7 Reasons Why You Should Go Wireless
Every time you install cable to network your healthcare facility's IT devices, you may be getting that sinking feeling…or might, after reading this article.
That's because stringing cable throughout a building to connect devices isn't always the most cost-effective networking solution for many organizations. In addition to a cabled network sometimes representing an expensive as well as inflexible option, cabling is also a sunk cost that cannot be recouped when and if you move.
As you've probably discovered, cabling can be expensive to install, particularly when it is deployed in walls, ceilings or floors to link multiple office spaces. Cables, furthermore, can add to the clutter of an office environment. And in some office spaces, running and installing cable is just not an option because of physical limitations, health and safety risks, and/or landlord resistance.
But there is a networking solution that can circumvent all those problems while improving operational efficiency: wireless networks.
The Why and How of Wireless
Wireless networks connect devices without cables by relying on radio frequencies to transmit data between devices. For users, wireless networks work the same way as wired systems and allows them to share files and applications, exchange e-mail, access printers, share access to the Internet and perform any other task just as if they were cabled to the network.
With a range that extends up to hundreds of feet, a well-designed wireless network can link users to that network from anywhere within most facilities and even from outdoor campus locations. The reach and versatility of your existing cable network can even be increased, moreover, by adding a wireless segment that links to it and expands your network's reach at a fraction of the cost associated with cabling.
But wait…it gets even better.
Wireless networks are also easy to install and operate plus today's advanced solutions require no technical expertise to deploy. As impressive as their speed of deployment and ROI may be, a wireless network's speed of data transfer can rival and exceed that of cabled networks and accelerate the information gathering needed to improve patient care and cost recovery.
Wi-Fi: Frugal…And Fast
The industry-wide standard, 802.11b, commonly known as Wi-Fi, can transmit datav at speeds up to 11 megabits per second (Mbps) over wireless links. For comparison, standard Ethernet networks provide 10 Mbps. Wi-Fi is more than five times faster than prior-generation wireless solutions and its performance is more than adequate for most business and MIS applications.
A promising upcoming standard, 802.11g, operates about five times faster than and is backwards compatible with Wi-Fi. For this reason its adoption seems more likely than the similar speed 802.11a that, while having some advantages in range, is not compatible because it uses a higher frequency carrier. Clearly, however, if speed is a concern, the increasingly popular Wi-Fi standard offers a stable and suitable technology that can keep up with the data transmission requirements of most offices.
You're Ready For Wireless When…
OK. So should wireless networking be a part of your future? The answer is a resounding "yes" if one or more of these conditions describes your facility and its needs:
1. You're operating out of temporary offices
If you are operating out of an office space that is temporary, use a wireless solution to avoid the costs of installing cabling for a network. Plus, when you relocate, you can easily take your wireless network with you and just as easily network your new facility. With a wired network, the money you spend on cabling a temporary space is lost when you leave. Moreover, you still need to build a new cabling infrastructure at your new site. If you expect to outgrow your current facilities, a wireless network can be a shrewd investment.
2. Cabling is not practical -- or possible
Sometimes landlords forbid the installation of wiring in floors, walls, and ceilings. Buildings may be old or walls solid or there could be asbestos in the walls or ceilings. Sometimes cabling cannot be laid across a hallway to another office. Or you have a space used by many employees where cabling would be messy and congested. Whenever cabling is impractical, impossible or very costly, deploy a wireless network.
3. You want to deploy more Point-of-Care devices than you have physical points of network connection
With the emphasis on online collection of point-of-care documentation by nurses and physicians, access to a mobile but wirelessly networked device is critical. By utilizing wireless technologies you can have one device per clinician rather than requiring one per room, saving both capital expenditure and cabling costs.
4. The organization's mobile/remote users need network access when on-site
If you have branch office employees, mobile workers like your sales force, consultants, or employees working at home, a wireless network is an excellent strategy for providing them with network connectivity when they visit your premises. Once their laptops are equipped to communicate wirelessly with the network, they will automatically connect to the network when in range of your wireless access point. Your IT staff is spared the time and distraction of setting up connections, so they can concentrate on more strategic tasks. And you avoid having often-unused cabling strewn about your facilities just for remote users. You also use your office space more efficiently because you no longer must dedicate valuable office space for workers who are on-site infrequently.
5. It's time to extend a cabled network…but without incurring cabled-network costs
Use a wireless network to extend an existing network, avoiding the cost and complexity of cabling. Connect new users in minutes rather than hours. Provide network connectivity for your conference rooms, cafeteria, or lobby without any cabling hassles. You even can expand the network beyond your building to your grounds, enabling employees to stay connected when outside. They will access the network as effortlessly and seamlessly as any worker linked by cabling.
6. You need a contemporary solution for temporary remote networking
If you need to create temporary computer networks -- such as at a job site, conference center, or hotel rooms -- wireless solutions are simple, quick and inexpensive to deploy. From virtually anywhere at a location or facility, employees using an easily configured wireless network will be able to share files and resources for greater productivity. Their wireless PC cards communicate directly with each other and without a wireless access point.
7. You thought only cabled solutions could deliver secure networking
If you select a solution with sophisticated security technologies, your wireless communications will be as safe as the best security solutions found for cabled networks. Leading wireless security solutions provide 128-bit encryption, and for the highest levels of security, the most advanced systems will automatically generate a new 128-bit key for each wireless networking session. These systems will also provide user authentication, requiring each user to log in with a password.
Faster. Cheaper. Better. And now more secure. The goals that have driven IT innovation itself for decades are now driving healthcare IT managers toward wireless networking as the solution that can help make them be more responsive to both employee and patient needs. Without driving themselves to the poorhouse.