Getting reaaally fed up now!

[danb]

I just registered so I could reply regarding wireless on Acer. I found an easy solution to my Acer laptop wireless problem. For $13 I purchased an Airlink101 AWLL5088. I think it is the smallest USB N wireless device you can get. I've had it for 2 weeks and all my wireless issues have been resolved.

 

I wanted the smallest device possible because I want to simply keep the device permanently plugged into the laptop.

 

Dan

(I don't work for Acer or Airlink.)

[Dantech]

I just registered so I could reply regarding wireless on Acer. I found an easy solution to my Acer laptop wireless problem. For $13 I purchased an Airlink101 AWLL5088. I think it is the smallest USB N wireless device you can get. I've had it for 2 weeks and all my wireless issues have been resolved.

 

I wanted the smallest device possible because I want to simply keep the device permanently plugged into the laptop.

 

Dan

(I don't work for Acer or Airlink.)

 

Hi - Thanks for you feedback. I used a USB n wireless adaptor a Cisco WUSB600n which is Dual-Band Wireless -N and found that the pre-athentication did not complete in time. In other words you have to wait until windows has fully loaded before the USB drivers for the adaptor load and by then the drive mapping in the network login script which maps the users h: drive has failed. Therefore the users ring to say they cannot access their work. The solution to this is to manually map the drive everytime (or I suppose you could schedule it but I never tried) or get them to logout and in again. We do not get this problem with built in wireless adaptors. I know if I had the money to replace all my laptops and replace my Access points with 1 Gb ones that the whole thing would be a lot better. Unfortunately we do not have the funding to do this at the moment. Maybe there is some company out there who would like to donate us some! No? I guess they are just as strapped for cash as everyone else. That is why this year I invested in improving the infrastructure in readiness for new laptops.

 

Mark

[Dantech]

Hi Everyone

 

Two years on and things are totally different. I would not have anything else but Ruckus. My wireless is rock solid reliable and this last year we have had no problems at all. What made the difference I guess you are saying?

 

1. I VLAN'd the network - no more broadcasts flooding my network on one flat VLAN

2. I was allowed to put new Dual Band AP's in each classroom where they were really needed (the old ones were put in corridors serving three classrooms.

3. I discovered steel re-enforced concrete floors in libraries and other blocks may give 5 bars on the signal but actual throughput of data was terrible with only 3 to 5 laptops working.

4. Fit your AP's (one per teaching space) in the middle of the ceiling (mine were put in the void sitting on the ceiling tile itself) beaming down ontp the lids. So they effectively all have line of sight.

5. Get your Microsoft deployment image done right - the Microsoft way.

6. Provide an optic fibre feed direct from the core switch to the PoE Switch powering the AP's - don't piggy back off of a switch with 46 computers on! This is how Nexgen set it up originally and it is just asking to fail.

 

Mark

 

Many thanks to the UK MD at Ruckus for saving my job! Also above advice from the top radio guys recommended by Ruckus who we paid (reduced rate) to do a days survey and recommend the changes.