Wireless AP - Go cheap (consumer) or go expensive (business)

[-Jim]

I got a small network at my office, just 10 users right now and we built a lab that we would like to get wireless access into. We dont really need wireless in the office as its small and just not necessary right now.

 

The lab has a network drop so I am just trying to decide whether I should just head to the store and pickup a $50 Linksys or Netgear AP or should I go more business class products and pickup a Cisco Aironet or something along those lines.

 

Anyone got advice or questions that could help steer me in the right direction?

[FN-GM]

for 10 users i think i standard AP should be fine.

 

The only problem with Linksys in particular is that the AP's only support one subnet. So if you have a range of 10.0.0.1 - 10.0.3.254 and the AP's IP address is 10.0.0.100 you can only manage the AP from the 10.0.0.x range although the clients connected can access any range. - Dodgy explanation i know

 

Z

[Domino]

I've used both and if you go consumer you're more likely to run into trouble.

 

Most just aren't built with business security or usage in mind - so require constant 'hand-holding' to do what you want from them.

 

So to save yourself hassle, go enterprise.

 

and if you're gonna do that, you may as well put it everywhere, cause the expensive bits will be controllers etc, APS are usually cheaper...

[SteveMC]

With the Netgear ones, if you go for their Prosafe range you'll get a life-time warranty. Considering that they'll likely be on 24/7 it's a feature worth having. Plus, the WG102 can be converted later into a WGL102 for use with Netgear's managed wireless switch. I would say though, that if you can afford it, the Ruckus kit has a lot more features when it comes to that area.

 

Stephen

[Ric_]

I use a 3COM 'Enterprise' AP at home and would not go back to a consumer AP... I just got fed up of consumer APs falling over constantly. I'm not saying that what I have is good but it just keeps working and it was a flea-bay bargain!

 

Of course, if you think that you will have 10 concurrent connections quite a lot, it might be worth looking at the 'baby' Ruckus kit which kicked butt at BETT (fighting off interference form several hundred other APs!)

[MarkPower]

I got a small network at my office, just 10 users right now and we built a lab that we would like to get wireless access into. We dont really need wireless in the office as its small and just not necessary right now.

 

The lab has a network drop so I am just trying to decide whether I should just head to the store and pickup a $50 Linksys or Netgear AP or should I go more business class products and pickup a Cisco Aironet or something along those lines.

 

Anyone got advice or questions that could help steer me in the right direction?

 

Hi Jim

 

Happy to put you in touch with the Ruckus team over in the US to help with what you are doing, understand the managed solution may not be quite what you want for this at the moment, but would say as others have it is well worth a look.

 

Also I think you may be impressed with how little it does cost and how easy it is to set up.

 

Cheers

 

Mark

[IanT]

I made a mistake buying a few Netgear WN802T Access Points for my school - brought one too test, worked perfectly no problems, brought another 3 and they are a nightmare - reason for buying these was becuase of budget.

 

The old Cisco and Netgears are all being replaced with 3Com 7760 AP's after I leave

[mhowell]

Hi Jim

how many concurrent users do you expect to have in the lab, what types of clients (voice/data etc), what sort of size of files/traffic will be passed over the wireless?

What is the size of the lab in square feet/metres?

All these factors will impact what you buy.

 

Happy to put you in touch with some colleagues in the US for local advice.

It sounds like an unmanaged solution would probably be best although the above questions might determine the need for a more powerful managed solution which would be more expensive.

Cheers

Mark