Month: April 2016

Norman Access Points?

~ Welles ~ Leave a comment

Have our Access Points become ugly?  An upturn of design in our Access Points being used have shown they are becoming and starting to look nice.  Do you remember looking at the Cisco 1250, that thing was heavy and just ugly. However, it was a tank and worked very well.

Has the ugly AP lead to a design issue? Or has the ugly AP realized in order to work well, it must take some lessons in design.  If you can not see it, then it probably does not work well. Wireless is good if you can see the AP–Line of Sight.

At Mobility Field Day 1, Ventev was presenting different types of antenna design to make the hidden Access Point work! During this time I have been reading the book: The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman.  Have you ever heard the phrase Norman Door? I’m sure you have, but just didn’t realize it, the best example is: When you go to a door do I push or pull it?  aka Norman Door.

I remember unboxing the Meraki MR34 and thinking damn this looks nice. Even down to the little foam screw-tray holder.  In our office the access points are out in the open, everything was made to match our office colors–the network plates, RJ45 jacks and cables all match a color design.  Sure, it cost a little more, but it does look good.

I think more and more people are starting to notice the AP, is that becoming a sign of the network performance? I also think people are starting to be “okay” with seeing these parts of the network, that is if performance is great–and by having the AP in sight this helps.

…But only if the design of the Access Point is good, if not, an antenna can help.

Our air has turned mobile?

~ Welles ~ Leave a comment

With Wireless Field Day, err .. Mobility Field Day a few days away. Has our view on wireless changed? Are the players in the wireless space willing and accepting of this change, or has this changed taken place without them?

I have the feeling that the big boys in the space are concerned about this change. They have placed lots of money into the wireless name and people know what it is, maybe not by the word “wireless” but you say “wi-fi” people instantly know what you’re talking about. Do they know how it works, maybe, maybe not, are do they even care?  They just know something on the mobile device changes either while at home or maybe work.

I have great hopes that Mobility Field Day will be the dented armour that we all used and was placed in the closet.  Now it’ll be brought back into the light, shined up and on for another round. I think this will be a catalyst for new things in both the wireless and the new mobility landscape.

The question still is, are people willing to tear down a bridge and start new? People always say: never burn bridges. However, if you can’t burn the bridge down to light your new path, what’s the point?

Or maybe you’re just making a bigger and better bridge…