Monday, October 30, 2006
Dormitory Wireless Networks: A New Approach
Fred Lassiter
Bellarmine University
Had existing wireless network in dorm with problems
Next Steps
Bellarmine University
Had existing wireless network in dorm with problems
- APs began to fail
- Newer APs did not have as much power
- APs started to need more and more reboots
- Close proximity caused APs to conflict with each other
- Must be low-cost
- Needed POE
- Need to detect rogue APs
- Candidate 1: DLINK DWL-3200AP ($185)
- Candidate 2: HP Procurve 420 ($375)
- Went with DLINK
- Still too expensive at $185 each
- Might not provide enough coverage
- Only three AP channels do not overlap: 3, 6, 11
- Concrete block walls do not pass WiFi signals well
- Rooms had wooden doors that pass the signal better
- Put AP above or below the ceiling?
- Above: concealed, less of a target
- AP above ceiling, antennas below ceiling
- Antennas look like smoke detectors
- As little as $20
- lots of options
- used splitters for multiple antennas per AP
- CA-400: $0.36 per foot - plenum
- Savings would be more significant for larger projects
- Fewer APs means less infrastructure to monitor, manage, repair, upgrade
- Students are happy
Next Steps
- Implement management platform
- Airwave Management Platform (airwave.com)
- WiFi Manager (adventnet.com)
- For now, using IPMonitor
# posted by Glen Horton @ 1:37 PM 
