Straightforward out-of-the-box solution for extending WiFi range

And that's why I won't be buying one... *sigh*

I'll likely just live with 3 SSIDs, one for the internal network, one for guests that can manage to enter a password correctly, and one that's insecure and only allows time-limited connectivity unless I approve the MAC address (mostly for the kids' visitors and other short-term visits)

We live on a large property and I'll eventually end up putting in some outdoor gear to cover the driveway down to the road as that dip has no mobile coverage and it's a pain to be unable to pull up a map or driving directions during the first 45 seconds of a trip.

Naa, this isn't a new dream. But the hardware is cost prohibitive for giggles.

The worst I'd do would be the old "flip images using a transparent proxy" trick, I have no real evil intentions beyond that. However, we do have a pullout from a major road that gets frequently used for phone calls, I'm actually already in talks with our cable company to put in wifi coverage down there, if that falls through, I might do it myself to be neighbourly (and yes, I understand the risks of running open wifi)

Hi Jeff, I had SNMP turned on all along in the rooftop radio; but I'm not sure how to take advantage of it.

I set up the radio, but, I also provided my password to my WISP; and I know he logged in and rebooted the radio a few times when I first set it up because he had warned me that he was going to "adjust" some settings.

So, he's using the SNMP, but I can't even spell it.

I've got a lot of reading to do, I guess, to take advantage of whatever it does for me.

I have a Netgear WN3000RP Range Extender for just that purpose. It cost about half what the Microcom you linked to costs. If the router supports WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup), it sets up in a breeze. If you don't have that option, you can connect to a special config essid and use a web interface to set it up. The config network gets turned off after the device is configured. The web config page continues to exist, but is only enabled for devices connected to the extended network.

The way this extender works is to set up a bridge network with a new name (default for WPS is base network name with _EXT added), but the same password as the base network. Then you can select which network to connect to youself.

The web config is not iPhone friendly, but was easy to use on a PC.

Elijah

------ does not have WPS on his base network

BTW, Fry's is stocking Engenius if you want the "pro" stuff. Personally if it doesn't have open source firmware, I have no interest in the product.

The Engenius products are on the end of an isle, which usually but not always means the manufacturer is paying the store to carry the product. Remember the Fry's brothers know grocery store marketing techniques. Stuff like the impulse buy isle.

~ On Mon, 23 Dec 2013 12:12:24 -0800, miso wrote: ~ ~ > Most good notebooks have at least two antennas. ~ ~ I think, if it's 802.11n, it must have (at least) two antennas. ~ Right?

Nope, there are lots of single spatial stream (1SS) 11n clients such as iPads and iPhones. A 1SS client could have 2 antennas (for diversity), but in practice I think most have only 1.

Aaron

~ >However ... just guessing ... it would seem to me ~ >that, if we use the same SSID, that the STRONGEST ~ >should win, and, if one disconnects, it *should* ~ >(logically anyway) switch seamlessly over to the ~ >stronger signal as the person roams the home. ~ ~ ~ Fat chance. That's the way it should work. Instead, what happens is ~ that the client will remain connected to the initial access point, no ~ matter how weak or disgusting a signal it offers. Even if turn off ~ the client device, it will try to reconnect to the same initial access ~ point, even if there's a stronger/better signal with the same SSID ~ evailable. Even if you intentionally disconnect, the client will ~ retain the MAC address of the initial access point. When you try to ~ reconnect, it will try that MAC address first. ~ ~ Intel seems to have gotten the clue and offers a setting as to how ~ "aggressive" the client will act in retaining a connection: ~ ~ It's not a total solution, but does work rather well on my various ~ laptops.

I think you're being overly pessimistic, Jeff. The scenario where you have multiple APs advertising the same SSID on different non-overlapping channels (where all BSSIDs are bridged to the same L2 broadcast domain), actually works pretty well with most clients nowadays.

Our large customers often have buildings or campuses with dozens or even hundreds or thousands of APs all offering the same SSID, and most modern clients can roam throughout these coverage areas without losing more than one or two seconds of data connectivity at roam time.

Most clients do offchannel scans for other APs will associated, so they know what all other APs are out there (although the freshness of that information will vary.) They are apt to decide to roam based upon one or more factors like these:

• currently associated BSSID has dropped below a given RSSI threshold (e.g. below -80 dBm)

• there exists a better BSSID whose RSSI is more than threshold k stronger than the current one, so let's roam to it (e.g. k=15, so if the current BSSID's RSSI is -74 dBm and another AP is at -57, let's go there)

• n consecutive 802.11 retransmissions to the current BSSID have failed (e.g. where n=32)

• n consective beacons from the current BSSID have been missed (e.g. where n=10, i.e. ~1 second)

To be sure, in networks that are very large and/or have very stringent performance requirements (hospitals), exotic roaming schemes involving L3 tunneling, 802.11r, CCKM, WPA2 PMKID caching etc. can be called for. But for home/small organization networks, basic WPA2/PSK roaming across APs within a given SSID will work just fine (again, assuming that all of these BSSIDs are bridged to the same broadcast domain.)

Cheers,

Aaron