Summary

In this chapter, you learned that supplementary services of voice and video can be layered onto WLANs. Many of the benefits that these applications bring to wired environments are directly applicable in the wireless environment. However, carefully consider the challenges of enabling VoIP and video on WLANs and leverage QoS techniques to remedy some of the problems.

You learned about the implications of having to support voice on a diverse set of WLAN devices and identified the importance of having a robust architecture and design. If your WLAN deployment contains multiple ESSs, remain sensitive to the hurdles created by roaming clients. Chapter 5 covers these topics in greater detail.

This chapter also covered the commonly encountered types of video traffic as well as the challenges that are specific to implementing video in WLAN environments. You learned about the different distribution mechanisms, timing of the distribution, and the ability to tune quality to deliver more consistent video experiences. Keep in mind that a robust QoS foundation is critical but that it also does not resolve all challenges imposed by multi-access media such as WLANs. Set the proper expectations with your users.

Guest WLANs and location services were the complementary services that this chapter introduced. Guest WLANs support network access to nonemployees by providing basic Internet connectivity to them. Use dedicated guest SSIDs as well as IP tunneling protocols to move traffic to and from the Internet in an isolated and secure manner.

Finally, WLAN location services were introduced as a practical method for providing telemetry information on WLAN client devices. The value of LBS-enabled tracking, information, and security and safety services was discussed, and examples were provided of how various industries make use of this solution.

The proper mix and implementation of these supplementary and complementary services will extend the success and value of your WLAN for your company. Part II of the book focuses on the specifics of how to architect and design an enterprise class wireless LAN, what the recommended practices are for deploying and managing it, and how to construct and implement a security framework for the WLAN.