802.11n Implementation For Packet Express Americas

802.11n

Problem

In the past years, demand for wireless LAN has grown exponentially. Demand had been led by notebook computers connecting in various types of network environments: home, work hotspots as well as many other gathering places. Wireless LAN is becoming a standard for notebook computers connectivity and Packet Express International (PEX International) is aware of this change.

In the last years PEX has shown a change in their corporate workforce computer preferences and catalog. Ten years ago PEX workforce computer's consisted entirely on desktop computers; five years ago the ratio of desktops to notebooks was about 10:1 and today it is 3:1 for the 5,000 corporate workforce users. PEX users demanded wireless connectivity and it was implemented five years but was never widely used for two reasons:

A. Wireless connectivity is not accessible throughout all the corporate buildings and is at best spotty in some areas where it should be working properly.

B. Connection speed is not fast enough to use multiple applications at the same time (PEX's applications are mostly online applications and require the internal intranet to work)

PEX International strives by innovation and excels in customer service and this is thanks to its highly energetic community. But the productivity of this community is being back by connectivity problems. Notebooks which should be able to connect everywhere at peak performance cannot at this is problematic when working together in a digital era.

Purpose of Study

Packet Express International needs to resolve these issues in a timely manner and has requested an external consulting team to evaluate the current infrastructure and propose a plan on action to resolve it. Looking at the market trend and PEX International's infrastructure account, we are confident that implementing an extensive 802.11n wireless network throughout the company is the way to go.

This implementation will allow PEX International's highly mobile workforce to seamlessly operate within the company's offices with portable equipment including notebook computers, tablet PCs, and PDAs. The adoption of 802.11n wireless networks also opens possibilities for more robust SOA and unified communications due to the increased bandwidth and flexibility that it provides, thus tying in fast wireless networking with quality of service, network identity, security, and application support. The attempt of drafting 802.11n to become an equivalent form of client connectivity is reason enough to support the significance of this project.

Moreover, 802.11n will fit neatly with cellular and WiMax to form a seamless mobile WAN architecture. From a practical point of view, it will enable secure connectivity from any device, any network, and any location.

Decisions to move to 802.11n will not be made on the promise of speed alone and performance alone; furthermore, considerations for increased bandwidth strain on back-end switches, and the need to replace current access points or redesign the entire WLAN infrastructure are just two reasons that PEX International must build a strong business case for the investment that moving towards 802.11n requires.

Scope of Study

The scope of this project includes;

-Analysis of PEX International current WLAN architecture and infrastructure (current state assessment)

-Analysis