Looking for best range, high price ok

I am looking for a serious enterprise-class b/g WAP with the best
range available. I recently tried out a Proxim ORiNOCO AP-2000 Access
Point (what I am told Verizon Wi-Fi uses for its HotSpots in NYC) w/
the 802.11b/g Upgrade Kit and was stunned to find out that in
real-world testing in my location, it was the same as or sometimes
slightly weaker than a Linksys WRT54G in terms of both coverage area
and signal strength. (I was also surprised to see that the Proxim
uses a PC Card unit for its antenna.)

Can anyone recommend a serious WAP w/ longer range? (Space is
single-floor NYC apartment, thick plaster walls and other walls w/
lots of metal)

Many thx,


Charlie

In article <(E-Mail Removed) >,
Charlie <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
:I am looking for a serious enterprise-class b/g WAP with the best
:range available.

Your email address suggests that you are in the USA. In the USA, the
FCC regulates the maximum signal level that may be produced, -including-
gains due to the antenna. The limit is 1000 mW, but very few devices
will transmit at that level because they assume you are using an
antenna with -some- gain.

If you are using two good devices with the same power and same antenna,
then you aren't going to get much difference in range (not unless one
is noticably more sensitive than the other.)

:Proxim ORiNOCO AP-2000

Receiver sensitivity:
-82 dBm at 11 Mbit/s (802.11b)
-94 dBm at 1 Mbit/s (802.11b)

-70 dBm at 54 Mbit/s (802.11g)
-89 dBm at 6 Mbit/s (802.11g)

:Linksys WAP54G
Receiver sensitivity:
-80 dBm at 11 Mbit/s (802.11b)

-65 dBm at 54 Mbit/s (802.11g)

Not a lot of difference for 802.11b.

Cisco Aironet series Receiver sensitivity:
-88 dBm at 11 Mbit/s (802.11b)
-95 dBm at 1 Mbit/s (802.11b)

-72 dBm at 54 Mbit/s (802.11g)
-90 dBm at 6 Mbit/s (802.11g)


:Can anyone recommend a serious WAP w/ longer range? (Space is
:single-floor NYC apartment, thick plaster walls and other walls w/
:lots of metal)

Sounds to me like you should be paying more attention to the antenna
type and the AP placement, and should consider putting in some passive
reflectors.
--
"Mathematics? I speak it like a native." -- Spike Milligan