802.11 Wireless Networks

Deploying Secure 802.11 Wireless Networks with Microsoft Windows describes the combination of technologies in Windows that supports the strongest set of industry standards for secure wireless access that were available at the time of the writing of this book.

As we all know by now, wireless networks offer many advantages over fixed (or wired) networks. Foremost on that list is mobility, since going wireless frees you from the tether of an Ethernet cable at a desk. But that's just the tip of the cable-free iceberg.

This book describes how to plan, implement, and troubleshoot wi-fi network systems for public, industrial, and commercial applications. This is not a "home networking" guide, but instead a book aimed at people who need to implement a wi-fi network in places such as conference rooms, libraries, offices, and other business environments. With wi-fi technology moving beyond the limited range 802.11-based networks to "metro coverage" MANs, higher bandwidth 802.16 and 802.20 systems, this book is the guide that engineers need to stay on top of this rapidly developing field. Special attention is given to propagation and coverage which most other wi-fi books ignore altogether. While other wi-fi books exclusively discuss free wi-fi networks and eschew commercial implementations, this book discusses back-office aspects, such as user authentication and billing, of wi-fi 'hotspots", the areas within which a wireless system operates.