One dimension is often underestimated in the technical selection of WiFi certification system——Many look at the program at two points: whether it is fully functional and affordable. But up-to-date maintenance costs are often several times higher than those of prior procurement, and if this is not considered during the selection phase, then there will be endless budget additions and overtime for shipping.
Life cycle and upgrade strategy for software versions
WiFi certification system is a long-term operating platform and the software version will be continuously updated——Security patches, optimizations, new protocol support. The problem is that the product of different manufacturers has a very different strategy for supporting upgrades. Some vendors require upgrading to be done on a version-by-version basis.——From 1.0 to 1.1, and then to 2.0.——The medium does not jump the version. If the user has several versions that have not been upgraded, it may take a full weekend to upgrade the version by version and each step has a window of time to interrupt service.
Moreover, some manufacturers have incompatible configuration files between large versions of their products——Version 2.0 does not read the configuration file for version 1.x. This means that upgrades are not just software updates, but also configuration migration. The number of data to be configured for migration may be hundreds of Radius strategies, tens of thousands of user accounts, dozens of Portal page templates, and verification tasks during the migration process cannot be considered minor.
The selection should identify at least a few questions: what is the path to upgrade between the latest and current stabilization versions, how compatible the configuration files are among different versions, whether there are automated upgrades and configuration migration tools.——How many years after a version was released, the vendor committed to continue providing safe patches? If the commitment is three years, then the user will either buy extended support at a fee or be forced to upgrade.
Life-terms and replacement costs for hardware
If the WiFi certification system is a soft and hard-to-work option, the life cycle of hardware is also considered. The general useful life of network equipment is 5 to 7 years, and the manufacturer may no longer provide hardware warranties and spare parts support after reaching that age.
The cost of moving hardware replacements is easily underestimated. Moving WiFi certification from an old facility to a new one involves workloads such as network top change (equipment IP change), re-registration of Radius clients, Portal page URL updates, and pointing changes to the Radius server address for all downstream NAS devices. These are tasks that need to be operated at low peaks in operations, and each link may be stepped on a pit.
So when you choose, it's suggested that we consider the hardware independence of the program.——Certification software is independently installed and can run on standard x 86 servers or virtual machines——There is much more flexibility in hardware replacement. A soft and hard-forward option, although it would be cost-effective to deploy, will require that the subsequent hardware locking costs be considered within total ownership costs.
The hidden cost of License mode
Commercial WiFi certification systems have almost all of the License models, but Lisense is charged in a very different way. There are often several types: fees per AP number, charges on co-publishing users and fees for actual authentications. The selection needs to be made to see how many AP numbers and users will increase over the next three to five years. If you charge an AP number, what is the cost of Licenense per year for 50 new APs? If you charge a co-publisherty number, there is enough Licenese in peak years (e.g. school view season)?
Many times the License prices at the time of procurement negotiations are based on current sizes, but there is no agreement in the contract to increase the unit price. By the second year, when AP numbers rose from 200 to 400, License’s costs could have doubled, and this money was not counted when the programme was evaluated.
Skills threshold and training costs for peacekeepers
Different WiFi certification systems require different skills for operators. Some products are very well designed."Transporty"——The management interface is intuitive, detailed logs, alert logic clear, and a network-informed operator can get it for about half a day. Some products have hidden high demands on the carrier.——There is a need to be familiar with specific command linguistics, to understand complex policy configuration logic, and the log output uses a custom format defined by the manufacturer rather than a standard one.
If you select a product with high transport thresholds, and no one in the team has used it before, the time cost of advance training, test error, consulting vendor support is included in the total costs.——If only one person in the team can handle this system now, once he leaves, the carrier breaks down. When you choose to be a product that has high market penetration, relevant technical information and community activity.——This means that when you have problems, there is no need to rely on a single channel of technical support and solutions can be found through open communities and peers.
Quality of technical support response from manufacturers
Technical support seems free, but it should be evaluated as a cost dimension when choosing. What time is the vendor’s commitment to respond?——724 hours or 955? How long does it take to check the bill of lading and a technician? If there is a 10 p.m. malfunction, can you contact an engineer who can handle the problem in half an hour?
It is recommended that a simple quality support test be performed during the selection phase——Find out about the brand users in the technology exchange and ask them what they actually do when they have an emergency malfunction. The response time that the vendor says before selling does not represent the actual quality of support, and the real feedback from first-line users is more valuable information to refer to.
The long-term cost of WiFi certification is much more than just a purchase price plus an annual premium. It will be possible to take all these dimensions into account when software upgrades, hardware replacements, License growth, training of personnel and vendor support."How much does it cost to have this system?"There's a real judgment.