Custom wireless APs?

Y

yawnbox

n00b
Joined
Sep 23, 2007
Messages
6
Hello

Because I simply can and am interested in its feasibility, I want to make a wireless router that can support between 50-100 users for a LAN party. The reason why I want to do this is just technolust. I know that a normal home-grade wireless router can really only support around 15 simultaneous users, depending on usage, protocols, and open connections.

I have been learning a lot about many different Linux-based, x86 router distributions/embedded operating systems, such as PFSense and Untangle, but nothing for a wireless support. Recently i've been reading about Voyage Linux and Pyramid Linux, but there simply aren't that many users/documentation explaining its use. I refuse to use DD-WRT x86... Brainslayer is an idiot for turning dd-wrt into a money-making scheme being that a "license" is required to use the x86, open-source software. I also don't know if it will scale well.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, I'd be happy to read them. The feasibility is probably pretty low-- i'm not sure if having 50+ active 802.11a/g/n connections in one room is manageable... that's a lot of packets flying through the air.
 
I purchased the net5501-70 and used M0n0wall as a base http://m0n0.ch/wall for it's use, I also bought a wireless card and did some mods in it and turned it also into a AP, from what i can experience and also reading it can support a lot of users without any issues.
 
I also use a M0n0wall box as a wireless AP for my house and I'm impressed with it's performance.

About the only thing I can say on that many users is to consider using fragmentation to help mitigate the packet collisions. . . If not multiple AP's to spread the traffic out over more channels.
 
It's not going to be possible.... you see even with draft-n and or MIMO technology your wireless AP is still only talking to one endpoint at a time... Your throughput will drop, packets will be lost, and the AP will most likely be overloaded.

I would suggest Multiple radios or AP's. I would blanket the room in AP's maybe consider 5-10 per user then script max bandwidth allocations.... your going to turn down the power to cut down on interference as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top