Wireless Internet can prove to be a boon for many forms of business, but is not without its risks. Installing a wireless Internet connection opens up a company to the potential of hacking attempts on their network, which they would not be otherwise exposed to while using a traditional wired internet solution.
Wireless Internet as a Customer Draw
Some specific types of businesses can benefit from offering free wireless internet to customers. Cafes and restaurants can draw a loyal set of repeat customers by supporting their laptop and ultra portable web browsing habits.
It may be helpful to set a rotating network password so that only paying customers can use the service. Without a password, anyone passing by can access the network, which can sometimes cause the usable bandwidth drain to outpace the system's capacity, putting a damper on the customer experience.
Wireless Networking in the Boardroom
Having individual ethernet cables for every seat at a boardroom meeting can be exceedingly tedious to prepare every time there is a meeting scheduled. Therefore, having a wireless Internet hub at the very least in the boardroom itself is helpful because it gives individuals at the meeting access to various online resources.
A wireless Ethernet hub can also be configured to offer access to the internal office network, meaning that employees in the boardroom can draw information from the stationary work terminals back in their offices with laptops as needed. Having wireless in the boardroom also allows for the seamless integration of video conferencing with any projector connected to the local laptop with a camera.
Wireless Networking for General Office Use
The solution for general office use wireless Internet provides some implementation obstacles. For instance, larger offices and steel framed buildings may have dead zones in terms of wireless Internet access signals.
Smaller businesses can get away with using residential format wireless Internet routers, but for higher traffic and larger area networks, a professional quality router may be necessary as well as signal repeaters or multiple hubs in the event of a widely spread out work area, common in a warehouse or factory setting.
Possible Security Concerns With Wireless Internet
Having an always on wireless Internet connection affords hackers a new avenue to attack a business's information security, making at the very least a password-protected wireless network a critical necessity of any virtual business operation other than the low priority hubs used in an Internet café, for example.
Even within the network itself, well protected data leaving individual computer terminals can also be hijacked by other receiving-capable computers in the area in an attack method known as cookie stealing. In order to counteract the threat of outside users accessing the network, setting up a VPN, or virtual private network, creates an encrypted connection between the network and the individual user that cannot be easily hijacked.
Session hijacking attempts, such as those made with the “Firesheep” exploitative software, can be countered by disabling cookies during browsing sessions on unsecured networks and avoiding any user login services while browsing the Internet on an unsecured network.
Research Citations:
- Cisco: Enhance Productivity, Collaboration, and Responsiveness
- Biz Help 24: How Can a Wireless Network Benefit Your Business?
- All Business: The Benefits of Portable Wireless Internet Access
- Inc. Technology: 3G Wireless is Here – What it Means For Business
- Search Midmarket Security: Defending Against Firesheep – How to Prevent a Session Hijacking Attempt
- Cisco Systems: 2003 Wireless LAN Benefits Study
- Computer World: FAQ – 802.11n Wireless Networking
Daniel Mueller - Dan Mueller is Canadian... how exotic! Give him money he'll write (arguably) interesting things for you! MuellerWordsmithing@gmail.com
Join the Conversation