My Grandmother used to tell me (a lot of things) that “just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.” I never knew how much or how often that particular piece of advice would come into play in my life, and now I’m sitting on a plane telling it to you. (Anonymous reader!) That little tidbit is what we’re going to talk about today, specifically how it relates to choosing the right piece of gear for your networking project.

I’m a guy that has a lot of hobbies. My ex-wife used to say “pick an expensive hobby and stick to it…” From cars to off road vehicles to computers to home improvement to networks to music…I’m a jack of all trades. (Master of none, ok? I finally admit it.) As a handy guy I’ve always believed that there is a tool for every job. If you have the right tool, the job is exponentially easier to do properly. Those of us in the networking field know that manufacturers all too often make multiple tools that perform similar jobs. This is where the conundrum begins.

D-Link classifies our networking equipment in several ways, but by in large our product can be classified in two ways: Business class, and Home class. Business class products are pretty easy to identify. They’ve got features such as Power over Ethernet (PoE), outdoor ratings, plenum ratings, metal enclosures, high power output (wireless), and advanced configuration options. Home class products typically feature specifications such as plastic enclosures, external power, basic configuration or wizards, and lower power output (wireless). Most of the time you can tell the difference just by looking at the device, but sometimes it’s not so simple. What creates the confusion is the features.

Many products that could easily be classified as “Home” support some enterprise features. Third party firmware hasn’t helped the cause, as it has encouraged folks to buy a product of lower capability and shoe-horn it into an application which it was never intended for. A good example of this would be the functionality that DD-WRT can add to the DIR-330 VPN enabled wireless router. Customers use DD-WRT to increase the power output of their device, and add features such as QoS where they wouldn’t otherwise be available. (Disclaimer: The firmware provided by DD-WRT is not supported, nor recommended by D-Link and could damage your product and void your warranty. Any modifications to your firmware not specifically released by D-Link could represent a violation of your warranty terms.) While many customers out there have successfully gotten that firmware running and are enjoying modifying their product for whatever use they see fit, it’s probably not the right tool for the job. It just might be the cheapest tool.

Another scenario which comes up often is using indoor wireless access points for outdoor applications. These customers are pretty varied in their application, but it could include simple outdoor access, outdoor Point to Point networks, or even video surveillance. I’ll tell the story of Joe Cheapskate to illustrate the point. Joe wants to provide 54Mbps outdoor wireless service for a small campground with nice open areas. What should Joe use? The appropriate product is the DWL-2700 or 7700AP. They’re a Business class product for sure, in an IP68 rated enclosure able to withstand temperatures as low as -40C! It’s cast aluminum, heated, high power, and comes with everything you need to do the install. (Including outdoor rated Cat5, a power injector, wall-mount hardware, pole-mount hardware, lightning arrestors, and antennas) Sounds great doesn’t it? It doesn’t sound great to Joe, who wants to use the DWL-2100AP or the DWL-7100AP instead. He’s trying to save a few bucks so he’s going to go with these AP’s. They’re fine little radios in their own right. They’re plastic chassis with no support for PoE, no lightning arrestors, no outdoor grade Cat5, no mounting hardware…just an AP. Joe will spend the extra money to buy longer cable for his antennas, and he’ll probably mount the box somewhere indoors. (Just hopefully not the attic, the 2100 and 7100 aren’t plenum rated!) By mounting this radio inside and running the antenna outside he’ll save the added expense of the outdoor radio that was built for the job, but he’ll incur the extra cost of installation and another cost that is harder to calculate, the signal lost by running such a long cable. Joe could spend a few extra dollars on a NEMA (National Electronics Manufacturer’s Association) rated outdoor enclosure for the radios and get them mounted up outdoors, but he’ll still need a power source (no PoE), lightning arrestors, and external antennas.

Joe is probably in for a rough couple of weeks with his new customer. By choosing the alternative (less expensive) solution he’s opened himself up to more service calls, customer issues, and a decreased perception that he is capable of consulting them on the best products and solutions for their networking needs. Using the right product in the first place makes the installation faster, easier, and the outcome better for everyone. When your reputation and your company’s reputation is on the line, you want the best possible outcome, right? Saving those dollars up front isn’t necessarily a savings in the end!

Joe can save himself a lot of grief by working with his local D-Link Field Sales Engineer and determine what the best product for the job is. We’ve all got a little of Joe Cheapskate in us…and everyone loves a good deal. When dealing with the security and reliability of our data networks, however, Joe needs to take a little vacation. Just because the indoor radio CAN do WDS, that doesn’t mean it should do it outdoors. Just because the technology exists on the internet to modify your happy, friendly little home router…it doesn’t mean you should. (This makes me mildly hypocritical, as I’m known for blowing things up by taking them apart and playing with them, but I’m not putting mine or my company’s name on the line when I tinker. I’m doing it in the name of science!)

In the interest of the long term success of the networks you’re building, let’s work together and choose the right tool for the job. Let’s do it because we can, and we should.

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