Wireless Connection

[marvin]

Hi

I have 4 laptop trolleys with 8 laptops in each and each trolley has a D-LINK DWL-2100AP. The troleys are moved around most of the time and laptops are taken out of trolleys and taken to different classes so all laptops need configuring to each AP.

What is the best way for me to make sure i get better connection all the time?
Do i give each AP a different SSID?
Can i have the same type of encryption? Let's say WEP key?
What channel do i give each AP?

Your help will be very appreciated.

Thanks
Marv

[Jona]

I think short of a more expensive managed service the acceptable wisdom is to give them all the same SSID and encryption that way laptops should be able to move between access points seemlessly. But you want to keep them on channels that are far apart so they interfere less at a radio level, e.g. channels 1,5,11

Cheers
Jona

[marvin]

Will it be ok if i set them with same SSID, encrytion and give the following channels:
1 - 4 - 8 - 12

[SYNACK]

Wireless 802.11g only has three distinct frequencies that do not overlap each other which are 1,5,11 the other channels are all only slightly offset from the primary channels and so interfere more.

I would suggest sticking to three access points on these channels as the signal will be stronger and you will get more throughput than with 4 APs interfering with each other

[SimpleSi]

AFAIK the 3 non-overlapping channels are 1,6 and 11.

Having said that, if you actually lower the power output on each AP, you could find that even if you had them all on the same channel, they wouldn't really interfere with each other.

I'd try your 1,4,7,11 type setup and see what happens. (Stick to max of channel 11 unless all laptops can handle channels 12 and 13 which a lot can't)

In a similar setup, I give each trolley AP their own SSID and get the pupils to check which AP they are connected to each lesson - its a bit of an overhead to the start of each lesson but it ensures that the rest of the lesson goes smoothly as opposed to finding out at 2 mins to end of lesson that pupils can't save their work.

Only go for same SSID when you are very very happy with the reliabilty of your access points and wireless connections.

regards

Simon

[Neil]

Have a look at the site below which has a diagram detailing the wireless channels and which overlap.

Vigor Router FAQ - Wireless LAN Channels

[zag]

Hi

I have 4 laptop trolleys with 8 laptops in each and each trolley has a D-LINK DWL-2100AP. The troleys are moved around most of the time and laptops are taken out of trolleys and taken to different classes so all laptops need configuring to each AP.

What is the best way for me to make sure i get better connection all the time?
Do i give each AP a different SSID?
Can i have the same type of encryption? Let's say WEP key?
What channel do i give each AP?

Your help will be very appreciated.

Thanks
Marv

Just out of interest does this kind of setup reliably work? We've tried a few solutions like this and they have never really been acceptable in terms of performance or reliability.

[plexer]

European channels include 12 and 13 so if your laptop can't connect on that channel isn't that just wrong?

Ben

[Bestbett]

Wireless kinda makes me shudder; however, we do use it pretty effectively. We have upgraded to a Wirelees Controller system here and hardly have any issues. We have one SSID throughout the entire District, same WEP key, and no broadcast of the SSID.

For your situation it, listen to the channel suggestions; as far as SSIDs it really depends on if you want the clients to access the net seamlessly or you want to tie them to a specific Access Point.

If you want them tied to the carts AP then probably easiest to make different SSIDs and turn off broadcasting of the SSIDs, that way your laptops only know about the SSID you told them about.

One SSID is handy if you want to be able to say use the same laptop for a conference at the high school , then go to an elementary and instantly be back on the net when in range.

[SimpleSi]

European channels include 12 and 13 so if your laptop can't connect on that channel isn't that just wrong?

Some manufacturers just find it easier to provide drivers/hardware that only goes up to 11

regards

Simon