wireless vs. wired network for small nonprofit

Out nonprofit is getting ready to consolidate operations onto a single floor of our building. Currently we have a Cat-5 wired network spanning two floors with a server running SBS 2000 and Exchange 2000 (woefully short on hard drive space but that's another issue). When we move the server, along with the patch panel, dsl router and network switches, it will be relocated to the first floor. Our executive director has asked me to look into a wireless network instead of a wired configuration.

We already have a Linksys WAP11 2.4 Ghz 802.11b access point, which is only used sporadically. None of our desktops (Windows XP Pentium 2s or 3s) have wireless cards.

In the reconfigured space, the server will share space with our workroom/kitchen, which includes a microwave which is used frequently. Ten PCs and one Mac G4 will be connected to the server, plus a copier/fax which is used as a shared printer with heavy usage. Our DSL connection is also shared over the network. File use includes shared Access databases, Quick Books, desktop publishing and Giftmaker Pro, all of which have data files which reside on the server.

My question is, would a wired network better suit our needs?  I wonder about the stability of a wireless-only network, especially with the server in the same room as the microwave. Laptops are seldom used with our system - the two that are have both LAN cards & wireless.

All of our desktop PCs have 10/100 network cards. We also have boxes of Cat 5 cable left over from the last rewiring. The first floor has easy access to the basement, and cable could be run under through the basement and up through the hardwood floor (which unfortunately will be carpeted to help reduce noise). If we are not able to move the patch panel, a new one would have to be purchased, along with new jacks (we do have some spares but may be shifting from a solid- plaster wall cubicle to a more mobile system with integrated channels)

I need to be able to present both sides to our executive director, and am open to suggestions in either direction... perhaps my wireless knowledge is also out of date (I do know my wireless access point at home must be power cycled every 3-4 months - it's about the same age as the work hardware).

Thanks for your thoughts.

Hello Susan, your org would probably be more suited to have a wired network.  As you stated, you already have easy access to the basement for running cable.  Wired is much faster and more reliable.  You are correct that microwaves can interfere with wireless access points.   If you tell your executive director about how much slower things will be network-wise, they will probably change their mind.  Hope this helps.

Best of luck,

Gary 

You will also spend more time troubleshooting the wireless network and trying to resolve performance issues.  Once installed, your wired network shouldn't need much attention to keep it running.  In wireless you should keep up with security patches for the network, change your encryption keys and security settings to keep pace with standards.  Especially if you have confidential or personal information stored on your network that you don't want some one in the parking lot attempting to 'hack' into your network at night.

Dave

I agree with Gary and Dave.  I would keep the wireless as a convenience for a conference room or something similar, but not as something to rely on.

Ahh, one more thing about wireless.  If you want to put in a reliable wireless network, you probably could.  But it would most likely cost you at least as much, if not more, to handle it properly as it would be to wire.  and you'd still be vulnerable to all the possible wireless network problems that arise.  Your Linksys equipment won't cut it.

Along with all that was stated above, perfecting your wired network PRIOR to the implementation of a wireless network will go a long way toward easing into the world of WiFi.

easy, cheap, and/or good: pick any two

wired = good (solid bandwidth), relatively easy, not-so-cheap (about $100-150 a drop)

wireless = cheap (compared to wired), relatively fast to deploy, easy (depending on your skillset), not so good bandwidth-wise (when compared to wireless)

pick your poison. :)

I do a lot of stuff with wireless, and I can honestly say that the vast majority of the time, people need wired networks.  Wireless is a "cool to have" thing, not something you want to run your business on.

Agree with all previous statements, and wireless is more of a convenience than necessity. If you go wireless stick with the industry standard offered by TechSoup...Cisco is the way to go.

For some actual real-world type numbers regarding speed, unless you have the latest N type wireless, your maxium theoretical speed is 54mbps. But with walls, encryption, etc. you probably will see, at best, half of that speed, more likely 1/3. At that point, your wireless network would be nearly as slow as a regular 10mb wired network. Depending on the size and amount of files you send, this could be a major speed decrease, especially since you probably see around 70-80mbps on your wired 100mbps connection.

Also, even with purchasing all new wired network parts (faceplate~$10, jacks~$3, cables~$100/1000ft, etc.), it likely will still cost you less than purchasing wireless cards for every computer.

Timewise, installing and configure wireless for each workstation could very well cost you as much in time as running new wires, etc. And if you don't need to install all new wired jacks, then your time and cost drop dramatically.

Overall, I agree with the sentiment: wireless is nice to have for someone who walks into the office with their laptop and needs wireless, but I wouldn't depend upon it for my core business.

Rog, I'm glad you responded to this one.  I was wondering what you might contribute and if my current knowledge was accurate.

Count me in the with the wired crowd- wireless, at least in my own, humble opinion, just isn't enough to run any sort of network where speed and reliability are necessary. Just taking a look at your requirements- shared printer w/heavy usage, filemaker, shared Access DB, it looks like there's going to be alot of data flying around, and a 54mbps wireless setup is not going to cut it. I administered an all-wireless setup once and it was an absolute nightmare- not to mention the fact that the little Linksys routers they were using would just bork out and need to be restarted (a problem avoided, hopefully, with some real Cisco equipment). Wireless-only would do fine in home networks and non-mission critical places, but a wired network will be loads easier to maintain and be much more reliable to boot! You mentioned that you can run your own wire- if you're handy, it's fairly cheap and easy to put your own jacks in wherever you might need them.