Bluetooth Wireless In Your Home Office

Bluetooth Wireless In Your Home Office

Bluetooth is a wireless communication protocol that provides a method of wirelessly exchanging data between bluetooth enabled devices. Unlike Wi-Fi which requires more power to operate and a separate configuration for each device, Bluetooth requires low power consumption, is relatively simple to use, and is designed for use in a much smaller area. A network of devices formed around Bluetooth is known as a PAN, or Personal Area Network.

While the technology has been around for over ten years and its use has steadily grown, still relatively few take full advantage of the many capabilities it presents. One excellent use of Bluetooth technology for the consumer is in the home office.

The conversion of a typical home office set up to wireless technology is fairly simple and straightforward. It is not required to have any programming skills or advanced computer skills in order to make it work.

In converting your home office to Bluetooth wireless, the first order of business is acquiring an adapter for your computer. This is a small device which plugs into the USB port of your computer and will allow your computer to communicate with Bluetooth components. Many of these adapters (or dongles) are similar in size to the popular USB flash drives. The adapter becomes the “master” and is capable of communicating with up to seven Bluetooth enabled devices. They are manufactured by many well known companies in the wireless field, such as D-link and Linksys, and are readily available.

Moving on, you may then want to consider a wireless mouse and keyboard. These devices must be purchased with Bluetooth technology pre-installed (there are no converters available for these components). There are a considerable number on the market and most work basically the same. Your choice should be one of personal preference and as these are separate devices it is not necessary to replace both. Several of the more popular models are made by Logitech and Microsoft.

Next step is the printer. While there are several newer printers on the market that are bluetooth enabled, many opt for a printer adapter which will do the same job. If you are in the market for a new printer, it makes sense to buy one that is already Bluetooth capable. If not, adapters are readily available for most printers. They are similar to the computer adapter in that they plug into the printers USB port. There are also several models available which will utilize the parallel port for older printers.

Congratulations – you have just set up your Personal Area Network. However, no more hassling with wires and cables is just the beginning. And this is where the real beauty and functionality of Bluetooth lies. You now have a PAN that will work well with any Bluetooth enabled device. Upload and download data from your PDA without wires. Wirelessly upload and print photos from a Bluetooth enabled digital camera. Print documents from your laptop with no cables. If you enjoy music while you work, Bluetooth enabled stereo headphones are available.

It is great technology with endless possibilities for both productivity and enjoyment.

Wireless Network Components

Client Software and Adapter

Any client computer, laptop or wireless device with a compatible wireless client adapter allows connectivity with an access point. The client adapter is a radio transmitter with firmware that supports any of 802.11a/b/g signaling. That is needed before the device can associate and authenticate with the access point. Some access points have a no client mode that doesn’t allow any association from clients extending network distance. Client wireless software included with the adapter must be implemented with specific Windows platforms. The client adapter will be integrated with the laptop, PCMCIA slot or desktop PCI bus slot. They will support specific wireless standards, antenna characteristics, WiFi certification, WDS, network range and security. The wireless manufacturer software must be implemented for all available features. The following is a list of some client adapter configured settings.

Access Point

As the name suggests an access point allows connectivity between the wireless client or wireless device and the wired network. The access point takes wireless data packets from a client and translates them to standard Ethernet data frames before transmitting across the wired network. Standard category 5 twisted pair cabling will connect the access point Ethernet port with a catalyst switch Ethernet port. The maximum distance between access point and network switch is 100 meters standard with Ethernet design.

WLAN Controllers

Wireless designs with hundreds of root access points on an enterprise network will sometimes deploy wireless LAN controllers. The design specifies lightweight access points connecting to a network switch. The 4404 WLAN controller device acts as a hub connecting 4 network switches supporting 100 access points. Cisco wireless control system (WCS) wireless network management software is sometimes deployed with WLAN controller design for planning, configuring and optimizing the network.

Power Injector

Cisco access points have a variety of power options such as AC adapters, power over Ethernet and power injectors. The placement of access points is such that in some situations an AC power outlet isn’t available. Should your Ethernet switch not support power over Ethernet, an option such as power injectors extends the distance from an AC outlet. Distances of 1.24 miles are available with a fiber optic media converter.

Power over Ethernet

Cisco access points can be deployed with power over Ethernet (PoE) should the network switch modules support that feature. The distance of 300 feet is the same with Cisco prestandard and 802.3af. The Cisco prestandard use Cat 5 cabling pins 1, 2, 3, 6 for powering devices while 802.3af uses 1, 2, 3, 6 with 10/100/1000BaseT signaling and 4, 5, 7, 8 with 10/100BaseT. Select a network switch module with the power over Ethernet standard your access point has implemented and has a power wattage rating per port for your specific devices. The network switch power supply should be upgraded to support additional power draw from multiple devices. Deploying power over Ethernet will decrease implementation costs with deployment of IPT, wireless and Gigabit. See network switch documents at Cisco web site for information on what network switching modules support PoE and wattage ratings. 802.3af defines powered device class 2 at 3.84W – 6.49W and class 3 at 6.49W – 12.95W.

Power Patch Panel

Cisco inline power patch panels can be deployed where Ethernet switches don’t support power over Ethernet and power injectors aren’t an option. The patch panel does no switching. It powers the devices through a Cat 5 cable that is a maximum 300 feet at a specific rated wattage per port. The patch panel connects the access point to the wired switch with a patch cable.

The book Cisco Wireless Network Design Guide is available at amazon.com

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