System Eases Wireless Networking Management
Lucent’s ORiNOCOversion 6.0 software provides HP-OpenView network management andconfiguration tools, and adds RADIUS-based Media Access Control (MAC)authentication for the ORiNOCO high-speed wireless networking system. It isWi-Fi compliant and provides secure, high-speed (11 Mb/sec) wireless networkingand secure Internet access to schools.
The software features the ORiNOCO PRO manager tool thatintegrates the existing ORiNOCO management tools with an HP OpenView-basedenterprise network management system. Unlike many other wireless networks thatrequire each access point’s parameters to be individually updated, version 6.0allows a single management station to configure the entire wireless network.This enables simultaneous management of multiple WavePOINT-II devices andsystem-wide updating of security keys, network names, bridge configurationsettings and software upgrades, as well as full network mapping.
Another new feature is a MAC address-based authentication schemethat utilizes a centrally-maintained, RADIUS-based database to record the userswho are permitted to have access to the network. Network administrators canmanage and update their entire wireless network, since they only need to managea single database to control which users get access, and what level of accessthey receive. MAC address-based authentication can also help preventunauthorized access to the network. The new software includes support forWindows 95, 98, 2000 and NT. Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ, (800) 928-3526, www.lucent.com.
This article originally appeared in the 08/01/2000 issue of THE Journal.