Introduction to WiFi Telephony Mobility in the enterprise is quickly becoming a major consideration on a customer’s wish list. As more companies investigate the costs and benefits of wireless communications, they face a number of questions specific to deploying 802.11. This session will discuss many of these issues, including network security, delivering enterprise-specific features throughout an 802.11 network, technical considerations when integrating 802.11 into an existing converged infrastructure, and vendor-neutral practical applications. David Fridley, Product Manager, IP Telephony Solutions Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. Digital Solutions Division 949-583-3692 David.Fridley@tais.toshiba.com
Agenda Practical Applications Deploying WiFi Telephony Technical considerations when integrating WiFi into an existing converged network Security Enterprise specific features over WiFi
WiFi Telephony VoIP is an application that runs on IP networks Voice over WiFi is a natural step in this evolution First, there were Soft Phones on PCs Then came WiFi on Laptops WiFi Telephony was born
Practical Applications: Benefits Ability to be connected to the phone system even if users are not at their desks Compared to cordless Manage coverage area Data access as well as voice Compared to cellular WiFi cost is part of the network infrastructure expense, distributed over the whole business. Cellular is a variable expense. (Companies don’t get Cellular for all their employees)
Practical Applications: End Points Taking your Laptop with you (WiFi in building) Management by walking around Meetings Taking your Laptop on the Road (WiFi hotspots) Soft phone running on your Laptop Soft phone running on your PDA WiFi telephony devices
Practical Applications: Segments Horizontal Addition to rather than replacement of desktop phone Managers People who report to managers Administrators Vertical Health Care Warehouse Retail
Practical Applications: IT Dept. IT departments tends to have many technicians dispersed around the company fixing peoples problems These technicians are seldom at their desks WiFi telephony allows these technicians to communicate with IT Management, and each other in a more timely and more direct fashion Company doesn’t have to pay for cell phone service
Deploying Voice Over WiFi Good enough for data is not good enough for voice Wireless Network Assessment Coverage and other concerns Testing the network Security
WiFi WiFi Standard 802.11b 802.11g 802.11a Data Rate 11Mbps 54Mbps Separate Channels 3 8 Distance at full rate 197 feet 66 feet 82 feet Band 2.4GHz 5GHz End-point devices IP Phones, PDAs, Laptops Laptops Laptops*
Deploying Voice Over WiFi A voice ready WiFi network should have 99+% packets getting through Quick Test Start ->run->"command" "ping -n 60 -l 160 -w 250 <IP Address>" Figure on 7-10 active calls per Access Point Single Subnet or Multiple Subnets? How many users/wireless users < 200 Single, > 1000 Multiple Network Assessment and AP Placement
Voice Over WiFi: Expectations About 7 – 10 active calls per access point Difficult to prevent too many calls Currently no mechanism for prioritizing voice traffic over data traffic over the air (waiting for 802.11e)
Security MAC Address Filtering WEP 802.1x WPA IP-SEC VPN Guest Access
Network Topology IPT Anywhere Internet SoHo Office Hot Spot PDA NB Branch Office Server IPT CIX L2 Switch P W R O K I C A T / H 1 E L PDA NB PSTN Internet Server L2 Switch Line Unit (T1, DSL,,,,) BB Modem SoHo IPT NB BB Router IPT PDA NB PBX Office
Enterprise Specific Features Ability to tie into your IP based phone system and get provide all the desktop phone feature to a wireless device Hold and Transfer Call Announce Paging “Line 1” Guests Remote/Mobile Employees
The Future of WiFi Telephony Combination WiFi Cell Phones Quality of Service Preparing for the future
Audience Q&A