Configuring Enterprise Networks for Wireless Audiovisual Content Sharing
COMPARING WIRELESS AV NETWORKING OPTIONS Wireless AV networking solutions generally fit into two broad categories: • Wireless Extenders : AV signals such as HDMI are converted to modulated radio frequency (RF) signals for wireless transmission to a receiver connected to a display or a wired enterprise network. • Wi-Fi Collaboration Gateways : A computing device such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet encodes and transmits AV content over Wi-Fi to a gateway connected to a wired enterprise network. Wireless Extender Pros and Cons Wireless extenders work with more types of AV sources because a computing device is not required. AV performance parameters such as frame rate, resolution, and latency are better than Wi-Fi because the entire bandwidth is dedicated to video. Some standards, like IEEE 802.11ad, operate at 60 GHz with data rates up to 25 Gbps. Little or no video com- pression is required. The downside is that a 60 GHz RF signal is restricted to line-of-sight and cannot effectively propagate through walls or other obstructions. For this reason, wireless extenders are not widely used to provide AV connectivity to enter- prise networks. Wi-Fi Pros and Cons Compared to wireless extenders, Wi-Fi RF signals transmit at lower frequencies (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz). Lower frequency results in lower bandwidth and lower data rate. To maintain acceptable video quality at the lower data rate, video compression is necessary. On the upside, Wi-Fi signals propagate over greater distances than wireless extenders and can transmit through walls and obstructions. Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) is tantalizingly close to pro- viding bandwidth capable of allowing enterprise networks to natively transport high-resolution, full- motion AV content wirelessly. Wi-Fi 7 gear began to emerge in 2024, but until Wi-Fi 7 becomes ubiquitous in the consumer and enterprise sectors, collaboration devices that operate at the edge of the
network are still the go-to solution for wireless ingress and egress of high-quality AV into and out of the backhaul infrastructure of wired networks. Wi-Fi Collaboration Gateways Wi-Fi collaboration gateways are the bridge between enterprise networks and Wi-Fi-enabled portable devices. These gateways typically connect to the wired enterprise network through balanced twisted pair copper cable or optical fiber and connect to portable devices through Wi-Fi wireless access points (WAP). The gateways contain a collaboration hub, video codecs that provide video compression, and software that allows Wi-Fi-equipped portable devices, videoconferencing cameras, and microphones to wirelessly connect to wired enterprise networks. Collaboration gateways can accommodate a broad range of proprietary AV content-sharing protocols built into portable devices (e.g., Apple® AirPlay®, Google Cast™, Miracast™, and others).
By Anthony Cortes
Communication in today’s world is dominated by audiovisual (AV) media, conveyed electronically, whether it is a PowerPoint presentation or a full-motion video clip. Even ICT Today is published digitally and largely read on an electronic screen. At the center of it all are Ethernet LANs. People are now accustomed, however, to having the world in their pocket*. They do not want to be tethered to a wired network; that is why Bluetooth and Wi-Fi were invented. Although Bluetooth is viable in short-range, low-bandwidth applications, Wi-Fi’s superior range, bandwidth, and lower latency make it the medium best suited for wireless transmission of AV content via wireless LANs (WLAN) in business, education, and other collaboration settings, as depicted in Figure 1. ICT designers and installers looking to incorporate wireless AV into enterprise networks must be mindful of network configuration requirements of collaboration devices, bandwidth, latency, security considerations, Wi-Fi frequency allocation, and signal propagation. This article provides procedures, methods, tips and techniques to help you plan and build wireless AV capabilities into existing or new networks.
GENERAL WI-FI NETWORK DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
When implementing wireless AV connections through Wi-Fi collaboration gateways, consider the following:
Range : The specified range between the wireless transmitter and receiver must be suitable for the application. Walls or other obstructions between the transmitter and receiver may degrade the usable range, especially at higher frequencies. RF interference : Assess potential sources of RF interference in the frequency band of operation. The ubiquity of Wi-Fi can create situations where multiple, independent networks are operating simultaneously. Network availability : Wi-Fi bandwidth can be reduced by RF interference or when many devices are competing for Wi-Fi bandwidth through a limited number of wireless access points in the vicinity of the portable device attempting access. This can be mitigated with a direct Wi-Fi connection between the portable device and the collaboration gateway base unit.
FIGURE 1. A collaboration gateway device connected at the edge of the enterprise network allows users to wirelessly share high- quality AV content from our small portable devices to our larger screens via Wi-Fi. *According to a 2024 study published by Statista, in the last quarter of 2023, mobile devices (excluding tablets) generated 58.67 percent of global website traffic.
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