Enterprise Wireless Gateways (EWG)

EWG's have two jobs one is to keep the roaming wireless user connected and second authentication. Use will use a Enterprise wireless gateway in medium to enterprise level work place. Wireless gateways reduce administrative over head my managing wireless access points from a central location. They also reduce security risks by the use of thin wireless access points instead of Fat wireless access points.

Administrator of a wireless network with FAT wireless access points can be a huge cost and high security risk. Each wireless access point carries your wireless network key and can end up being used against you. When deploying a wireless network with FAT wireless access points you need to configure each wireless access point individually. Also if you need to change the form of encryption or authentication you will need to configure each access point one by one. A wireless enterprise gateways will let you configure all or some access points to your needs. This makes your company more dynamic and can adjust its security needs to each situation. If you are having a company meeting and have guest who will need wireless access then you will be able to adjust quickly. Or if you have a perceived wireless attack you can disable wireless access points quickly and efficiently...

When a user roams between two Fat access points there is usually a battle between AP on who is now going to handle this user. With a wireless enterprise gate the third party switch will now act as a traffic cop and tell the AP what to do. This is important because if the user needs a constant connection the slowness of a FAT wireless access point hand off can limit the user ability to work.

Wireless enterprise gateways utilize many security features such as VPN's which further encrypt wireless traffic. They also use NAPT or Network Address Port Translation which hides the interior clients from everyone else. Wireless encryption gateways like any switch can utilize VLANS or virtual lans which segment the wireless users form the wired users.

Wireless enterprise gateways will reduce security risks and administration. The reduced administration cost combined with flexibility to react to your changing business environment makes the benefits out weigh the cost of the gateway.