Consider that a state-wide initiative to provide Internet access to all public schools is issued, but the directive is limited by the high cost and unavailability of high-speed lines. Slow dial-up lines prevent students from completing assignments during class. An alternative? Consolidate all the school’s computers on to a common LAN, either wired or wireless. One router or switch at each school, can now provide a high-speed external 10BaseT port for Internet access. High-throughput point-to-point wireless bridges connect the 10 Mbps ports at each school within a school district to a central district hub. Finally, the district hubs can be linked to the ISP or Network Service Providers (NSPs) with a higher throughput device, for example, 1,100 Mbps wireless bridge, giving a superior solution.

Similarly, an enterprise organized as a campus may have developed with separate LANs and PBXs in each main building. There are significant advantages to integrating the LANs into a single WAN and directly connecting the PBXs. Users want to operate all network systems in a transparent manner, creating a common platform, with shared applications and improved manageability. Similarly, voice users want to call telephones in an adjacent building without dialing out through the PSTN for ease-of-use and reduced cost. A wireless link with a 100BaseT bridge port and wayside E1 channel can meet these goals and be installed in days. The 100 BaseT port connects to a WAN port on the LAN switch or router at each building and each E1 port connects directly to each PBX local trunk port.

This article is excerpted from a pocketbook by Western Multiplex