Looking for a really reliable Wireless system!

[Heebeejeebee]

Hi,

 

My Head has just told me to 'go out and get' a fully reliable wireless system to compliment our existing network and to replace or current crappy set of cheapo wireless APs. Money seems to be no object but I suspect that it will be when she finds out the prices .

 

We ideally want a centrally managed system that does not fall over all the time because the surrounding houses with wireless units share the same channels (and there are a lot of them).

 

Our laptops vary in age so some are b/g, some are b/g/a and the newer ones are b/g/a/n (draft). All of the houses around us seem to only use 'g' at the moment so we may be able to get ahead of the game for a short while by using 'a' on the laptops that support it. The trouble is we'd have to flood the school with both a & g since all the laptops could move around.

 

Do any of you guys know or use any companies that can give us a free survey and supply and fit good kit or have any advise about the sort of things we're looking for?

 

Cheers

 

HBJB

[Geoff]

As money is no object, I suggest you contact your local Cicso reseller.

[philtomo-25]

As money is no object, I suggest you contact your local Cicso reseller.

 

is that a breakaway company from cisco geoff??

[Geoff]

No, just my keyboard language being set to 'unspellling'.

[DMcCoy]

If money was no object I suggest you standardise on g or n first. If its B or doesn't do at least WPA then I would get rid of it.

 

You will also want a decent 802.1x authentication system in place.

 

If anyone ever said money was no object to me I should think every quote would be 7 digits

[Heebeejeebee]

As money is no object, I suggest you contact your local Cicso reseller.

 

Yeah - but the reply when I hand the quotes over will be "I though it would be under £500". lol

 

We've been researching the Cisco kit and it seems nice - they even do an armoured outdoor unit that looks like a cross between a pig and a tank.

 

HBJB

[linescanner]

Aruba wireless is excellent. A number of our Customers have had it put in by a good company recently.

 

It is cheaper than Cisco, but has all the bells an whistles

[Optics]

We've had a Trapeze system here for four months, which is very similar to Aruba in cost and features. Wasnt the easiest to configure initially, but has settled down fine now. We use it for electronic reg and general net/inet access for the 100 or so teachers laptops.

[mattx]

Aruba again is good - had a few minor problems to start with but the support was first class and now we have over 50 laptops hanging off the back of it without a problem.

Good APs, good switch, excellent support and easy management.

[Heebeejeebee]

@DFS - re: Trapeze - have you go these units or something else?. >> They look like smoke alarms.

 

@Linescanner & Mattx - are these the folks? >> Link

 

Got any contacts I should be talking to?

 

HBJB

[bossman]

@Heebeejeebee: We had 5 cisco AP1131 fitted in our sportshall to accommodate e registration coupled with 4 Techra M7s tablet pcs, linked to a 3560 24 port cisco switch which is linked to main switch via 0M3 fibre and it all works flawlessly. Less than 10K the lot.

 

Advantages are that the teachers can use the tablet PCs as desktops also. Also we can add other laptops for teachers to use in the foyer.

[linescanner]

The guys we know for Aruba are

 

http://www.vanix.co.uk/

[linescanner]

Caroline Chisholm and NSG have used them.

 

Ask to speak to Russ Bristow and mention Cutter Project.

 

They are really helpful guys

[Heebeejeebee]

Thanks for the info people. I'm going to ring a local Cisco partner tomorrow and also some of the other names to see if I can get moving on this.

 

Ta

 

HBJB

[mattx]

@Linescanner & Mattx - are these the folks? >> Link

 

We used Centrecore:

 

http://www.centrecore.com

 

The link to Aruba you have correct.

[wesleyw]

We use Aruba here and it a very easy to manage solution we had Vanix (part of the Ampito Group) install them for us just after they'd installed our new network infrastructure from Extreme. Good guys!

 

 

Wes

[nicholab]

I would go with Aruba it what MS use world wide to deploy their campus networks. Aruba was started by some Cisco engineers who must have thought Cisco took their eye off the ball. The Wimbledon Championships uses Cisco kit to do there wireless networking that runs the ticketing resale system.

[GrumbleDook]

I would look at Cisco, we have a few Cisco partners we can use but it would be worth speaking with Tom at ONI or speak with the Cisco Education folks for a good local partner.

[Heebeejeebee]

FFS: How difficult is it to get people to ring you back.

 

Out of all the calls I made no-one was available so I left messages with machines or other people but not one has bothered to ring back yet.

 

Money to spend + no call back = no order for those companies.

 

Gaaaahhhh!!

 

I guess I'll have to ring some more.

 

HBJB

[Heebeejeebee]

I would look at Cisco, we have a few Cisco partners we can use but it would be worth speaking with Tom at ONI or speak with the Cisco Education folks for a good local partner.

 

BTW - I rang Cisco direct and was told that they didn't have an education department so I went to a locally based company and guess what? They didn't ring back.

 

ONI (www.oni.co.uk) have the slowest website in the world (!). It's a bit ironic considering their expertise (unless it's just slow here).

 

 

HBJB

[linescanner]

Did you speak to Vanix ?

[Heebeejeebee]

Did you speak to Vanix ?

 

Nope - just about to though.

 

HBJB

[gwendes]

edit

[gwendes]

On topic - we use an Aruba wireless network - it behaves well but the cheap PoE switches to the APs aren't very good. If there really isn't a budget I'd go for a commercial Cisco system- chances are Aruba will make something wonderful happen for a little less!

[Heebeejeebee]

@ Heebeejeebee - Do you work at Avonbourne? Say hi to to your head from me if you are!

 

(Sorry for completely off topic!)

 

Why do you ask Giles?

 

HBJB