As organizations of all sizes recognize the convenience and value of installing and expanding their wireless networks to support core business functions, they also discover some common growing pains. Interior walls and other physical barriers - as well as electronic interference from non-network devices such as cell phones and microwave ovens - can inhibit the network from achieving its stated performance. Dead zones can occur that drop connections. Overlapping access points, or scores of users competing for the same network channel in a dense environment also sometimes degrade performance.

Whether yours is a small business with 50 or fewer employees, or a medium-size organization with 50 to 250 people to network, ensuring a wireless network with business-class security and reliability raises the same questions. How do you deploy or extend wireless networks easily and cost effectively - especially without using expensive and time-consuming site surveys? What about managing them with limited IT resources? What's the best way to scale the network without sacrificing reliability, coverage, performance, or secure links for your mobile workforce?

In general, you should consider switches, wireless access points and adapters that meet your requirements for ease of use, security, mobility and coverage. In addition, the right wireless access points should incorporate two primary technologies that offer significant performance advantages: Power over Ethernet and RF Management - which supports load balancing and rapid roaming when used in conjunction with matching adapters.