Two roads to wireless management
Opinions abound on how best to provide a secure, well-managed wireless network. Products can focus on security or management, from a perspective of users-in or infrastructure-out. The latest offerings from Bluesocket and Wavelink exemplify various approaches and deployments. Bluesocket’s Wireless Gateway 2100 appliance sits between the wired and wireless networks, providing security through a variety of authentication and encryption techniques. The solution also boasts client-roaming across Bluesocket-connected subnets and impressive user management features, but it provides no real AP (access point) management capabilities.
Wavelink Mobile Manager 5.6.2 is wireless network management software that provides seamless native-interface management of a wide variety of access points, along with strong reporting and management alert features. Its security features don’t nearly match those of Bluesocket, however.
