Jun 9, 2003 | Boston
Something else I’m thinking about in planning my move: blanketing my new apartment with WiFi. Specifically, I’ve been trying to figure out how many base stations I’ll need in order to cover every nook and cranny (and whether it’s important to also try to get to the corner of the basement, where the washing machines are). I’m already figuring that there will at least have to be a second base station in the back of the apartment, but after reading Paul Boutin’s article, I realized that I haven’t thought out whether it’s important to try to get the two base stations to merge into a single, seamless network. If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to pass them along; I’ll be sure to do the same after I figure it all out.
You use a Mac, don’t you? This month’s MacWorld is about wireless, it has a little booklet on config tips. There’s a nice little graphic of how well the different Airport models perform at various distances, through walls, etc, with several different PowerBook and iBook models of similar wireless characteristics. Most of that content is probably on their site.
• Posted by: Charles on Jun 11, 2003, 2:43 AMThis comment being told to me by my husband… He says: Not sure about Mac wireless equipment - but you can use linksys. We have a linksys wireless access point with a range booster (access point is in basement - 8feet underground) - and we have complete coverage throughout a four story/3000 sqft house as well as 50 feet outside. We’re using Orinoco wireless cards. :D If you have questions feel free to email me (Sam, my husband, is a network engineer)
• Posted by: Jennifer on Jun 11, 2003, 9:26 PMYup.. I’ve also got the Orinoco wireless cards and AP. I didn’t need the built-in hub and firewall in the Linksys because I’ve got the Symantec 200R appliance. Our house is a two story w/ 1957 sq ft and I have a great signal everywhere except behind major appliances.
• Posted by: Matthew on Jun 11, 2003, 10:35 PMAh, my publicity machine proceeds me. I wrote that cover story in Macworld and co-wrote the booklet, derived from The Wireless Networking Starter Kit (www.wireless-starter-kit.com), which Adam Engst and I wrote. The $250 Apple Extreme Base Station, which Paul mentions has an antenna jack, can be extended if you buy a third party antenna, so that could reduce the necessity of a second unit.
Jason, don’t I owe you a book in thanks for helping me with WiFiNetNews.com? (i.e., send me your snail mail address)
• Posted by: Glenn Fleishman on Jun 12, 2003, 12:46 AM