Need Solid WAP for Manufacturing Warehouse

FlatBlackCoffee

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
138
The plan is to extend our network in to the neighboring warehouse with a length of CAT 6 weatherproof cable strung between the buildings and an additional WAP.

Our Intermec WA22s have been solid, but the company doesn't sell WAPs any more.

Can you suggest a solid WAP that will meet our needs?

I'm looking for something solid but simple and a step beyond the SOHO Linksys solution.

Thank You!
 
Thank you for the dlink suggestion.

I was wondering about running copper between the buildings. It seemed so simple and straight forward, that it somehow must be wrong.

What are the concerns for doing this?

I want to make sure we get things set up properly.

Thank you again for taking the time to reply to my question.
 
I have been using Pepwave products, awesome, and you can mesh them to extend range if needed. POE as well,
 
Differences in grounding between the two buildings could cause you to fry equipment if the buildings are joined by copper.

This is a legitimate point but shouldn't it be greatly reduced if you have it PoE from building 1?
 
Copper is copper, lightning is lightning. Use Fiber, it's relatively cheap to setup.
 
Our current access points have 'Power Bricks' that supply PoE. They work slick.

Blue Fox, this looks like it might do the trick. It sounds like dlink has some solid stuff.

The lightning scenario is not fun to think about. I've worked with fiber only once, and it was for a big operation.

Any hardware suggestions for going from Cat 6 to fiber and finally to this WAP? If it was fiber, we wouldn't be supplying juice via PoE to this access point.
 
Thanks, K1pp3r. Get two of the converts, one on each end of the fiber between buildings, and suspend fiber up in the air so the tractor trailers can go under it, and sounds like we're rocking and rolling.

My boss asked if there is Cat 6 that is rated for being buried. I think I remember seeing something about that. If there is, we may just put the wire into the dirt between buildings. A home run from my server room to the warehouse is less than 1000 feet.

With the converters so inexpensive, it may come down to what is easiest. Woah! Pre-terminated fiber 75 feet in length is around $350 at LanShack http://www.lanshack.com/Custom-4-Strand-Outdoor-Multimode-Assembly-P1242C54.aspx

This is great information, guys. Thank you so much for your help.
 
You can't do 1000ft with ethernet without active repeaters somewhere in-between. Ethernet is limited to 100m per run.
 
If you find 2 switches with mini gbic ports (like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124077) and some sfp modules (like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...18088&cm_re=sfp_module-_-33-118-088-_-Product).

Buy LC-LC fiber cable in the length you need. Then add your POE switch and injector, or switch.

Unless you have a cheap supplier, cat6 outdoor rated cable is expensive, plus I'm not sure whats involved with grounding it or protecting it from lightning.... Just my 2 cents.


You should be able to find a switch for cheaper, maybe one that has POE in it for the other end, and with a 1000ft run, isn't cat6 not an option anyways?
 
Last edited:
Well i would research the cat5 converter to fiber and choose your own, i just linked the first one i found to give you an idea lol

There are different grades of Cat5 and Cat6, some for riser, some for in wall, some for direct burial.

Cat5 and Cat6 are rated for up to 100 Meters or 300 Feet.

Look at Monoprice for the cable, never used their fiber before though and check the distance the converter will travel to make sure your within its limits
 
Blue Fox, thank you. I meant less than 300 feet. We are a small shop, even considering our parking lot between buildings.
 
Probably easiest and cheapest to bury it then. Won't have to deal with transceivers or having power for an injector on the site as well.
 
Thanks for the post, k1pp3r and scotty do. I was just going to ask the advantage of using the cisco switches scotty posted vs. the converters k1pp3r posted...difference besides the price.

Burial and fiber would eliminate the lightning concern. Monoprice is a great resource. I hope they have their credit card stuff all sorted.
 
For what you're doing, the switches won't benefit you at all over the transceivers if you plan on going the fibre route. They'll just wind up costing more.
 
The only reason I went with switches was because they were cheaper than transceivers, and I needed a switch there anyways. Either will work, just depends what you find I guess.
 
The software company we use suggests Cisco AP1242 ($890) and a power injector. This is considerably more expensive than the D-Link.

There will be an inclination to use what the software company suggests because we don't want to be caught in a position that their software has a problem and they automatically tell us that we should have purchased the hardware they suggested.

Your thoughts?
 
The software company we use suggests Cisco AP1242 ($890) and a power injector. This is considerably more expensive than the D-Link.

There will be an inclination to use what the software company suggests because we don't want to be caught in a position that their software has a problem and they automatically tell us that we should have purchased the hardware they suggested.

Your thoughts?

My thoughts,

Software companies don't know ship about hardware.........Its true, they standardize one one piece of hardware and sell sell sell, they will probably request you purchase it through them so they get their cut from cisco
 
Some of those Cisco models are designed for "Challenging" RF environments like machine shops and warehouses.

I installed Cisco AP1240s in a large warehouse in the past with great success. Using the power injector adds the benefit of being able to locate the AP anywhere you can drag CAT5 without needing an AC outlet nearby; I installed the APs about 40' up on the walls.
 
The plan is to do a home run of CAT 6 from the server room to the back of our building = ~300 feet. From there, we'll use a converter to go from Ethernet to fiber. The fiber will be strung up between the buildings (about 80 feet) and go into the warehouse. We were told to order 150 feet of fiber cable to go up, out, over, and down again in the other structure.

Q1: Does the powered converter work as a repeater of sorts, or do I need to place a switch here to make sure my signal doesn't peter out since we're already close to the 100m limit?

From there, it will be converted back to Ethernet and then go into a switch. From the switch, one cable will go into the power injector and to the Cisco 1242G, and a second length of CAT 6 cable will go into conduit, under ground, and pop up in the next warehouse 30 feet away. This cable will run to a power injector and the last length will head on up to the second 1242G.

Q2: This is the wire that it has been suggested we purchase by/from Lan Shack: http://www.lanshack.com/Custom-6-Strand-Aerial-Multimode-Assembly-with-Messenger-P2059C201.aspx What is the best way to suspend this between the buildings? My boss/former electrician says a 'snivy' may work, but he wants to do the right thing.
 
Back
Top