. Well now I'm going to show how to secure your 802.1X settings once you have a server or hosted service up and running.

CWNP
March 24, 2010

Wireless Hygiene

If there’s one term that is central to wireless networking, it is this: half-duplex. I’ve heard it over and over in the past few weeks in conversations with vendors and consultants who continue to wonder why some folks still don’t understand the basics of WLAN design. As a foretaste to our real solution, here are a few broad and specific questions and answers for basic wireless hygiene that should help our friends with underperforming networks.

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