Case Project 8-1
Your employer, XelPharm, is a large manufacturer and distributor of generic, over- the-counter healthcare products. Its main campus consists of three buildings within two blocks of each other. Each building houses approximately 200 employees, including those in the following departments: Administration, Accounting, Research, Legal, Quality Control, Order Fulfillment, and Production. In addition, XelPharm owns a large distribution warehouse approximately 4 miles away from the headquarters. Until now, its networks have relied entirely on wired connections. The company's CIO (chief information officer) decided long ago that he would wait until wireless technology "settled down" before investing in it. What can you tell him about the wireless standards that might convince him that now is the time to adopt wireless technology? Also, what can you tell him to convince him that wireless networking could improve the company's productivity? Which employees could make best use of wireless connections and how? In what type of situations would all employees benefit from wireless networking?
Case Project 8-2
You have persuaded XelPharm's CIO that wireless networking would benefit many of the company's employees. However, he requests that you plan the network carefully and begin with a pilot network before migrating hundreds of clients to use wireless technology. You decide to begin with a pilot network in the distribution facility. The distribution facility is 200 feet long by 120 feet wide. It houses 45 employees during each shift, all on the same floor. What is your first step in planning the pilot network? As part of your later planning, draw the network, including the quantity and optimal placement of access points. What pitfalls, some unique to this environment, are you careful to avoid? What wireless standard do you recommend and why?