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The unprecedented progression of wireless networks has undoubtedly opened up a host of new opportunities for businesses of all sizes and in various sectors.
The arrival of trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), added to existing ones such as bring your own device (BYOD), mobile working, and the cloud.
The demands being placed on wireless networks is subsequently rocketing. In order to cope, technology has adapted, with 802.11ac Wave 2 access points capable of delivering speeds of up to five gigabits per second.
However, these speeds are held back in many commercial buildings due to the prevalence of Cat5e and Cat 6 cabling, which limits speeds to 1 Gbps.
Some firms may simply opt for upgrading their cabling to Cat6A, which is capable of supporting 10 gigabit connections and even Power over Ethernet (PoE) capabilities.
However, such upheaval is not always a viable option for many firms, particularly those without strong cash reserves. Such upgrades can prove prohibitively expensive, and the disruption to the company's network means many businesses usually only go for this option every 15 to 20 years.
Solution needed
The situation leaves many companies in a difficult situation, particularly in a digital age where staying in touch with competition is a crucial part of financial success.
While some firms may well choose to bite the bullet and go through with upgrades via the traditional routes, there are just as many that are held back by their finances.
NBASE-T technology could soon offer a great solution, developing 2.5- and 5-gigabit Ethernet over twisted-pair copper cabling that would potentially enable 802.11ac access points to move wireless traffic at the multigigabit speeds without having to upgrade their copper cabling.
In fact, the new technology could unlock speeds of up to 5 Gbps over 100 metres, while the support of PoE means companies may soon be able to eliminate the cost and complexity associated with running separate power lines to support networking hardware.
Other benefits include auto-negotiation, meaning access points can negotiate speeds up to 5 Gbps as needed.
Link aggregation
An alternative that has proved popular with many firms has been the process of link aggregation. This involves the bonding of two cables - 5e or 6 - to provide two separate 1Gbps channels. Switches help to lay some traffic onto one cable and the rest onto another and by load balancing, it becomes possible to reach speeds of up to 2Gbps.
However, even this solution arouses suspicion. Joel Snyder, a senior partner at Opus One, told Biztech Magazine: “Link aggregation is a little black magic-y for most people
“People like simpler [processes]. If they can run one wire and get 2 gig as opposed to running two wires and doing some configuration, they’ll run one wire.”
That immediately leads to the question of when such a solution is going to become available to firms.
Multi-Gigabit solutions have already been launched by Cisco and HP, while ASUS has announced the development of a network interface controller (NIC) card.
Meanwhile, Intel has announced an NBASE-T controller chip and offered a preproduction glimpse at NICs at various tradeshows.
However, Mr Snyder insists there is no particular rush for such technology to become hugely available, adding that many organisations do not yet require multigigabit Ethernet.
But the use of certain applications in enterprise environments could lead to a need for greater throughput without upgrading to fibre.
