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#1 2007-01-11 12:24 pm
Multiple access points in one house -- different types of routers/APs
Some background:
I'm re-doing the wireless network in the house I live in -- a 5-story old stone building. Wireless doesn't go too far there. We have roughly 20 different people spread across the building.
We have 2 different DSL connections -- one at each end of the house, on different floors. The DSL routers come with built-in wireless, but they SUCK (very limited range). So, we have a couple different wireless routers wired in.
1 Airport Express
1 Linksys wireless router
2 2WIRE (the original dsl routers)
2 D-LINK Access Points
Now, they are scattered all around the house. We have nearby routers/access points on different, non-overlapping channels. They ALL have different names. The routers are on different subnets, the APs aren't (nor should they be).
I've heard two modes of thinking when you're putting up a wireless "cloud" through your house. One is to give each access point different names, the other is to name them all the same name to provide seamless transition.
Which is preferable? Same name or different? Any other suggestions?
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#2 2007-01-12 12:34 pm
- Dunkin'
- Mom Bo'
- From: Over the hills and far away
- Registered: 1999-10-15
- Posts: 3300
Re: Multiple access points in one house -- different types of routers/APs
This is not going to be very helpful to your situation.
Extending the range of your wireless can be done three ways.
Antenna
Roaming
WDS
Antenna - A stronger antenna will extend the range but may (will) cause interferance with other access points.
Roaming - All access points need to be connected by ethernet cables. All access points use the same name and password. Users may roam from one station to another without any need to join different networks.
WDS (Wireless Distribution System) will work with same brand equipment. I do not know if it will work with different brands. Apple with Apple - yes. D-Link with 2wire-I don't know.
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#3 2007-01-12 1:18 pm
Re: Multiple access points in one house -- different types of routers/APs
Yeah, I think I'm going to go with one name for them all. A wireless card should just pick up the best signal then, right?
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#4 2007-01-12 3:59 pm
- Dunkin'
- Mom Bo'
- From: Over the hills and far away
- Registered: 1999-10-15
- Posts: 3300
Re: Multiple access points in one house -- different types of routers/APs
Macs can be set to connect to any available or preferred network by using the AirPort menu bar icon.
I am not sure about non-Macs.
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#5 2007-01-17 11:36 pm
- ElectricSheep
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- Registered: 2003-07-20
- Posts: 109
Re: Multiple access points in one house -- different types of routers/APs
adndgamer wrote:
Yeah, I think I'm going to go with one name for them all. A wireless card should just pick up the best signal then, right?
Just remember that you have to hardware all of the access points to the same backbone for 'roaming' to work properly.
From my own experience, WDS works well between Apple and Linksys products, if the wireless security is either Open (no security) or WEP. WPA and WPA2 seem to choke.
My experience with D-Link wireless products is just crap. Not sure about Netgear.
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#6 2007-01-30 12:01 am
- brute44
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- Registered: 2007-01-08
- Posts: 29
Re: Multiple access points in one house -- different types of routers/APs
ElectricSheep wrote:
adndgamer wrote:
Yeah, I think I'm going to go with one name for them all. A wireless card should just pick up the best signal then, right?
Just remember that you have to hardware all of the access points to the same backbone for 'roaming' to work properly.
From my own experience, WDS works well between Apple and Linksys products, if the wireless security is either Open (no security) or WEP. WPA and WPA2 seem to choke.
My experience with D-Link wireless products is just crap. Not sure about Netgear.
Your correct about roaming.
Get rid of and security, if your having this much problem getting wireless to go inside, its definitely not bleeding outside very well. Wireless security isn't worth the headache unless you absolutely need transmission encryption.
Netgears are good products over all. As are linksys, I just have bad luck with linksys products lasting more than a year.
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