Wireless Networking Connects Small Office, Workers

When Justin Talerico considered networking upward of 40 computers in his Boca Raton, Fla., office, the prospect of running cable behind walls and ceiling tiles gave him cause for pause.

Installing cards and running cable to each of the Macintosh and PC computers throughout his Web development firm would take days and cost hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars.

Instead, Talerico went wireless. He purchased an Apple Airport wireless router using 802.11g wireless connectivity protocol. He purchased and installed network cards for those computers that didn’t have built-in cards. And he then bought wireless adapters for the computers and plug-in wireless cards for the laptops. In a day, his office was networked, connecting 20 employees and contractors.

Now, when a freelancer arrives to work on a Web project, his or her laptop automatically connects to the network. When he lands a new client, Talerico gives the client a networking card for their laptop. This way, everyone can be on the same page - literally and figuratively - when they’re in his office.

“It’s very advantageous for us to have a wireless network,” said Talerico, CEO of ion Interactive Inc. “Contractors can just come and join with a laptop and literally get into the group.”

Networking office computers is nothing new. Using Ethernet cables and routers, companies connect computers to each other or to a central server. Workers can share content or even a common Internet connection via the LAN, or local area network, that’s been created.

But wireless networking connections create new opportunities. Remote computers can be placed anywhere throughout an office, needing only an electrical outlet to provide power. Once plugged into the computer’s USB port or network card, the wireless adapter or “node” provides access back to the router, or the device that provides the connection to the central computer and Internet connection.

Those benefiting from the technology include home-based and small businesses hoping to grow in personnel, without incurring additional real estate costs or hiring an IT expert to cable the office, said Helen Chan, senior analyst of small to medium business strategies with Yankee Group, a research consultancy in Boston.

“Networking complexity gets considerably reduced with wireless technology,” Chan said. “Cabling can hamper growth. Being able to set up employees immediately is a real advantage.”

A potential shortcoming is that wireless signals can degrade over distance and through walls. Talerico’s office, though 3,000 square feet, has few walls, and his connections are strong.

What’s more, wireless laptops in the workplace can take advantage of the growing number of wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi, “hotspots” available at locations like restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, convention centers and airports.

Wi-Fi hotspots and Talerico’s office aren’t that different, Talerico said. For example, when a freelancer arrives to collaborate on a project, his or her laptop will automatically find Talerico’s network connection. A dialog box opens on the screen asking for a password that Talerico will have provided to the contractor. This not only gives the worker access to the network, it keeps others from easily hacking into the LAN, Talerico said.

• by Jeff Zbar
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