Network engineers are beginning to face the gargantuan challenge of scaling wireless networks as they gain mainstream acceptance, a task hastened by the ubiquitous availability of wireless capability on all new laptops. Indeed, higher education is proving to be a sort of "ground zero" for many wireless-related issues, as college students start downloading and streaming video wirelessly from their dorm rooms and around campuses. The current situation faced is far removed from the challenges of earlier years, where network engineers focused on increasing the number of access points and improving coverage. As high-density WLANs are rolled-out, the challenge now is scaling back-end systems and networks to service a generation of users who might never have otherwise used a wired LAN point.

For more on the challenges faced by wireless networks:
- check out this NetworkWorld article