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Hi,
We are currently looking at purchasing a few wireless access points for each of our science labs and would like a bit of advice on how to configure and manage multiple points, intsead of having a seperate configuration for each access point. Anybody got any advice?
Also what access points does everybody use?
Many Thanks
Carnforth High School
Well you've got several different options here. Firstly you've got "fat" APs with all of the management option on firmware. The more expensive ones can cluster resources so they are setup as one point. Another solution is having a management switch and "thin" APs the APs cannot function without the switch but this means you apply changes in one place and the switch is capable of authenticating many more users simultaneously.
Companies with the first option are common something like the Allied Telesyn WA7500.
As for the Managed solution several options present themselves Aruba, Colubris, Extreme, HOP, Dlink, Extricomm there are several more solutions and these guys on edugeek will know of several more.
Wes
Whilst wesleyw's 2nd solution is by far the best one, but you may find it’s too expensive (like thousands, rather than a few hundred):
You can get management software from the manufacturer that will allow you to copy and paste configurations from one to the other - well, at least you can with D-Link (although I wouldn't particularly recommend them and their management tool doesn't work that well either!)
Are you asking how the APs should be configured or the most efficient way of actually doing the configuration? (We have both been answering for the latter).Quote:
bit of advice on how to configure and manage multiple points, instead of having a separate configuration for each access point.
If it's the former: (i.e. you worried about having multiple wireless networks?)
Set-up all the APs so they have identical SSID (network name), encryption key and other settings. Only the channel should be different and you should set them one 1, 6, and 11, if you can, so they don't interfere. Alternatively, some will automatically set themselves to the channel with least interference. The PCs will only have to have one configuration and will automatically connect to the AP with the strongest signal to them. When you move the laptop, depending on the driver settings, it will stay hooked onto the original AP for a while then change to the new ‘loudest’ AP.
This is with cheap APs. With the expensive managed ones, you can roam better and the APs will let clients connect to one further away, if it is less busy (to get better throughput).
Depending on what you are looking to do having back end management is usually the best way to go if possible.
It will allow you to automate who connects to which AP, so balance the load when using multiple APs. It will also allow alot of the management to be handled automatically, such as channels, signal strength etc that can be a real pain without management.
In Cisco world the ideal way to go is a Wireless LAN Controller, which controls lightweight (or thin) access points. However this can be expansive.
A nice middle ground is a Wireless LAN Solution Engine, which is a mangement system for regular (or fat) access points. You don't get some of the really cleaver stuff (the Wireless LAN controller, for example, will reshape all the signal strenghts if one AP goes down, bosting the sounding APs to fill the signal gap) but will provide central management to control things like signal strenght and channels. The express model will do 50 or 100 APs, normally enough for most school rollouts
Really only go for individual APs if you are looking to cover one or two areas for a limited number of people - such as a staff room
cheers, Tom
Can you suggest a piece of software to manage a few Wireless Access Points on a LAN?
All I want to do is to be able to change the encryption keys on all the points centrally?
We have all Linksys points. I contacted Linksys and they don't offer any management software.
I dont think you'll find what your after to be honest. You need a wireless lan controller to do that kind of thing, i.e control it centrally. Cisco autonomous / fat aps can be managed centrally with their Network Assistant software but I still log into each individually as you get far more options / control.
What exactly is a fat AP?
Are these the standard ap's you can buy e.g., Linksys WAP 54G?
I have a few of these that I want to manage rather than log in to each one to change the key for the network.
This bit of software will probably do what you are after if you APs that are compatible with it. Started life as a quality bit of NZ software too :)
Kiwi Enterprises - Kiwi CatTools Overview
Quote:
Kiwi CatTools enables you to:
Manage configurations from your desktop for network devices, including routers, switches and firewalls
Schedule configuration backups and changes
Generate network device configuration reports, such as port, MAC, APR and version details.
Automatically receive email notifications about configuation changes.
Compare the startup and running configuration of a device.
Thanks for that Synack.
I will try it out.
Here's a piece of software that can manage various different access points, you don't need a controller neccesssarily as with these types of software the server they are run on effectively becomes the controller.
ManageEngine WiFi Manager: Wireless LAN Security and Management : Wireless Management
We use HP420 fat ap's and the airwave system to manage them.
Ben