At Power Solutions Limited we understand how important your business is to you and in order to help you achieve your goals, we provide solutions that adapt to your business need and empowers you. One of the solutions in same line is WLAN or Wireless LAN.
 

What is WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network)?

A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a flexible data communications system that can either replace or extend a wired LAN to provide added functionality. A traditional, wired local area network (LAN) sends packets of data from one piece of equipment to another across cables or wires. A wireless local area network (WLAN) relies instead upon radio waves to transfer data.

What is the hardware requirement for WLAN?

WLAN consist of two main building blocks including an access point that connects to the network and a wireless adapter installed in the computing device.
 

	Access point-An access point is a small box, usually with one or two antennas. This radio-based, receiver/transmitter is connected to the wired LAN (or broadband connection) using Ethernet cables.
	Antennas and bridges-Antennas enhance the radio frequency coverage extending the range of an 802.11 WLAN. Bridges provide point-to-point wireless connection between two LANs, like different floors.
	Wireless adapter-A wireless adapter functions like a network interface card (NIC) in that it allows the client computing device access to the network by means of the wireless access point.

How much is its network coverage?

Place access points in strategic areas to provide coverage to the appropriate people. Many IT managers avoid outside facing walls to minimize security threats from people in parking lots. Overlapping of coverage is important for maintaining a continuous connection (seamless roaming) around a building, but they should be set to different channels (frequency bands) to avoid cross talk, or colliding signals that degrade performance while the data packets are sorted and put together correctly.

Application areas for WLAN

 

	Old / Monumental Buildings
	Hotspot Service
	Education
	Warehouse
	Instant Network
	Low Cost Network

	Old / Monumental Buildings
	Imagine an 18th centaury building housing a five start hotel. The business is severely constrained in what it was allowed to do to the walls, floors, and ceilings, but they need to enable staff and guests to access the Internet and exchange data using PCs, laptops, and other mobile devices from anywhere within their building as well as from outside patio areas. Implementing a wireless LAN with VPN security will provide secure data connections for staff and guests without impacting the historically significant aesthetics of the building.
	Hotspot Service
	If you are a owner of a restaurant or IT Manager of a 5 star hotel, providing quality services will be high in your priority. Better service means more loyal customers so you make WLAN available by making your establishment wireless hotspots. Now your mobile customers can stay up-to-date while sipping their lattes. Whether you provide it for free or charge a nominal fee, WLAN access will enhance customer satisfaction and generate new overall revenues for your business. Can be setup in restaurants, hotel lounge, cafeterias, bars etc.
	Education
	Educational institute can effectively use WLAN in providing quality education with minimum investments. You turn every classroom into a virtual, combined library/laboratory, enabling teachers and students to experience a world-class education by providing access to Internet in classrooms, eliminating the need for a well-stocked library. Students who have their own laptops can also do research in the library and record notes as they read. There's no need to stand in line for a library PC and students won't need to transfer their notes to another PC at a later time.
	Warehouse
	Warehouses spread in large areas are in constant need for a reliable computer network for using their barcode readers and processing orders that needs access to central database server. Deploying LAN in such environment is a challenging job. But not any more, by deploying WLAN with number of access points, big areas can be brought under network coverage and that too without the hassle of laying any cables.
	Instant Network
	Many consulting companies need working at clients site with their team for analyzing data. WLAN enables the team members to exchange data on their peer-to-peer LAN at clients site. They can share files, coordinate schedules, and even make last-minute changes to documents on any of the linked computers. And the smart part is that the network moves with them from client site to client site. Later the same wireless connection can communicate with the corporate network once the team moves inside their office premises.
	Low Cost Network
	WLAN gives the facility of deploying network solutions in very short period of time and without the hassle of wiring etc. This results in low cost network that can be readily transported from one place to another, if the need arises. A very good option for young companies that are in process of growing and plan to change their premises or infrastructure at certain period of time in future.

Advantages of WLAN

 

	Fast response
	As you change your business operations, your wireless network can change with you allowing you to make decisions faster, increase work force efficiency, achieve better accuracy and obtain higher employee satisfaction by providing them with productivity tools.
	Flexibility
	WLAN provides continuous, cable free access to your network, e-mail, and the Internet throughout the workplace. Even teams can create a LAN onsite within matter of few seconds and can start communicating there itself. No wires nothing is needed.
	Easy to Deploy
	Ideal for trade shows, exhibitions and construction sites that employ temporary networks. Also for growing businesses, retailers requiring frequent relocation or office rearrangement. It provides hoteliers and other hospitality industry related people to achieve more customer satisfaction and enables them to add one more avenue for income generation.
	High performance and secure
	Throughput speeds comparable with or better than 10-baseT wired networks provide reliable access to e-mail, the Internet, file sharing, and other network resources away from the desk. All this bundled with security for network access and data protection.
	Cost Effective
	Very low incremental cost is required to add users to an existing WLAN network. Average cost per user drops dramatically as more people are added to WLAN. WLAN provides solid return on investment to many businesses through productivity gains. Implementations do not require the expense or maintenance of wiring.

With our experience, we have learned that 'one-solution-fits-all' approach never works in WLAN. Each case needs a separate detail analysis. At Power Solutions, methodology we follow for deploying WLAN solutions is based on following steps

	Requirement studies and site survey
	Feasibility analysis
	Network design & engineering
	Supply of equipment
	Installation & Commissioning
	Maintenance

For any further information, please get in touch with office or email us at : [email protected]