5 Tips for Managing Your Wireless LAN in 2013

As we move into 2013 Lee H. Badman offers a few resolutions to IT Departments. With the goal to help network administrators he offers recommendations that may help improve your network and user experience.

“1. Stop thinking of the WLAN as an accessory to the wired network” – Here Badman suggests moving away from the older idea of laying your WLAN over your wired infrastructure and treating it as an add on or secondary network. He refers to this as a “second-class IP space” and suggests you should elevate your WLAN to “first- class status” treating it as a users primary network access layer.

“2. Update your wireless policies” – Wireless is becoming the norm and no longer a nice to have.  Increases in mobile devices and their proliferation into organizations are changing how users utilize wireless network. With these changes comes the need for you to change how policies and security measures are implemented in order to uphold the integrity of your network. Badman writes about network policies, “if yours hasn’t been updated in the last eighteen months, you have some work to do.”

“3. Broaden your client horizons” – New technologies, the consumerization of IT and BYOD programs are slowly eliminating terms like “we are strictly an iOS/Apple shop.” With the variety of devices entering organizations you need to understand, as best you can, how each device or operating system works and how it may work with your current network configuration. You don’t have to be an encyclopedia of operating systems and devices but if, “You can spend a little time and learn a lot about how multiple devices operate you and your clients will be better for it.”

“4. Join and use a variety of support communities” – Utilize all your available resources. Whether it is because you are understaffed or are simply overwhelmed with an implementation or new technology, there are places you can turn for help. Badman points to professional and support communities that are full of your peers who have the knowledge and experience to help you with the road block standing in your way. It’s like getting lost when you are driving, just pull over and ask for directions. You will get to your destination a lot faster. Badman suggests this community as one of his favorites – Certified Wireless Network Professionals.

Click here to read the entire article and more on Badman’s recommendations.