Wireless is inexpensive, easy and convenient. It is great for your home so you can work on the couch, wander to any room, even work outside on your laptop. With a $50 wireless router you have everything you need to cut the wire to the Internet. But should you use wireless in your business?

I say no. For the conference room it is ok, but not for your employee's computers. Wireless, if it is working 100%, runs at half the speed of your wired connection. If you are running over gigabit wired ethernet then your wireless is running 1/20th of the speed.

All of your sensitive data is now floating in the air for anyone to see. Yes you can secure and encrypt this data, but the bad guys can still get it. It makes it a lot easier when they can sit in the parking lot and try instead of being in your office.

There is so much interference now with wireless it makes the connection unstable. Think cordless phone, baby monitor and cell phones. All not 100% reliable. So why would you put your computers on wireless?

In the long run it does not save you money. The alternative is to have someone run the cables down the wall for you and plug in. Faster, more secure and more reliable.

Save the wireless for the conference room for guests.

Think before cutting the wires!

Labels: wireless ethernet security speed