Low cost small buisness network upgrade?

Monkey34

Monkey34

Supreme [H]ardness
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Apr 11, 2003
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Since I usually deal only in existing software/hardware, I'm coming to fellow [H] for hardware advice. I have a family member who has a small business with aprox. 10 desktops/laptops on his network (all wireless). He's currently using a "home" belkin G+ setup of router/access point/cards. It's fine as an unsecured network :)eek: sigh...I know. He's semi-rural so only moderately concerned for now), but when it's secured he's getting constant signal drops.

Any recommendations for a setup that will handle 10 - 15 wireless clients, and not break his wallet?
 
ive had good luck with using RV042 as the wired firewall/router and then using Engenius Access Points - EOC-3550.
 
Depending on the size of your building, 300m of Cat5e, a handful of keystone jacks and a punch down tool.

Wireless is not suitable for any use where reliability is a concern. Even the best installations aren't all that reliable. If you really must use wireless, get a WRT54GL, configure it as a bridge and use an RV042, pfSense, m0n0wall or even some of the NetGear Prosafe routers are okay.
 
take the wireless throughput of that router and divide it by the number of workstations you have. Thats your network speed (minus overhead) to your PC.

Wire up the office......
 
o i didn't see this was for the full network.

run wires, that is a stupid setup for 10 mcahines.
 
Maybe I should have been more specific. The wireless router runs 2-3 rigs in one building, and the access point extends it to the second about 100ft away - where the rest of the rigs are.
Wires are out of the question. I'd love to wire the 100ft building gap so the signal doesn't have to make the jump, but he won't do it. "What's the point of having wireless technology if I still have to run wires everywhere....bleh bleh.":rolleyes:
 
ACtually, bridging the gap shouldn't be TOO difficult. Setup two routers running a firmware like DD-WRT with a directional antenna. I did this before using some Buffalo WHR-HP-G54's (with omnidirectionals) and could easily get a relatively reliable signal (as wireless goes) at around 150 feet. That being said, everyone is right. Reliability of wireless sucks. I went through this is my fathers office. They WANTED wireless, because it was cheaper and they liked the concept of not being tied to a wall. The problem was, reliability was so bad it would knock the clients off line when taking x-rays and stuff like that. That's unacceptable. After a few months of htis, they realized wireless wasn't going to work and I wired the whole office (24 lines of CAT5e, 1 bluebox 24 port Netgear, 2 weeks of work on a bum knee) DONE!. The network has been rock solid since. I even left the wireless infrastructure in there, just because I could. It didn't hurt to have it there, it has 2 Wireless VLANs, one that allows a connection to the server, another that only can access a limited internet connection.

That being said, here's how you could do the wireless setup.

Modem-->Wireless Router/AP--->Wireless Bridge Device 1 ---->Wireless Bridge Device 2--->Wireless Router/AP.

Honestly, I hate this whole setup but as you know what you hate is not always important (though if he is in the medical field you can use HIPPA to side track him some). Each wireless Router/AP connects the computers in that building via wireless, the bridge connects the networks in the 2 buildings, the first router/ap connects to the internet as well. That being said, this can get more complicated (but more reliable very easily) via splitting different functions off. For example, use AP's only and one router in the beginning. Keep the wireless bridges as seperate devices, just connect the AP to either the Bridge or the router depending on the situation. That being said, your throughput is going to SUCK. You will have MAXIMUM a combined 54MBPS (likely around 30ishMBS) between each section of your network. Honestly, this is a bad idea. That being said, just role with it because that is what he wants. My advice just don't work to hard on it. If the reliability sucks, just tell him that's why you suggested wired. Eventually, he will say, screw it just wire the damn place.
 
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I have said this before on this forum www.hdcom.com

Call them and go with there recomendation.

If you are trying to expand the range the unit from Pepwave may be a good idea. Has two seperate antenna systems one to receive the weak signal the other side to amp and distribute.

I would want to try that. If not maybe some Engenius units in repeater mode or even an engenius with a larger anenna.

Is it line of site?
 
Yea, it's line of sight. I figure it's a throughput issue, not range - 100ft line of sight should be no problem (and all the comp's under 40ft within the building).....and seeing as it only starts dropping signal after encryption is added.
 
Get a RV042 series hard wired router, and then add a Engenius 600mw access point and see how it goes.

Or add a Pepwave unit for the wireless.
 
Can you wire up the two independent sites and set up a point-to-point wireless link between them? If that's feasible, I would get rid of your existing AP(s) and replace them with Ubiquiti NanoStation5 or NanoStation5 Loco devices running a PtP bridged configuration. First, you'll be on 802.11a at 5GHz, which is much more reliable and usually offers better real-world performance, you'll also have directional antennas and a solid hardware/software platform that won't crash on you (this gear is solid and fairly inexpensive). This should make the point-to-point link solid. Then add a RV042 or a pfSense box or something as your internet gateway instead of a cheap consumer router.

If you want everything to actually be wireless (I do not recommend this), I'd suggest setting up the NanoStation point-to-point link as described and have a regular wireless AP at either end of it.
 
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