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Performance of Wi-Fi

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by mavv

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Hello all,

I am toying with the idea of including a Wi-Fi component to my network. I believe I know what hardware I need to implement it but I as I have never used any wireless solutions before I am unaware of how well it will perform or how to implement it correctly. Could someone that uses this technology please tell me how it performs for them and how they have it setup?

For background information, it will only be used, for the time being, for a remote user that comes to the office off and on and doesn't have a desk. Currently he just finds a drop and plugs in, butI would like to set it up so he can connect anywhere without needing cables.

Is this as easy as I think in that I just need a wireless PC card for his laptop and an access point/wireless router (would replace our current wired router) to get this working? But mainly, I am interested in the performace side. How well does it work? Is there any performance degredation for distance and walls between the access point and the computer trying to connect? Any information would be great. Thanks in advance.

4 replies

by nd_it

It is pretty easy as it sounds. You will need a wireless card for his laptop and an access point. You plug in your access point to a central location where your user is going to be roaming. Some key things to consider when setting this up:

1) Security. # 1 priority. Make sure you have WEP or better yet WPA implemented. This will help prevent unwanted users acessing your network and taking up bandwidth.

2) Bandwidth. I would go with 802.11g, since it operates at a bandwidth of 54mbps compared to 802.11b at 11mbps.

Is this person going to be in an office location? How far does the user roam? Are there many obstacles in the way i.e. metal shelving, walls, etc. These are all things that can affect how a wireless network performs, since enviroments are going to vary. One suggestion is to demo a acess point and a card, and test with it to see what your boundries are.

Hope this helps

by mavv

The building he would be roaming in is quite small. He would maybe be 100 feet from the access point from any place in the office. There would be anywhere from 2-3 walls to 5 or 6 that the signal would have to travel through. All but one are just standard drywall and insulation. the other is concrete. Would this cause any problems?

Also, you mentioned about demoing a product and testing my boundries. How can I demo a product? Will the manufacturers allow this? If so, fo I contact them directly?

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