Dummies, Wireless

Figure 18-1:
Three APs
provide a
much
stronger
signal than
a single AP.
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Troubleshoot Wireless LAN Performance
Coverage by one Access Point –
Signal fades with distance
Carefully choose which channels you use for each of your access points.
Make sure that you have proper spacing of your channels if you have 802.11g
access points (which have overlapping bands). Read the section “Change
Channels,” earlier in this chapter, for more information on channels.
Add a Repeater or Bridge
Coverage by three Access Points –
Strong combined signals
Wireless repeaters are an alternative way to extend the range of an existing
wireless network instead of adding more APs. We talk earlier in this book
(refer to Chapter 2) about the role of bridges and repeaters in a wireless
network. The topic of bridges can be complex, and we don’t want to rehash
it here — be sure to read Chapter 2 for all that juicy detail.
Not many stand-alone repeaters are on the consumer market. However,
what’s important for our discussion is that repeater capability is finding its
way into the AP firmware from many AP vendors. A wireless AP repeater
basically does double duty — it’s an AP as well as a wireless connection back
to the main AP that’s connected to the Internet connection.
Meraki Networks (meraki.com) has created the Meraki Mini ($50), the ultimate
smart AP. If you use one connected to an Ethernet connection from your
wireless network, you get a simple wireless AP running 802.11b/g. You add
another unit by plugging it into an electrical connection within range of the
first unit. The second unit will find the first and, using a sophisticated mesh
routing technology, will increase the range of the first AP and increase the
capacity as well. Meraki is selling these supersmall APs (about the size of a
335