Quality Of Service

How to make sure wireless nets provide good service

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 19:01:38 -0500

Every where you turn someone's deploying a wireless network--from the city and municipal arena to the small business down the block. But once up and running, the main assessment tool is usually user feedback--complaints about dead zones, dropped calls and poor transmission levels. But an enterprising new company is setting out to provide better assessment and review of quality of service with wireless networks. Uptown Service, a Colorado testing firm, uses a notebook with GPS and homegrown software to assess every 100 foot of service area. The cost, says the vendor is minimal compared to the heavy duty investments being made with wireless networking. Testing usually takes a few days depending on the network's size, and it includes reviewing everything from file and packet loss to coverage, data throughput and delays. Given that analysts expect wireless network spending will exceed $235 million this year and hit $460 million by 2007, good quality of service is an important aspect in making sure enterprises get a good return-on-investment. Article

Attaining good wireless network service quality

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Defining and achieving good quality of service (QoS) within a wireless network is a big task, especially in light of the move to mesh wireless communication with IP-based networking technologies. To get a good look at what's involved, the issues that might arise and how to improve QoS, check out this white paper over at TechRepublic. As the authors explain, IP-based network technology will be the "backbone of the next data generation network."

QUICKLINKS: A way to accelerate VoIP quality of service; Collaboration drives mobile computing spending; and much more...

Sun, 14 May 2006 20:00:50 -0400

Converged Access finds a way to accelerate VoIP quality of service. Article

A need to collaborate is driving mobile computing spending. Article

The BlackBerry is getting even more popular. Article

Better VoIP security tools are coming to market. Article

U.K. telco expands mobile services to corporate users. Article

Computerworld examines the best mobile gadgets today. Article

New group aims to build a better, more useful cell phone. Article

A guide to ensuring good QoS on a wireless network

Sun, 07 May 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Laying down a wireless LAN is easy enough, but monitoring and making sure quality of service is strong and stable isn't as quick to do. Here's a straightforward 'how to' map to make sure QoS doesn't fall to the wayside. The first step is assessing and prioritizing traffic and which traffic is more vital and requires top bandwidth. Article

Products that can boost VoIP service

Sun, 18 Dec 2005 19:01:37 -0500

There's a slew of new tools coming into the wireless and VoIP world that promise to help IT avoid network bottlenecks and detect and remedy network issues that currently plague enterprises. Empirix, Agilent Technologies and Brix Networks are just three tool makers pushing out technologies that promise to let IT take a deep look at the VoIP network and not only assess issues, but provide "what if" scenarios if a networking change is made. The tools monitor throughput, volume issues, jitter and packet loss--quality of service issues. Article

How to converge voice and IT networks

Sun, 21 Aug 2005 20:01:37 -0400

When it comes to melding voice and data networks, it's all about scaling up on many fronts, including quality of service, cycle times, reliability, and performance. But that's just one facet, according to an IP expert. Laying down a converged IP network also requires monitoring on a day-to-day basis, advises Hossein Eslambolchi, CIO and CTO at AT&T. Successful convergence of technologies lies in avoiding the 10 most typical pitfalls.

The first is the mistake of putting the security focus at the edge of the network. Another is a lack of open standards and protocols. Then there's a failure to ensure that the IP network put in place can support the traffic requirements of the enterprise -- now and into the future. While everything is about VoIP right now, Eslambolchi notes how networks also should be prepped to handle services over IP (SoIP). Another major pitfall is the decision not to merge networks in the convergence effort. There has to be interoperability among the legacy systems and the newly created IP networks to gain true convergence.

For more on building a strong IP converged network:
- see this InformationWeek article