1

Wireless Update

Byron Early & Chad Burnham

University Technology Services

January 12, 2006 @ Westnet Meetings

2

Overview of Topics

General Overview of Current Wireless Deployment at DU

Wireless Point-to-MultiPoint Backbone Links Upgrade

Wireless Management Software (Airwave)

3

Expanding Wireless @ DU:

Most new laptops have built-in Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g “Tri-Mode”

Student Survey Results: They want more “wireless hotspots” Several requests for wireless coverage

inside dorm rooms (currently 10/100 ports) Faculty/Departmental Requests:

Classroom Flexibility (indoors & outdoors) Conference/ Meeting Areas

4

Expanding Wireless @ DU (cont.) Current Installed Base:

257 Access Points/ Bridges 54 wireless VLANs

5

Upgrading APs from 802.11b to “g” @ DU

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Total APs 802.11g 802.11b

257218

39

6

Supporting Wireless Clients Devices Supported:

Windows XP Pro and Mac OS 10+ ONLY !

Wireless Radio Cards Supported:

Most are built-in now – “ALL” supported

NO ISSUES during Orientation

1200 new students, 99% laptops w/ built-in Wi-Fi

PDAs becoming VERY popular among DU community

Not officially supporting yet – Alpha Testing Mode

7

Supporting Wireless Clients (cont.)PDA Connectivity Options

No VPN client provided by Cisco AnthaVPN (old Movian, recommended by

Cisco) Very Expensive ~ $90 per client

Built-in VPN (PPTP or L2TP over IPsec)

WebVPN: works on Pocket Internet Explorer 2003 ONLY

Not supported on PDAs running PalmOS

8

Web VPN Client Limited application capability MUST stay within browser window (No

streaming, IM, etc.) SSL VPN Client (VPN 3000 Rev: 4.7.2)

Same functionality as VPN client!! Only supported under Windows 2000/XP IE, Netscape, Mozilla, and Firefox Active X Controls or Java Required

Supporting Wireless Clients (cont.)WEB VPN Update

9

DU provides network access via wireless links to:

Several University Housing Buildings Most Greek Houses

Wireless Point to Multi-Point Backbone Links

10

Wireless Point to Multi-Point Backbone Links (cont.)

Reason for Upgrading

Replace Legacy Equipment (Orinoco OR1100s) Originally installed to support only a few users

per house – NOW 99% of residents have laptops Performance Increase

Move backbone links to unlicensed “less crowded” air space (802.11a)

Increase the throughput (11Mbps to 54Mbps)

11

Proxim MP-11a MP-11a: Lowest Cost Uplink Option

Others: Milliwave, Laser, etc. - $$!!

MP-11a Architecture Star Network Design (vs. Mesh)

12

Proxim MP-11a (cont.)Benefits Uses a “polling” protocol (WORP) to share its

medium vs. 802.11’s CDMA/CA 48-54 Mbps with DDRS

Data rate adjusts dynamically based on signal strength value. This helps compensate for temporary link degradation (heavy snow/rain) maintaining connectivity BUT at lower data rates.

Separate data rates for each link One “slow leg” does NOT reduce the data rates

of the others

13

BU – SU mutual authentication Prevents man-in-the middle attacks and

rogue SUs 128-bit AES between BSU and SU 802.1Q VLAN Support (256 Vlans/BU) Storm Thresholds (packets per second)

Protects against network overloading

Proxim MP-11a (cont.)

14

Proxim MP-11a (cont.)

MP11a Versions: MP11 Base Unit (BU)

Supports up to 250 SUs MP11 Subscriber Unit (SU) MP11 Residential Subscriber Unit (RSU)

Up to 7 Mac-Addresses (clients) No PoE

Rugged and Non-Rugged Versions

15

MP-11a NON-RUGGED

16

MP-11a RUGGED

BU w/ external antenna

SU w/ built-in antenna

17

Wireless NetworkManagement

Proxim dropped support of WiNMA (mgt. soft) They now recommend WaveLink

DU selected “Airwave” after looking @ several vendors, including WaveLink WaveLink was less expensive, but didn’t have key

features: RADIUS Integration Legacy Equipment Support Aid in RF troubleshooting and capacity planning Access via HTTP/S MP11a SUPPORT (as of Summer 2005)

18

Airwave – Radius Integration

19

Airwave – Radius Integration (cont.)

20

Airwave – Capacity Planning

21

Airwave – Capacity Planning (cont.)

22

Rapids Rogue AP detection via fingerprinting A LOT of false positives since we turned it on.

Airwave Wireless Site Plan (AWSP) Drag and Drop APs into your floor plan AWSP displays RF coverage information What about furniture, bldg material, etc. ????

Visual RF Creates coverage maps of wireless networks Shows physical location of users in the

network and potential rogue access points.

Airwave – New Products

23

QUESTIONS ????