When setting up a wireless LAN for your company, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind, according to Craig Mathias, a mobile and wireless analyst and founder of Ashland, Mass.-based Farpoint Group.

First, forget about conducting a site survey to determine the location of access points. Unless your company has a big facility with a large number of users, site surveys are a waste of money, Mathias said at a workshop at the 802.11 Planet conference here today.

"We generally don't recommend site surveys anymore because it is just taking a client's money," Mathias said.

Access points are relatively cheap, between $600 and $1,000, so it's easy to buy more if coverage is spotty, he said. Trial and error works just as well as hiring someone to map out where each access point should be, he added.

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