Wireless setup for 100+ users

[xtox]

I am looking for hardware for a big wireless deployment for around 100 concurrent users who will be doing light surfing on mobile devices, think tweeting etc.

We will need quite a few APs deployed to cover the area but we are not sure of what kind of models we should be looking at. Will we need to be looking at the high-end such as Cisco?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Huan]

I've wondered about this too.. The hotel I work at is using residential routers to issue ip address's for users and after a while the damn thing just clunks out and needs rebooting.. That and if we get over 30 users at a time, the system crash's.. We use linksys routers to do it all. Granted I wasn't the one to build the infrastructure for the service, but I noticed what they used and wonder if we can improve on it...

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Just did a quote, and will be installing it after the holidays, for a small school, target number of clients is about 100

Using HP Procurve wireless mobility series
1 Component J9325A#ABA MSM710 MOBILITY CONTROLLER 1,149.00 1,149.00T
4 Component J9426A PROCURVE MSM410 US ACCESS POINT 499.00 1,996.00T
Component J9450A#ABA Hewlett-Packard PROCURVE 1810G-24
SWITCH
1 499.00 499.00T
Component PD-3512G/AC 12PORT COST EFF POE GIGABYTE
10/100/1000 BASET 19IN RACK MNT
1 799.00 799.00T
Subtotal Hardware 4,443.00

 

[AMD_Gamer]

Can somebody explain to me what the access controllers do? same with the Cisco ones?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

http://h10146.www1.hp.com/products/wireless/HP_ProCurve_MultiService_Controller_Series/overview.htm

 

[AMD_Gamer]

http://h10146.www1.hp.com/products/wireless/HP_ProCurve_MultiService_Controller_Series/overview.htm

ok thanks, so basically it just lets you have a centralized control for all the AP's?

 

[ghost6303]

yes it serves as the brain to tie multiple "dumb" access points together so that you can (more) seamlessly between access points. im pretty sure it also load balances users between the available points and pools authentication policies.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Also whichever vendor you go through, look to see if they have any kind of service to physically have a tech map out the entire area to determine the most efficient placement of APs. When you get into multi AP environments there are more complex things to look at such as wave cancellation which can cause dead zones, sources of interference, certain areas that may have shielded walls (ex: an OR in a hospital) etc... The physical location of the APs, the shape of the singal (mushroom, oval, directional etc) can have various performance effects.

Where I work there are about 100 APs and there are lot of issues with certain areas having dead zones and what not. It's been an ongoing process to troubleshoot these issues and they've gotten as far as getting spectrum analyzers and whole 9 yards.

 

[zEp]

Also whichever vendor you go through, look to see if they have any kind of service to physically have a tech map out the entire area to determine the most efficient placement of APs. When you get into multi AP environments there are more complex things to look at such as wave cancellation which can cause dead zones, sources of interference, certain areas that may have shielded walls (ex: an OR in a hospital) etc... The physical location of the APs, the shape of the singal (mushroom, oval, directional etc) can have various performance effects.

Where I work there are about 100 APs and there are lot of issues with certain areas having dead zones and what not. It's been an ongoing process to troubleshoot these issues and they've gotten as far as getting spectrum analyzers and whole 9 yards.

What RS says is important. I really like the Extreme Networks wireless controllers as they have some nice features that Cisco does not have

 

[xtox]

Thanks for your help guys! Do you think HP would be the best way to go with a low budget? How much of a range do these puppies give out?