Wireless Mesh Networking
 

Hi,

I'd like to implement a wireless mesh networking. I'd want to know if someone is using mesh, in case that answer is positive, what do you use (firmware and hardware).

Thanks in advance!

Hi Sebelk,

You'll need to describe your environment/requirements a little more, configuring a fully meshed network is usually done to prevent a single site failure from affecting any other site, are you linking buildings via wireless ?

thanks,

kbp

Hi,

Linking building is not a priority still. Where I work we have more or less one Acess Point per floor. Each user that uses the wireless network has to connect using his username and password. Each AP sends the petitions to a radius server.

When one user move from one floor to another his notebook/netbook reconnects to nearest Access Point. I'd want to avoid reconnections, I'd like that always stays connected to the mesh.

I hope that this description made more clear what I'd want. If I misundersood the mesh concept please let me to know.


Thanks in advance!!

I see, its not the usual usage of the word "mesh" when talking about networking.. so are the users getting re-prompted for authentication if they change floors ? .. why do you want them to stay associated with the original AP they connect to ? .. for the user to stay associated with the original AP they would have to stay in range anywhere in the building, if the AP could cover this much area it would make it pointless to buy an AP for every floor, do you see what I mean ?

A wirelesh mesh network is not like a entire wired network? I mean when you move from one floor to another I think that I can associate automagically to another AP with no new authentication. Am I wrong?


Oh, and Of course I'd want to implement mesh in order to avoid more wiring...

TIA

Hi Sebelk,

Sorry, I got side-tracked by the radius authentication, the 'mesh' part is transparent to the end user, it is the network design behind the AP's that ensures an AP will not be cut off from the rest of the network in the event of a nearby AP failing.

User authentication is a separate issue not related to the topology you are using, HTH

cheers

kbp

open-mesh.com
 

try it.

what sebelk wants is called WDS mode or Repeater mode. not all routers are capable of it. off the top of my head i know that a dlink dwl-2100 will do it. Also you can put a 3rd party firmware on an existing non-capable router (if the router allows non standard firmware!) to make the modes available, as usually the hardware in the router will support it (dd-wrt, Tomato, etc)..

too add to this, generally with wifi, if you use the same SSID, channel and encryption key, you should be able to change locations (so not wds, repeater, but ap's that do not hear each other) without having to add new ssid's/encryption keys into the users device. an example would be say a hotel, where they have 2 hot-spots, 1 on the 10th floor and 1 on the first floor)