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Wired Ethernet on its way out, says analyst

Report predicts 802.11n wireless technology will start eroding the wired Ethernet market within the next two to three years

By Manek Dubash

August 29, 2007 12:00 PM ET

TechWorld.com -

Throw out those Cat5 cables: wired Ethernet is on its way out, ousted by the growing power and speed of wireless technology, according to one analyst firm.

IT research company Burton Group has released a report that compares 802.11n to Gigabit Ethernet and predicts that 802.11n wireless technology will start eroding the wired Ethernet market within the next two to three years.

Report author and senior analyst Paul DeBeasi said that "802.11n marks the beginning of a rapid market shift away from LAN access deployments using traditional wired Ethernet".

"802.11n will put pervasive mobility on the fast track," said DeBeasi. "IT professionals should start thinking now about how they will deploy, maintain and benefit from an all-wireless LAN."

While switch trunks and data center networks will need wired Ethernet for many years to come, refinements in system silicon, radio design, network control, wireless security and power management will make 802.11n the preferred and dominant LAN access technology in the future, reckoned the report. As a result, DeBeasi's comparative analysis recommends that enterprises consider 802.11n an appropriate LAN access substitute for wired Ethernet in the following circumstances:

When the number of laptop users is growing

When the enterprise uses mobile applications

When Fast Ethernet throughput is good enough

When the enterprise deploys voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

When moves/adds/changes are frequently made

When the risk of deliberate denial-of-service attack is low to moderate

When Ethernet cable installation is difficult

"One can analyze the differences between 802.11n and Ethernet with regard to performance, security, manageability, cost and impact on staff," said DeBeasi. "However, the definitive and unalterable competitive advantage that 802.11n has over Ethernet is pervasive mobility."

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