Wireless Newbie

Sorry if these issues previously covered

We have (b/g) access points in each of our 8 work areas. The company next
door also use a number of points which are close enough for us to register
with good signal levels

All our access points have the same SSID
Some people say that all our points should have the same channel number and
some say they should be different and at least 2 channels away from each
other. Now this is not possible with 8 access points and with the folks next
door using a number of channels as well.

Any advice please

Also

Every time we log on at a laptop the wireless the connections can not be
made until we go to the system tray, view available network, choose our
SSID, tick the box and OK

I can find no way to go straight in to our SSID without having to select it
from the list

Any help welcome

jaez wrote:
[...]
> All our access points have the same SSID
> Some people say that all our points should have the same channel number and
> some say they should be different and at least 2 channels away from each
> other. Now this is not possible with 8 access points and with the folks next
> door using a number of channels as well.

Why is it not possible? Do all your access points cover the whole
building? If there is an area where all 8 have their signal that's truly
bad. You should consider that a wireless connection waits until it
cannot "hear" another connection. So if you have 8 access points on the
same channel in the same area you have only 1/8 of the possible
bandwidth. If they are on different channels you have the full bandwidth
of all of them.

I donot know whether the disturbance of channels that are not far away
from each other is so big. I would consider it is better to use
neighboring channels than using the same one. As long as two access
points can hear each other, they should not use the same channel!

[...]
> Every time we log on at a laptop the wireless the connections can not be
> made until we go to the system tray, view available network, choose our
> SSID, tick the box and OK
>
> I can find no way to go straight in to our SSID without having to select it
> from the list

You should add it to the prefered networks in this dialog, then it
should automatically connect to the first SSID it finds. Is your network
unprotected? Then you should enable security, because as far as I know
unsecured networks are not connected automatically (and that's good!).

Sebastian

SSID should be the same across the Network changing SSID will not do any
thing for you to begin with.

Under normal circumstances every Wireless within the range will register
when client card scan the Air regardless of the SSID.

However the mere appearances of another Wireless Networks do not mean that
actual packets of information are exchanged.

If your WPA (WEP) is ON and or MAC filtering is used there will be No
exchange of info.

If you want your client to pick only your system you can check the preferred
Network Setting and insert your SSID (preferred Network is under the
Wireless Network tab in WinXP, and or might be in your client cards
drivers).

http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Config.htm

http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Security.html



Jack (MVP-Networking).





"Sebastian Hoehn" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:cc0ng6$ndd$04$(E-Mail Removed)...
> jaez wrote:
> [...]
> > All our access points have the same SSID
> > Some people say that all our points should have the same channel number
and
> > some say they should be different and at least 2 channels away from each
> > other. Now this is not possible with 8 access points and with the folks
next
> > door using a number of channels as well.
>
> Why is it not possible? Do all your access points cover the whole
> building? If there is an area where all 8 have their signal that's truly
> bad. You should consider that a wireless connection waits until it
> cannot "hear" another connection. So if you have 8 access points on the
> same channel in the same area you have only 1/8 of the possible
> bandwidth. If they are on different channels you have the full bandwidth
> of all of them.
>
> I donot know whether the disturbance of channels that are not far away
> from each other is so big. I would consider it is better to use
> neighboring channels than using the same one. As long as two access
> points can hear each other, they should not use the same channel!
>
> [...]
> > Every time we log on at a laptop the wireless the connections can not be
> > made until we go to the system tray, view available network, choose our
> > SSID, tick the box and OK
> >
> > I can find no way to go straight in to our SSID without having to select
it
> > from the list
>
> You should add it to the prefered networks in this dialog, then it
> should automatically connect to the first SSID it finds. Is your network
> unprotected? Then you should enable security, because as far as I know
> unsecured networks are not connected automatically (and that's good!).
>
> Sebastian