BIOS: Technology Means Business

3Com's Wireless LAN Access Point 7250 is an 802.11g Wi-Fi product that offers strong support of 802.1x authentication, a full array of wireless accessories, and distinctive support of reliable AES encryption in an enterprise solution. Supported by the VARs who work with 3Com, the access point offers the benefit of high-speed wireless and high levels of security at an extremely affordable price.

Pros: Excellent security and management tools; supports PoE
Cons: Overkill for small businesses

A wireless access point (WAP or AP) is a device that 'connects' wireless communication devices together to create a wireless network. The WAP is usually connected to a wired network, and can relay data between devices on each side. Many WAPs can be connected together to create a larger network that allows 'roaming'. By contrast, a network where the client devices manage themselves is called an ad-hoc network.

The Wireless LAN Access Point 7250 (Best Current Price: £197) delivers advanced enterprise features at an economical price. It's also a great choice for situations that don't require simultaneous 802.11g and 802.11a support in the same access point.

The curvaceous box supports up to 253 simultaneous wireless users at speeds up to 54Mbit/s at distances up to 100 meters (328 feet), so it should be suitable for all but the largest of organisations. And because the 802.11g standard uses the 2.4GHz radio spectrum, the access point is backward-compatible with 802.11b wireless products.

Other keys features of the device include auto network connect and dynamic rate shifting to help keep network connections continuously available by automatically changing connections speed as conditions change and mobile users move through the network coverage area, as well as 40/64-, and 128/154-bit WEP shared key encryption and advanced WPA AES 256-bit encryption.

The router's dynamic security link automatically assigns user-specific 128-bit encryption keys for wireless sessions, and an 802.11x RADIUS server authentication controls wireless network access and centralises user authorisation across the network. Dynamic session key management and TKIP dynamic key assignment also helps to improve security and simplify deployment.

Web-based network management tools make configuration and remote management of the network relatively painless, while SNMP and 3Com Network Supervisor support should help you to integrate the wireless LAN into your wired infrastructure. Wi-Fi certification also helps to ensure interoperability with Wi-Fi-certified products from other vendors, should you already have a wireless network implemented or a number of Wi-Fi laptops ready to join the network.

The Wireless LAN Access Point 7250's MAC address access control lists determine access to network resources, client-to-client and uplink filtering blocks direct communications between other wireless users associated to the access points, and dynamic VLAN assignment - used with RADIUS authentication - assigns users to an appropriate VLAN, further protecting access to network resources. 802.3af-compliant PoE support also powers the access point over existing Ethernet cabling.

In our tests, the Wireless LAN Access Point 7250 installed directly to our existing network, obtained an IP address from a DHCP server, and began serving wireless clients immediately. 3Com's management software was also easy to install, and it let us configure the IP settings of the access point quickly.

If the access point doesn't discover a DHCP server on the network, it automatically assigns an IP address. We also liked the Wireless Infrastructure Device Manager software which allowed us to discover access points and select devices for administration changes. The Network Supervisor software was neat too, as it graphically discovers, maps and discovers network link and IP devices.

The radio antennas provided excellent performance and coverage, though there are a number of compatible external antenna options available from 3Com to help extend the wireless connection range to up to 305 meters (1000 feet). 3Com even provides a useful software application, Site Survey Tool, which assists in determining if the intended access point location will provide adequate coverage with good signal strength and quality. [7.5]