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PWDM.NET - Home of the Practical Wireless Deployment Methodology..........................................................................................

Wireless local area networks (WLANs), based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, are becoming increasingly pervasive throughout all sectors of society and industry. Consequently, as more people put up 802.11-based networks, they rely on the vendors and/or system integrators of the hardware purchased to either do the WLAN installation/ugrade or provide documentation or resources for the roll-out. While the number of hardware vendors has increased, resulting in a wide variety of platforms and system integrators from which to choose, there remains no consistent methodology to provide a guide to the issues facing a WLAN rollout or equipment upgrade and the WLAN�s continued operation. Each deployment is left to its own devices and the skill of the people involved in the deployment. Where there is no baseline guide to follow, important aspects of a deployment may be overlooked. And while many people wax lyrical about the obvious technological issues such as the use of WEP/WPA/WPA2, they often fail to address other factors that are more likely to impact the successful rollout and continued operation of the network than a mere Access Point(AP)-centric technical setting., such as power considerations, SLA-impact potential, etc. Irrespective of the type of WLAN, whether it is operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) providing a paid/free public service or whether it is a private network for the use of an organization, there are certain common categories of issues that will the installing or upgrading organization will face. These issues are not always technical in nature. Technological platforms are seldom the sole factor in determining the success or failure of a project � people, policies and procedures are more likely to cause failure and often have a greater impact on the operation and/or security of the WLAN compared to just a technical issue such as 802.11 frame-encryption implementation. Thus, to address this gap in deployment methodology, I have drawn on my experience in deployment, security and operations at the largest (at the time) hotspots in S.E. Asia, StarHub�s hotzones at Singapore�s Changi Airport Terminals 1 & 2 and Suntec International Convention & Exhibition Centre, as well as various other wireless-related work to develop the Practical Wireless Deployment Methodology or PWDM for short. The PWDM is intended to act as a living guide/checklist which covers the various phases in a WLAN deployment within which various tasks should be undertaken to address various issues one would typically encounter in a WLAN deployment. The key is in recognizing that, although some steps may have varying degrees of importance for different categories of WLANs, the PWDM�s methodological steps are applicable to all types of WLAN deployments. In developing this methodology for the deployment of WLANs, I hope to illustrate the importance of following a consistent methodology in addressing immediate and long-term issues, both technical and non-technical, surrounding the installation, upgrading and operation of a WLAN and provide a resource that can be used by others as they roll out WLANs for their organizations or themselves. If you�re looking for a course that teaches the nuts and bolts details on how to use and execute the PWDM framework, take a look at the Open Source Wireless Integration Security Professional (OSWiSP). It�s a lab-based, practical wireless security course that is built around the PWDM and deals with the practicalities, not theory, of setting up WLANs and WLAN security, with a lab-based exam to boot. All the best for your WLAN deployment or upgrade!

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