Symbol unveils comprehensive wireless LAN security

The Spectrum24 High Rate 4131 Access Point is a high-end, enterprise access point with an advanced hardware platform, state-of-the-art feature set, and ruggedised form factor. The new product, ideally suited for large enterprise WLAN and mobile computing devices deployments, offers the most flexible security architecture available and includes enhancements designed to meet a variety of emerging networking requirements.

"The adoption of wireless technology in the Middle East is increasing, but is, to an extent, being held back by security and management concerns. The new Symbol WLAN access point has the highest level of security available today, and with more performance and management features than any premium priced (over US$1000) 802.11b product on the market," said Sunil Chadha, regional manager of Symbol Technologies Middle East. "High-end wireless networking and mobility options are creating a wide range of mobile computing applications that will contribute to the profitability and effectiveness of the operations of local companies."

The Symbol 4131 supports the most widely adopted security techniques, including 802.1x, EAP/TLS, Kerberos, RADIUS, or a combination of these methods, and will feature support for the soon-to-be ratified IEEE 802.11 TGi (Task Group I) security standard, TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol). For network management, the Symbol product includes the Enhanced Packet Prioritization (EPP) feature that classifies mission-critical video, data and voice traffic, and optimizes performance with the Quality of Service (QoS) manager for packet prioritization. The 4131 Access Point is also the first known Wi-Fi certified WLAN access point to include Bluetooth co-existence features designed to optimize performance when Bluetooth-based devices are present. The product is designed to meet the IEEE 802.15 standard specifications for 802.11b/Bluetooth co-existence.

According to Venture Development Corp (VDC), volume shipments for 802.11b WLAN access points will represent nearly 73% of all WLAN access point shipments through 2003. "VDC expects that 802.11b will remain the dominant WLAN technology in the near future as its performance characteristics meet most end user application requirements and because of its strength as an internationally recognized and accepted standard," said David Krebs, Group Manager, Enterprise Networks, VDC.

The Spectrum24 High Rate 4131 Access Point features high performance mobility features to maximize mobile computing application utility and return-on-investment. To ensure the best range performance, the Dynamic Rate Scaling feature allows the access point to transmit at 11Mbps then automatically scale to 5.5Mbps, 2Mbps, and 1Mbps, as user demand increases. The Mobile IP function allows the 4131 to seamlessly roam across routers as devices physically move from one subnet to another.

The International Roaming capability, developed by Symbol and put forth as the IEEE 802.11d standard for country-to-country roaming, enables the access point to automatically adjust frequency-band operation settings to meet local country and regulatory requirements. The 4131 is also "Plenum-rated" to meet international fire-retardant standards for placement in ceilings, air-ducts, and other areas throughout office space and industrial facilities. The product supports power-over-Ethernet for 10/100 Base-T Ethernet connectivity.

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