Issues concerning usability of 802.11 networks for real-time service transport

There has been a considerable expansion of alternative, VOIP based enterprise telephony networks in recent years. These networks have introduced stable and flexible cores that can be used to accommodate traffic from diverse set of edge applications. One of the newer developments in the access part of the network is introduction of wireless Ethernet as a medium that enables mobility and flexibility in accessing the network. Such a network can be used to enable access to all of the existing applications including real-time voice. However, the nature of the wireless medium and the way in which such access network is built requires special consideration when trying to use it for real-time traffic. Careful design can lead to a network that can be used for such a purpose, using standards based components. In order to properly design wireless access network, nature of real-time traffic needs to be examined.